Nilo had grown scarcely conscious as she laid down beside him, her warm body pressing into his side, and his body gave the smallest wiggle of satisfaction, though it probably wasn’t noticeable nor much of a movement at all. Though he did shift and loop his arms around her, legs caging her in as the man held her close. Nilo could have sworn he mumbled an apology for falling asleep before dinner, but the man didn’t know nor did he really care. He just wanted to indulge in the commodity that was sleep and hold his betrothed.

But, as usual with the odd couple, nothing ever seemed to go right. The two slept for awhile and Nilo rolled onto his back, the man sprawled out and looking like a royal mess while Gennadius was in her neat ball. It was then a holler awakened him and the man jolted, blinking blearily as he fought his way into consciousness. His body begged him to return to his hard-won rest while his mind begged him to wake. As he lifted himself it was then he saw the shadowy figure and that was all it took to sober him.

There was someone in his room. For several moments he didn’t know what to do and the man was frozen, terrified as Gennadius grappled with him. He was afraid of making a move for fear of the dagger plunging into her throat. It was only when she gruffly pleaded for his assistance, calling his name with her rapidly fading strength that the man formed a quick, reckless plan. It could either go really well or horrible, but Nilo was banking on what little skill he possessed.

The crown prince wasn’t good for much in terms of combat, but there was one thing that was undisputed: Nilo was a heavy hitter. Fingers curling into a tight fist, the man reared back with eyes that could only be predatory and punched him square in the nose. It was a surprisingly fast movement on his part. His fist hit the assailant with a sickening crunch, the man’s nose breaking, and Nilo’s knuckles busting with the force of his blow. Blood sprayed and the bedroom was chaos. His bad arm shot out, closing the around the wrist of the hand that still held the dagger in a vice grip as he twisted the limb violently, causing the blade to clatter to the floor and beneath the prince’s bed.

As the stranger staggered back, his attention immediately flew to Gennadius, looking over her for any injuries, though he couldn’t tell with the blood that coated her. Although, for the most part, she seemed to not be hurt, just as frazzled as he was. “Are you alright?” He asked, words rushed as they had other pressing matters, though she was still his priority. But the man didn’t completely wait for an answer, recalling his dog was also in the room. Pale eyes swept and found her form, cowered near his wardrobe. She was terrified, but safe and that was all that mattered.

Except, their attacker was attempting to flee and save himself, aware he wouldn’t beat them both. Nilo lunged off the bed, furious and protective, and although he slipped on the blood spots on the floor he did manage to collide with the attacker. It was unintentional, but it got the job done. He was angry and rightfully so. This scum had come into his domain and attacked his intended with the intent to kill. This time, there would be no murdered informants. This bastard was the mole and had come to finish the job and wrap up loose ends.

The woman was starting to lose her grip on the man’s wrists, her palms sweaty... and if she lost her grip, she knew that blade would plunge down so fast she doubted even fate itself could be fast enough to save her. Her feet were digging into the mattress as her back arched trying to gain any kind of support that could offer her just a little more strength. She didn’t even have the breath to give another plea, nor was she in a position to see exactly what the prince was doing.

However, that was before the loud crunch telling of breaking bones, just as she made out what seemed to be an arm flying towards the attacker. With it came the unpleasant sensation of getting splattered with blood, but the dagger was no longer being pushed down, and before she had any time to react, somehow the dagger clanked onto the floor and she was completely released from the assailant's hold, the man staggering away from the bed.

Her eyes had adjusted by now and she was able to make out Nilo looking at her, looking rather upset, which she couldn’t blame him, being off kilter herself, breathing heavily as a hand instinctively came to her throat. But she managed a nod before starting to sit up, though her movements were slower than were natural for her, her body’s muscles already aching from the exertion, making her somewhat shaky, along with the unexpected assault. But one thing rang clear and that was she had to stop the bastard from leaving the room... they needed to grab him now and bring this to an end.

