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“No. I do not.”

Azriel regarded her with a tilt of his head. “Or is it me?”

Penelope should have disagreed, but the truth clung to her silence, and the demon smirked and he wiped his moustache.

“I know I promised not to disturb or chase you anymore Pen, just before you came to stay here.”, Azriel said. “But I can’t; like I said,” he came closer and pressed a kiss to her cheek. Penelope felt the currents from that light kiss zap through her body and set her aflame. “I crave water.”

He backed away, and he could note his effect on her; the flushed face, tied tongue, and shell-shocked state. It was only a matter of time before she would melt under his touch and she would be on his bed.

Penelope watched him walk away, and she cursed at herself. Azriel had no effect on her whatsoever when he tried to woo her with gifts, so what was happening to her now? It must have been some potion he might have slipped into her meal, for this was sorcery that had overcome her.

Before Pen became a maid, her old friend, chubby and loquacious Gina whose mother sold potions, had told her one of the fastest ways to ward off an enchantment spell was to rinse one’s eyes with spring water as many times as possible to break the power it wielded over a person. Penelope didn’t know if spring water had a particular cure, or if Gina had been saying the truth and not just spinning a tale off the top of her head, but whatever the case, Penelope was sure to douse her eyes in that water until her reality was clear. She needed her senses, and Azriel was taking them away.

As she continued her duty of catering to the horses, she made a mental connection to the potion being fed to the horses and the black thick liquid in the jar she had seen in the two demons’ hands. Azriel had been evasive about what it was to be used for when she had asked before and clearly had been careful not to let her hear. Five hundred horses have been fed, and more was still to come.

.....

Whatever plan it was Azriel was cooking, Penelope hoped it wasn’t a recipe for doom.

...

The dignitaries were filing out of the castle one after the other, a week after the wedding. The castle had a way of alluring guests to stay in more, enticing them with its sceneries while giving some of them the vacation much needed. For one Prince, in particular, his only mission was to see the King’s concubine.

Axel had tried and failed several times to see Neera since the “second” wedding. With the excuse of remaining in the palace to share some business wisdom with Duke Ryan, he didn’t miss the security guards who hovered around him, and he doubted Neera knew he was still in the castle. Thankfully, the King hadn’t had his head for that almost successful escape with Neera.

Who was he kidding? The King would have hunted him till the ends of the earth for Neera even if he had escaped.

So on the final day, after an unsuccessful attempt again to convince one of the guards by slipping him a piece of gold, Axel decided it was time to actually move on and leave for his Kingdom, but not until he tried one last tactic.

He waited at the stairs leading to the King’s quarters, looking up just as the new Queen, Jasmine, descended in a heavy ornamented ceremonial gown. She paused in her walk when she saw him, her eyes growing wide as she whipped her head back to check behind her. There were only guards, and if the King was there, it wouldn’t be good for the Prince.

“Prince Axel, what are you doing here?” Jasmine asked.

“I need a favour from you”, Axel wasted no time. “I need to speak with Neera, but the King would not allow me. Please, I need just one minute with her.”

Jasmine looked behind her, and with a wave of her hand, dismissed the guards. She turned her attention back to the Prince.

“I am surprised you remained this long in the castle,” Jasmine said. “Especially with everything involving your sister.”

Axel gritted his teeth. “I am still not privy to what exactly my sister did to Neera, but I have heard the rumours. And I assure you, I was in no way involved in any scheme my sister plotted. Queen, all you have to do is call Neera to the garden. I want to say my farewell to her. I don’t know if I would ever be given the chance to see her again.”

Jasmine’s brows did an upturn, as if torn on whether to allow him to see Neera or save the matter for the King to handle. But with a flick of her wrist, and placing a finger on her lips to instruct him to be silent, she walked up the stairs with him in tow.

“The garden has too many eyes,” Jasmine said. “The King will know you are there within a minute and will send you hurling over the fence.”

However, they didn’t reach the doors of the King’s quarters before Zavian came out from the adjoining passage. Jasmine shook, and like a deer caught in the headlight, her mouth fell open.

“And what is going on here?” Zavian asked. They were both taken aback for a second, as Jasmine’ moved to speak, but Axel squared his shoulders. “I requested to see Neera. She was just taking me to her.”

Zavian shot a look at his wife. “And you are taking him into her chambers?” He asked, looking visibly angry at her,

“Not without a guard”, Jasmine said. “He is innocent, and he only wants to bid her goodbye”

”Bid my woman goodbye? Who gave him such right?” Zavian asked.