It was very disconcerting to wake up in the King's arms.

It had shifted in the middle of the night somehow that they were lying side by side- her back pressed to him as his arms wrapped around her. She had taken her hands and laced her fingers into his own.

His head rested on top of hers, his warm breath rustling her hair just slightly.

Lumi stared at their connected hands, wondering what she was going to do when he woke up.

She planned different scenarios in her head- from him yelling at her, to that unexpected flash of being chucked off the balcony again.

Neither one happened.

She felt him moving next to her.

She stayed still, closing her eyes and faking sleep. When his hands left hers, she still didn't move. She heard a deep sigh leave him and a whispered, "Hell," from his lips.

But he didn't move away from her.

His fingers combed unexpectedly through her hair.

Lumi's whole body hummed with awareness of his every movement. She was strung too tight, with no sense now of when she should wake up from her pretend sleep.

His fingers continued playing with her hair, taking strands and holding them there, before letting them go.

And then his finger went down her arm. A smooth, unbroken motion that caused her to shiver and turn to face him.

He stared down at her, his face blank but Lumi had a feeling there was an edge of unease there at being caught.

"Good morning," she mumbled.

She looked out the window, noting that the sun had still not risen.

He leaned and laid on his back, hands folding behind his head, still staring at her.

"You...You could always leave through the balcony?" She suggested.

That made him smile.

She felt herself smiling with him, before the events of last night came crashing back into her. She gently touched her face, feeling her swollen eyes, and finally catching onto the scratchiness that was in her throat.

"I'm not sorry I cried," she announced.

He raised an eyebrow at her, clear skepticism at her words but Lumi sat up, pushing her hair down in a terrible attempt to flatten the curly mess.

"You made me cry so you should be the one apologizing."

"I made you cry?"

Lumi turned to glare at him.

"Yes."

They continued their standoff before finally, he looked away, tilting his head and letting it fall sideways onto a pillow.

"You're mine. I have every right to tell others they can't have you."

Lumi had to turn away from him to prevent him from seeing whatever emotion was on her face.

There was silence between them. She turned back around to find him waiting for some form of response.

"I..." Lumi cleared her throat, shaking her head, "I still have my own feelings."

"So you were upset that I said no," his eyes seemed to glint dangerously at her as his low threat came out.

"Kyst and I are not attached in any way anymore. If I had to pick, I would rather stay here. The snow is more interesting than those blossom trees the Spring Kingdom has."

She turned back in time to come face to face with Theros. He was staring with narrowed eyes down at her, "no longer attached?"

"I already told you we were engaged once-,"

Her words were suddenly cut off as he moved closer to her, that predatory gleam becoming more dangerous in his eyes. Lumi felt herself lean back, until she fell against the bed, with his body staring down at her.

"Actually you failed to mention this engagement."

Lumi scoffed, "It's hardly anything to make a big deal out of. I was only fifteen at the time and he was eighteen, but I didn't really like him. My father didn't need an alliance with the Spring Kingdom so it was never official-,"

Again, she was cut off as his face moved closer. Lumi had to fight hard to remember to breathe when she felt the weight of his body pressing her down, pinning her to the bed.

"So he was the one who approached with the proposal?"

"Well...yes....I guess that's true..."

"And you said no?"

Lumi looked up at him with narrowed eyes.

"Are you really this possessive?"

Without any warning, his lips came crashing down on hers. Lumi had no chance to prepare herself for the fierce connection that suddenly burned through her as his tongue dipped into her and tasted. She couldn't help the low moan that escaped her at the sensation, or when his hands came to tangle in her hair. It only increased as his hips started a repetitive motion against her, that sent her eyes rolling, unable to catch her breath. He pulled back, and she saw that blue fire lit in his gaze as he stared down at her.

The eyes of a monster retreating into the cage that it had temporarily escaped from.

"I am."

He pushed himself off the bed, leaving her laying there breathless as he walked out of her room.

It took Lumi a few minutes to gather her thoughts and remember what her question had originally been.

* * *

Kyst found her in the garden.