However, before she even was off the bed, Nilo had already made a dash for him, sliding to pin him against the door. “Watch his legs!” she shouted, but was too late, the attacker making a joint move of going for Nilo’s shin and bringing his fist across the side of his face, though even she could tell the hit was weaker than it would have been if the man wasn’t injured, hand clutched over his nose as he slipped from Nilo’s grasp to try and make another attempt to escape both of them and disappear.

But now Gennadius was up, and there was no way she was letting this piece of crap escape. The adrenaline spiked long enough for her scoop up the dagger, which she briefly noticed fit her grasp rather well. But that did not sit long in her mind as the guard realized he was cornered with Nilo at the door and the colonel advancing, so defensive became offensive again and he managed to pull out his own dagger.

“Damn...” it was said under her breath before he made the first lunge at her, dagger slicing towards her torso which she jumped back to avoid, though her own hand moved in unison, going after his exposed arm and hitting its mark. They were moving through the room, and Gennadius was using her knowledge of the layout to her advantage, dodging between tables as she stayed mainly on the defensive, barking at some point along the way for Nilo to stay out of the way, scared if he tried to help the guard would suddenly turn and find his original intended mark.

The woman was thinking at a million miles a minute though staying rather calm, before her free hand snatched up the closest thing to her... Flower’s leash. The woman did not want to kill the guard, nor did she want Nilo to get hurt, but she also knew by physical strength alone, she was no match to whoever this man was. But the leash was her answer to the problem and as he took another swing, Gennadius dropped rolling around to behind him and popping up, swiftly gyrating around, dropping her dagger and swiftly whipping the leash around. ‘Nilo! Go get someone!” Whether he was actually still in the room or not, or what he was doing, even if he had been yelling for help, she was unaware, solely focused on the attacker.

It was a rather unconventional way of fighting, and not one she was used to, but her movements had been perfect, the leash wrapping around his neck so she could hold both sides, swiftly yanking it tight and twisting it. She was small enough to be perfectly hidden behind and out of reach, though he did attempt to slash the dagger back, just briefly catching the fabric of her oversized shirt but nothing else. As that was clearly a losing battle on his part, he chose to jerk back, which ended with her slamming into the wardrobe rather sharply, though it only caused her to tighten the leash. The slamming had knocked all the air from her chest, leaving her winded, but she kept her hold, trying to get her oxygen back about the same time the man finally crumpled to his knees and fell forward.

Releasing the leash, she staggered back a step before bending over, lungs aching as she waited for the air to come back. She knew there was a risk letting the leash go if the man really wasn’t unconscious, but she didn’t want to kill him either... right now she was focused on breathing, though she did twist her head to try and find the prince. “Nilo...” his name was gasped out, which expelled what little air she had collected but she wanted to hear his voice and know that he was safe. It was only then that she tasted the metalic taste of blood, no doubt from when the attacker’s nose had been broken... but more importantly, it fully hit her how she could have lost Nilo tonight...

When Gennadius cried his name out the blow was too close to avoid, a splintering pain tearing through his shins and his vision temporarily blurred as the fist connected with his cheek, sending the prince staggering in his shock. His focus had been split between the attacker and Gennadius, which had been his first mistake. It had left him open for the blows that had just been dealt, though they were weaker they were still off-putting and hurt. It was in the prince’s pain and shock the man tried to slip away, but Gennadius took over, advancing.

And all Nilo could do was stand there, knowing even without her warning he would be useless. He didn’t even move towards Flower. He just stood there, clutching his cheek which was beginning to swell some, though the man was sure he would have a bruise on his stomach from the man’s earlier blow. It was only when she hollered at him to get help the prince found it in himself to move. He didn’t want to leave Gennadius, but she looked like she had it handled and what good would he do if he stayed there.

So Nilo ran and his dog followed, his hollers echoing down the hall as he looked for someone, anyone, to help. There weren’t any guards within the castle so he was forced to burst outside, screaming loud enough to rouse a country. Several heads poked from barracks and someone ran up to him, wide-eyed and concerned. “Your highness, what happened?” He questioned frantically as Nilo struggled to catch his breath.

