The Assassin and Her Prince

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter sixteen

They set off at sunrise; the fiery glow of daybreak has barely touched the edges of the horizon and the air is still crisp with the idea of darkness. The cobbled path of the city quickly falls away as they leave the comfort of the castle behind them. This isn't the first time Cal's felt the same thrilling excitement of adventure; though this time the stakes are more personal than the fate of the continent.

This time, they ride on horseback. A first for Rayla, who had initially wanted to ride solo until she quickly discovered how difficult the sport could be and that riding with Cal meant being in his strong arms for the entirety of the journey. The novelty quickly wears off, however, as Rayla wishes her saddle came with extra padding.

Neither of them had expected to leave this soon, but when they approached the council with their plan, they had been met with nothing but approval and the insistence to embark on their mission immediately.

"We had discussed this particular form of magic, but it only works on soul mates," the head elven diplomat had told them, a smile played on her lips; the only sign that she knew that the spell would indeed be effective.

"Once the discussions are over, we want to leave as soon as possible," Rayla replied and Callum nodded in agreement.

The head elven diplomat raised a hand in objection. "No..."

Callum's face was painted with confusion when he asked, "No?"

"No, you will leave at daybreak. Tomorrow," she clarified.

"Surely the wedding takes priority. Rayla bound herself," he objects, looking to Rayla for confirmation.

"Actually, I promised that I would do everything in my power to secure the marriage alliance by the summer solstice."

She hadn't meant to keep it a secret, but at Cal's crestfallen face, she knew he deserved an apology. She placed a light kiss on his cheek and his face softened. After all, it did take the pressure off their situation.

The head even diplomat had remained silent during their little display of affection but spoke up to make her final point."Regardless, there is one other condition to the soul binding."

"And that is...?" Rayla asked, unsure if she wanted to know the answer.

"Chastity."

Thinking about it still makes Rayla blush crimson; she hadn't even thought about... that. Under different circumstances, she and Cal would've taken things slowly, but they can't afford that luxury. Because of that, Rayla finds that she enjoys the little things he does all the more; it makes what she and Cal have seem... normal.

Suddenly, she hears his voice in her ear. "You cold?" he asks.

She nods, expecting him just to pull her into his warm chest, but instead, he shrugs off his soft hooded cloak and drapes it over her shoulders, wrapping his arms around her. She smiles, turning to plant a kiss on his nose and sighing contentedly. This is all she's ever wanted.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed that chapter and if you did, don't be a silent reader! Thanks to my beta midnightpansy!

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