Lumi glared at him, earning a wide grin from the prince as he sat down next to her.

The guards uneasily shifted on their feet, unsure if a prince was someone they should keep away. But he was a royal guest and in the end, his high status won him the right.

"Why the glare Lumikki?"

"You know everyone calls me Lumi."

Kyst tilted his head, his devilish smile still gracing his face.

"I know."

He tilted his head further back, exhaling deeply as he watched his breath form in the air.

"The winter lands are so dreadful."

Lumi's glare only deepened at his words.

Kyst looked at her from the corner of his eyes, "So, what did I do to earn this look from you this time?"

Lumi huffed and crossed her arms, "Well, you did try to buy me."

Kyst stared evenly at her, "and you're angry about this because....?"

"I'm not like cattle! You can't just come in and buy me!"

"Everything has a price sweetheart. Even you."

He moved closer to her, nudging her with his shoulder, "But if you know I tried to get you, then you should also know that the North King said no. Truthfully there is nothing the Winter Kingdom needs. Anything I could have offered he wouldn't have been interested in. I thought he would just be grateful to have you out of his palace, but he seems more prideful than I gave him credit for."

Kyst quickly rubbed his hands together, trying and failing to provide some warmth into them.

"Mad March- How can you stand to be in this place Lu-lu?"

Lumi felt her teeth clench at the horrible nickname he had skipped to using. He had a lot he would use on her, but Lu-lu was the worse out of all of them.

"I've grown to like it," she said.

He watched her carefully, eyeing her before another slow grin spread across his face, "You mean you like it here...or you like it..." his head went back to the palace. Lumi frowned at him, unsure of what he meant. Kyst had always made strange jokes that she could never follow. Her older brothers all seemed to like him, but Lumi could never say the same. She had always been helpless against a handsome face, which was the real reason why she had been so attached to him when she was young.

She gave a long sigh, shaking her head at him.

Kyst continued smiling at her before his eyes looked at a place past her.

Lumi turned to see that King Theros was out. There were three other men with him, all crowding around trying to get his attention. His focus was on her and Kyst however.

"I should lock my door tonight. Someone might try to come in and assassinate me," Kyst joked.

Lumi lightly hit his arm, "You shouldn't joke about that."

His face suddenly turned serious as his bright green eyes glanced back at the King behind them, "Lumi...I really did come here to try and help you...When I heard what had happened...what your father did..." he looked straight at her then.

Lumi nodded solemnly, "I know. But it wasn't your problem to handle."

"It could have been," he seemed to be conveying that silent message to her. The one he always sent whenever they were alone.

Your problems could be my problems. Your sadness could be my sadness. Your happiness could be my happiness.

If you only say yes.

"I have no say in this Kyst," Lumi said sternly, "Even if I wanted it, which," she quickly added, "I don't. It wouldn't matter what I think."

Kyst now was the one to scowl at her.

"I know. He made that clear yesterday. I've heard some stories here though Lumi...and I don't think you can actually live here. That you will be happy here."

Lumi shook her head, and in that moment, she seemed to have aged well over the girl of twenty that she actually was.

"It's not about my happiness. You're right. I probably won't be able to live my life here very long. And I probably won't be able to find happiness here. But that's something I have to accept. It's just something I will have to live with."

"You don't deserve that Lumi," Kyst's voice sounded pained as he took her hand.

Lumi stared down at it, giving his hand a light squeeze.

"Is my family okay?"

Kyst smiled sadly down at her, "As far as I know, yes."

Lumi nodded, "then that's all that matters."

Before Kyst could say another word, one of the guards who had been standing over them quietly approached, "Princess... I'm sorry but it's time to go back."

"What-," Lumi's gaze stopped short at the sight of the glaring King who was still on the edge of the courtyard, watching them.

The pieces slowly fit together for her as she nodded slowly to the guard.

Lumi looked down at Kyst.

"It was nice to see you again."

She could feel tears threatening to come to her for a second time in two days. She quickly wiped them away, not wanting them to be seen.

"I probably won't be able to see you after this so....goodbye Kyst."