“There’s an intruder in my room,” Nilo spoke roughly, voice hoarse from all the yelling, “Gennadius is in there subduing him but, get a damn group!” He barked, “If he makes it out alive I want him hung as soon as the information is beaten out of him, you understand me?” The words escaped in a dangerous snarl and the prince turned to run back to his room, only to have his shoulder grabbed to pull him back.

The prince whipped around, trying to get back to her as soon as he could and not too happy about being stopped. The guard decided to speak again, “Prince Van Aslan, we’re gathering a small team now, please wait for them to accompany you. It’ll be safer.”

Nilo’s nostrils flared as he tore his shoulder from the guard's grip and jogged back towards the castle. “I want my personal court notified immediately, as well as my father!” He called out behind him, picking back up into a sprint as his desperation grew, the man hoping to find that Gennadius was okay. “Gennadius!” He called as he entered the wing which held his quarters, praying she could hear him. “Gennadius!” Nilo shouted again, his voice rough and desperate.

Nilo slid the last few feet to his bedroom, side loudly bashing into the doorway as he stopped himself, but he didn’t care. Pale eyes swept over to where she stood and their gazes connected. He could not reach her faster, the prince pulling her into his chest with no care for the blood on her clothes, only that she was okay. The attacker was knocked out and they were safe. Nilo buried his face in her hair and let out a sigh of relief. It was there he stayed for a few moments before pulling back, looking her over. “You’re not hurt, are you?” He asked, eyes glittering with concern. Granted, the man had endured more blows during the fight, but she had been the one fighting with knives.

The guards thundered in seconds later, shocked by the destroyed room and man out cold on the floor, not to mention Gennadius’s bloody form. One man asked the pair a few questions before ordering them to the infirmary to be looked at, to which Nilo protested, but the guard wasn’t having it. “The colonel’s covered in blood and you are bruised. We have a couple of nurses already expecting you. Have them draw you a bath colonel, it can get the blood off. We’ll have some maids come in and clean up while you two are away.” He suggested, glancing between them both, "We'll have night patrols in the castle from now on, this shoudl have never happened." He concluded before returning to his squad as they prepared to haul the man from the room to be questioned.

The infirmary visit was rather chaotic, even if he didn’t have any wounds. As soon as they saw his face and asked about other wounds, the man's fatal move had been his arms banding protectively over his torso. The nurses tried to get him to take his shirt off, which resulted in him nearly biting their heads off. Granted, they were just worried given he was the prince, but no one had seen his torso since Gwen was changing his bandages. Although, Nilo did allow them to press over the spot that had been struck, giving them the satisfaction that there was nothing more than a bruise. If anything, they had been much more worried about his bad arm, which was in its final stages of healing, though there had been no damage done to it.

His father had come in just as he was about to be released from their care, brown furrowed with worry and still in his nightclothes as he looked him over. The king had asked several rapid-fire questions, the whole event frazzling him. There had never been an assassination attempt during his monarchy, much less one on his only son. Leonel briefly asked about Gennadius before he had to bid farewell, given the fact he was supposed to be at the head of the new, terrifying situation that had arisen in only a matter of minutes.

Nilo had to wait a while in the room for Gennadius, given as the woman had to bathe and all he had to do was change his clothes due to some blood splatter and have his knuckles wrapped. He wasn’t so sure he wanted to return to his room, but the man wasn’t exactly thrilled about staying in the infirmary. He knew it was safe, but he wanted privacy, the comfort of the familiar blankets and bed instead of these thin sheets and tiny mattress. Flower, despite his protests, would be with his father for the rest of the night, given as the king just wanted his son to focus on resting.

Except, Nilo wasn’t completely sure he could fall asleep, even though the lack of light shining through the curtains said it was still nighttime, as had the darkness in his room during the altercation with the stranger. It was for awhile he waited for Gennadius, playing with the bandages on his hands before her head poked in and the man instantly lit up at the sight of her, the smile he wore tired and relieved. “I’m doing fine, how-” Nilo was cut off as she careened into him, a low chuckle escaping the man, though it was more relieved than anything.

He wrapped his arms around her, drawing her as close as he could and pressing his nose to the top of her head, her scent soothing him. They were okay. It had been a terrifying situation, but they were okay. “But you didn’t lose me,” Nilo responded after a moment, “because you were there to save me, as always. It's just that this time, you actually needed a little help from me.” The man pulled her closer, if that was even possible, hesitant to let go. Seeing her mere seconds from death had rattled him. Watching the woman struggle under the force of the blade had been terrifying and he was more than grateful she had survived.

“I’ll punch a stranger for you anytime,” Nilo purred, relaxing the more time they spent together after what was a harrowing experience. “I’m glad we have no new scars to add tonight, I think we both have enough already. I’m just glad you’re okay” He told her quietly, the two no more than shadows in the dark room. The nurses had offered to light the sconces, but the man hadn’t thought he was going to be there that long and he was sure the ladies had wanted to go back to bed since they had been unfairly roused.

But the idea of visitors tired him and he wasn’t looking forward to it. “Why can’t they just wait until tomorrow?” Nilo groaned, letting his head thump against the headboard, “It’s the middle of the night and I happened to be resting for once. What a ridiculous situation.” Nilo huffed and followed it with a sigh, though it was clear the man was feeling much better now that the criminal had been caught. The problem may not be completely solved, but the prince could certainly breathe easier now that yet another person who wanted his blood was off the streets. "But I get our friends would be concerned, if it was any of them I would be banging down their doors too."

The softest of chuckles escaped her at the mentioning of punching a stranger. This wasn’t the first, remembering clearly the night he had been a mess of black and blue along the torso because he got into a fist fight over her reputation. Just this time, it was more than her reputation that had been at stake, it had been her very life. It was a new feeling to be the one to be saved, and it brought with it a great amount of gratitude. It wasn’t death itself that scared her, it was the way death could come, though she probably would never tell him that there had been fear.

Yes, a fear of the dagger just missing its mark and leaving her to bleed out with a blade sticking out of her neck. There would be no saving her then... just a few minutes of pure agony. The fear of having to be writhing against the pain and be witness to his probable death all at the same time. Those were thoughts she could not bear, though now they were unimportant.

As his head thumped against the head board, Gennadius shifted to pull herself fully on the bed, curling her tired body against him. “If it was any of our friends, you are darn straight we’d be barging into their homes to make sure they were alright,” she smiled, head resting against his side as she was yet again leaning her full weight into him. “Though maybe they will give us a break and go talk to the guard first... I’m sure enough people can tell them that we are okay.”

Well, she hoped anyway. She too wanted no more than to sleep, knowing they were safe now, though she had a feeling they would still be getting visitors. “I demand a paid day of leave tomorrow.” The woman tilted her head some to try and make out his face, looking rather serious though it was clear she was teasing. Sort of. “Chances are at least half of my men will be hungover anyway...” And that reminded her that she had not told about her day as she would have if Nilo hadn’t been sleeping when she arrived in his room earlier that evening.

It could easily wait until morning, or noon when they would probably end up waking up if they ever got anymore sleep. But she thought it might help them relax even a little more, though the two were already relatively comfortable considering what they had just been through. And while it would seem that such a thing wouldn’t overly affect Gennadius, there was a lingering amount of emotional upset, simply because the castle halls were supposed to be a safe haven, not a battle field... not a place where she should almost lose the person that she loved most in the entire universe. Yet it nearly had, leaving her a tad shaken.