He rose to stand in front of her.

"Do you want me to pass a message to your family?"

Lumi shook her head, "They have already forgotten about me. It's better if they all move on."

Kyst moved closer and put his arms around her. He gave a small laugh, "I forgot how short you were. It always made things like this difficult."

Lumi playfully hit him again, shaking her head but still smiling, "Stop. You're going to make me remember and I'll end up laughing-,"

"What? About the time you fell from the desk?"

"Well you put me up there."

"Well, I had to in order to not break my back and reach your-,"

They both were cut off as the guard grabbed Lumi's arm, an apologetic look on his face.

"Princess. Please."

Lumi wordlessly stumbled away. She waved silently goodbye to Kyst, watching as his thin smile flashed briefly, with a sharp look of pain.

* * *

The anger was exploding in the room.

Both men stood on either end of the table, glaring back at each other.

"Name your price. I'll give the winter lands anything."

King Theros only narrowed his eyes and shook his head.

Prince Kyst laughed openly, a mocking tone in his voice.

"So, do you plan to make her your wife?"

He watched as the winter king froze in shock.

Prince Kyst grinned in satisfaction, leaning closer to him from across the table. "Because I know for a fact you're already engaged. So unless you plan to make all three of you unhappy by keeping her as a mistress- I suggest you let her go."

King Theros did not even blink as he looked away from the prince and poured himself a glass of wine.

"Well?" Prince Kyst was becoming impatient with the cool exterior of the king.

The King took a slow sip of his wine, before setting it back down.

"As I said in our first meeting. No."

A chair went flying as Prince Kyst kicked it out of the way. "Hell! Fucking hell, just let her go!"

He began rounding the corner of the table, breathing hard and staring down at the King. Both men glared at the other.

Without a break in eye contact, King Theros rose, his height surpassing Kyst's as he looked down at the man.

"No."

He turned his back to the prince, his intent to walk out the door, but the voice behind him stopped his movement.

"Why?"

King Theros turned around, his blue eyes blazing against the light of the fire as the two men stared at one another.

"Why are you doing this to yourself?"

There was a long stretch of silence before the King said, "I'm doing nothing-,"

"Yes. You're keeping her when you shouldn't."

"She is a debt. A debt paid by the summer lands," the King hissed.

"A debt that you accepted," Kyst countered, "A debt that you thought was enough to pay for a whole year's worth of taxes."

Kyst moved closer, his eyes narrowed, "I think I get it. You've had her...haven't you? You've tasted her once and now you can't let her go." The prince grinned wildly at the King, "You're just like me."

Without any warning the King lashed out, hitting the prince and sending him down.

"Ah," Kyst groaned at the sudden pain.

"What did you say?"

The prince looked up to see the rage in the King's eyes.

"Do I need to repeat myself? Do you want to hear every detail of how I was the first to take the little summer princess' vir-" another swift kick to the stomach made Kyst unable to say anything else.

He only laughed, "Why do you think I wanted to marry her? It was the right thing to do after all, but she didn't want that."

He looked up, his eyebrows raised, "does this bother you Winter King? Does hearing how I had her first annoy you?"

A stormy silence was coming forth from the King. His eyes held all the rage and anger in the world that Kyst had ever seen. He knew then that he had messed up. He had said words that would harm the King. But he had also said words that would harm Lumi.

"She deserves better," Kyst whispered, "She deserves better... and you know it."

Without any warning Kyst felt a hand grab the collar of his shirt. He looked up into stormy eyes, snowstorm clouds that chilled his body when looking at the murderous glare.

"Listen to me," the King whispered, his voice the only sound that broke the deadly quiet, "You will forget every touch, every whisper, everything- about her. She is not yours. And she never will be. When I leave this room and go upstairs to her you will have already packed your bags, and set off back to your little flower kingdom. And if I hear you say her name, even dare to whisper it in your sleep - both here or outside this palace- I will take your arms and break each one to let you know she will never belong to you."

Soooooo... sorry for the day late update. My internet just wasn't having it. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter ♥ Thank you for reading (And stay safe!)