“It took me longer to meet you because it seems the soldiers waited to do a celebration for our engagement until our actual announcement.” Gennadius released a soft chuckle, shaking her head, relating to him some of the playful jests and the sparring (she made sure to clarify wooden swords were used) that took place. And, in general, she gave a quick overview of some of the shenanigans she had been forced to be part of. It was a light hearted story and even telling it helped her, her voice softening and revealing how tense and strained it had been before.

She had begun to grow drowsy near the end, her tone quieting as she closed her eyes, finishing it off. Though, it was unfortunately the same time Darius and Theophilus made their entrance, holding up an annoying amount of light to be able to see in the room. Dark eyes snapped back open and she looked at the men with a groan, “We’re fine... go away....” Her face smooshed back against Nilo, mumbling some incoherent words.

Darius ignored her, looking to the prince, “Are you well? We heard what happened from the guards and some from His Majesty, but we wanted to see for ourselves.” Theophilus nodded, though he seemed much more content with merely seeing that the two were fine. Then again, it wasn’t one of Theo’s men that had nearly just killed the colonel and the prince. But Darius did not want to linger, knowing they needed to join the king in figuring out the best way to deal with the situation and getting answers from the guard. “If you do not need us, we will be off to help the king.”

Nilo draped an arm around her as she leaned against him, tired body curling into his warmth. He scoffed as she demanded paid leave, but gave her an affectionate squeeze.”Paid leave?” He huffed out his question, “I will not pay you to lie in bed all day. I need my soldiers trained!” The man feigned his offense well, but his face softened after a moment, clearly giving in, though, one could have predicted it from the beginning. “But, I’m sure that can be arranged,” He purred, a low chuckle escaping him, “I guess it helps that you have a prince in your pocket hmm? He can give you all the paid leaves you want.”

It was nice to sit there with her and talk, especially since not too long ago, that chance was almost stolen by the armed stranger. Nilo had been too caught up in the moment to realize, but there was a huge chance he could have lost Gennadius that night and that was worse than any wound the attacker could have inflicted on him. His eyes briefly closed and the man drew in a shaky breath. The very thought of what could have happened brought him great distress and his body tensed again. There would have to be guard patrols re-instilled to ensure this incident didn’t repeat. Never once had Nilo considered he could die in his own bed by a mere stranger who wore the facade of a guard by day.

Her talk of the celebration her men threw her allowed his fears to mellow and disappear. Nilo listened as she told her amusing tale and the man was happy for her. It was more than enough to distract him from the harrowing events that had occurred that night. Yes, the man enjoyed hearing what the soldiers had done for her, especially after all she had been through in her time as a colonel. She more than deserved it and he was glad she had her day of fun. “It seems you had quite a bit of fun colonel so I supposed I can forgive your tardiness. Only because of that.” He told her, pressing his nose to the top of her head once more.

Nilo had been about to gently ease her completely down onto the bed with him to sleep when Darius and Theophilus entered, the prince squinting against the light. His head raised to look at them, though he wasn’t overly pleased. Even so, he wore a tired smile and chuckled as Gennadius’s voice became nothing but vibrations against his shirt. Nilo did not move to make her talk, only gave her a gentle squeeze. “We are fine, as she said, but you don’t need to go away.” The man greeted, weary eyes glittering with amusement, “I only sustained some bruising and she is uninjured as far as I’m concerned. The attacker clearly wasn’t expecting us to be together.” The man glanced down at her for the clarification that wouldn’t come, given as she made it her goal to burrow as far away from the two men and their light as possible.

“Your men had a quick reaction time Commander, thank them for me.” Nilo told Darius, smile weak but genuine, “And don’t let my father overwork himself, will you? He obviously didn’t get too much sleep tonight.” He asked, knowing he wouldn’t be there to watch over his father, “But yes, I guess that’s all. Update us in the morning if you have the time. I’d like to hear about what you find.” And it was with that they said their final goodbyes and the two were plunged back into their comfortable darkness

Nilo took the opportunity to shift completely so he was laying down. “It seems I won’t be convincing you to run away with me to a guest room, so little infirmary bed it is.” He murmured, his exhaustion hitting him once more and he snuggled closer to Gennadius, wanting to feel her warmth, especially after the incident that had nearly separated them forevermore. “I’m glad you were there tonight,” Nilo told her, thankful for what she had done, “I don’t want to think about what would have happened if you weren’t” He admitted, words quiet yet heavy with their weight.

“I think I’ll be taking a paid day as well,” A soft chuckle, “but perhaps only a half one. Depends on what fun you’d like to drag me into.” Nilo concluded, letting himself fall silent and begin to doze, not minding the fact they were rather squished together on the infirmary bed, even if he would have preferred one of the other rooms in the castle and the privacy it offered. It seemed like they never spent much time away from the infirmary, which honestly, would be rather concerning to any onlooker who noticed how much time they spent there. But to them, it was probably rather routine at that point.

“Then don’t think about it,” Gennadius murmured softly, pulling her head away some when he had shifted them into a laying down position. She curled into him a little more, grateful for the men to have left them in peace again. “And I’m sure I can think of something...” Her voice stayed quiet and her words were slightly jumbled as she was pretty much half asleep at that point. But she had felt the need to respond to him anyway before finally drifting off, relieved that all was well with them both.

…

Opening her eyes, Gennadius blinked against the light coming through the curtains with a groan, arm moving to shield her face. Her legs stretched out as she leaned back into the warm body beside her, slowly letting her arm fall as her eyes adjusted to the brightness. The night's events seeped back into her memory and her head rather quickly snapped to the side, a sigh of relief escaping her to see Nilo safely sleeping next to her. They were both fine...

As quietly as possible, and trying not to shake the bed or jog the man too much, the woman slipped away from him and stood. Her arms stretched upward as she arched her back, the muscles in her biceps reminding her of the night’s adventure. That and her stomach released a low rumble, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten since at least noon the day before. Or had it been breakfast? She wasn’t exactly sure, just knowing that they both had ended up skipping dinner.

Glancing over Nilo’s form one more time, Gennadius couldn’t help her smile, eyes showing adoration and relief. Knowing the man needed as much sleep as he could get, she quietly left the room without waking him, making her way to her own room. There, she changed into her own clothes which consisted of just an average leather pair of pants and a long sleeve shirt with rolled up sleeves. Going through her small assortment of clothes, she pulled out a spare of one of Nilo’s shirt, though she was out of clean sweatpants for him.

The woman knew she could go to his room and retrieve him a pair, but honestly had no interest in going in for the time being. It wasn’t that she was frightened of it, or it now disturbed her. Rather, for the moment she didn’t really want spend her thoughts on the night's events. Later, now that she had slept, she wanted to be part of the interrogation of the guard, and she wondered if Nilo would want a chance to know what all this was about too. But for now, that wasn’t what she wanted to be thinking about, so she tucked the shirt under her arm and made her way to the kitchens.

As per usual, she was given a warm greeting by the staff, though there were some concerned looks. Other than a “glad you are looking well” there was no reference to what had happened. Well, no verbal reference. She wasn’t even given a chance to order anything before the cook hushed her and said they knew exactly what she needed and not too long after, an oversized tray was handed her. It was quite literally packed as if the entire staff thought that if they gave them enough food, the two would become immortal. Though, she had no doubt that whatever she didn’t eat, the prince would more than happily devour.

Thanking them, Gennadius carried the tray in two hands with the shirt still tucked under her arm, trying to see all that had been collected for them as she walked. There were rolls, pastries, at least two sandwiches, fruits, and did they even add some breakfast dishes? Goodness, she would manage maybe a sandwich and a roll... an apple too if she wanted to stretch it. And that wasn’t mentioning the pitcher balance precariously in the center with two cups next to it.

How she managed to get the door back open, she would never know when she arrived to the infirmary, but she did and used her hip to push it open more. “Honestly, I’d let you sleep more, but it seems the kitchen staff decided to load me up enough food to last us the next two months of our life so I thought maybe we shouldn't let it go bad.” Gennadius placed the tray on the nightstand before plopping her butt onto the edge of the bed and tossing his shirt in his face. “I also got you a more comfortable shirt but I want it back when you’re done.” Dark blue eyes sparkled as she grinned, reaching over and poking at the man.

“Are you sure you want to marry me? I mean, can you imagine this every morning?” she teased, before slapping him across the hip and reaching over to the tray to snag one of the sandwiches. “I mean, technically it is noon, so perhaps not make a habit out of the time, but I do have a tendency to wake up earlier than you.” Whether he was actually processing everything she was saying, she didn’t know, but by now she had moved to eating the glorious food, which always was beyond amazing.

Nilo awoke at the sound of Gennadius’s voice, groaning in protest as she decided it was time to wake him up. He hissed as the shirt hit him in the face, wiggling deeper beneath the covers as she poked at him, seeking shelter and further sleep, his eyes had not yet pried open. He may have slept for an entire night, but he still didn’t want to wake up, even if the smell of the food was incredibly tempting to his empty stomach. He curled into a tighter ball, clutching the sheets in his fingers like a small child.

He let out a low as she smacked his hip, though it was non-threatening to her, given as he wouldn’t actually do anything. The man did listen to her words as she spoke, though his back was to her and his eyes were squeezed shut. After not responding for several moments, the man huffed and sat up, stretching his arms above his head and yawning as he squinted against the light. Nilo’s sleep had been a deep one, despite the night's events. He had been exhausted and the bed had been warm with Gennadius in it, so sleep had come rather easily, especially since she was with him.

Nilo shifted to where he sat behind her, her back to his front and her thighs between his. He moved his arms to encircle her waist and the man buried his head in the crook of her neck, wordless for several moments as the man simply enjoyed her company. Everything was okay now…but it hadn’t been. His mind continued to remind him of the dagger poised above her throat and the way she had called his name, pleading for him to take action. She had almost been torn away from him and his life had nearly crumbled. Nilo didn’t want to live without her.

So it was in that period of silence that he held her he was grateful. Grateful that they both had lived to see another day and that the fates had been merciful to them both. If she hadn’t been there, he would have died. If he hadn’t beat the assassin, she would have died. So much could have gone wrong, yet there they were, sitting in the infirmary nearly uninjured besides a couple of bruises and achy muscles. It was a blessing in all honesty, that among the chaos neither of them had been further injured.

“Mmmm,” Nilo hummed against her skin, before lifting his head from where it had been nestled, “I think I’ll remain steadfast in my choice,” He murmured against her ear, giving her torso a gentle squeeze, though he was careful not to jostle her, “you will grow accustomed to waking up later soon enough.” He spoke with a low chuckle, voice deep and rough from sleep, “Once we are married there will be no working at dawn, I promise you that. You will have no choice but to sleep in with me” Nilo’s voice became a playful purr, the man relaxed, rested, and happy all was well.

His head dipped again and the man left a trail of featherlight kisses from the base of her neck up to her jaw before finally unraveling himself from around her, his stomach complaining. “We should’ve had Darius bring us food last night,” Nilo chuckled, snatching one of the pastries from the tray and biting into it with a moan, chewing contently on the flaky food, “Then again,” He swallowed, “The chefs only make pastries in the mornings so this is definitely a win.” He chuckled, finishing it rather quickly before moving onto the sandwich, though the man doubted all the food would be consumed. Even so, it had been a nice gesture from the cooking staff.

“Thank you for the shirt, that was nice of you,” The man cast her a smile in between bites, “although I’m convinced you only gave it back because your shirts no longer smell like me.” Nilo shook his head before falling quiet again, happily chewing on his sandwich like a little boy. It didn’t take very long for him to finish it, given as the man typically missed one or two meals a day. His relationship with food was an odd one, for the prince loved to eat, yet often forgot to do so.