His beloved Anastasia was laughing and giggling and chatting with the young elf girls who were talking with her in the fae language. One of them was applying rouge to her lips while the other was applying gold dust on her eyelids. Her hair was set in a low chignon. She was wearing a white gown that was... outrageous. If you could call it a gown. It was joined on the shoulders by golden chains that dropped till her shoulders, and then joined on the waist with a thick golden chain. With a neckline that plunged to reveal the upper swell of her breasts, she looked crazily hot! Other than that the gown showed the side of her chest and belly. It flowed over her thighs and showed the ample creamy skin of her legs on the side.

Ileus yelped seeing how beautiful she looked, but growled the moment he felt that she wasn't feeling as needy as he was.

"Oh my god!" a girl exclaimed in their language. She was making her wear anklets when she saw the little black wolf. Immediately, she sprung to her feet and got up to catch the pup. "I can't believe it. This little one wandered to our hut. We are so blessed." She picked up the little pup much to his annoyance and started to stroke his fur.

Ileus growled as if telling her to leave him and let him go to his Ana, but the girl just didn't understand. She only took his face close to hers and kissed him right on his head.

'Disgusting woman, leave me!' he growled, but his growl came out as a yelp.

"Isn't it beautiful?" the young girl exclaimed. "I will keep him as a pet!"

Anastasia opened her eyes and looked at the wolf pup. "Gods, such a pretty little pup," she said.

"Do you like it?" asked the girl.

"Yes!" Anastasia nodded vehemently.

The girl giggled and came to sit at her feet to complete what she was doing. She placed the pup in her lap and stroked him affectionately. Suddenly the pup leapt from her and landed right into Anastasia's lap. Anastasia squealed as the pup looked at her with his beautiful golden eyes. Reminded of Ileus, instantly, she circled her arms around it and the little pup-he snuggled into her bosom, licked her skin over there and settled in her lap with his head somehow resting between her bosoms.

Ileus was feeling utterly satisfied. She looked good, but why didn't she miss him? He was going to fight with her later. As her smell soothed his senses, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Anastasia jerked her head back, shocked at the pup's snuggly behavior, but she loved it. She stroked him continuously, as the young elf girls dressed her.

Ileus woke up next and found that he was in Anastasia's arms and they were moving to a different room. From the looks of the room, he gathered that they were all going to play a game with her, which was a part of the customs. A very old woman was sitting near a large bowl that was filled with red water. The girls pulled Anastasia to the woman.

She sat down on the floor and the old woman asked her to find something in the crimson water. Anastasia put the pup on the rug just beside her and inserted her hand in the water.

Unhappy at his current state, Ileus crawled back in her lap and snuggled the same way as the last time. He was hardly interested in what she was doing.

Suddenly Anastasia squealed. Alarmed and ready to come back to his original form, he whipped his head back. But what he saw was... amazing. She was holding a gold band in her hand that shone brilliantly.

"Is this the wedding ring?" she asked excitedly.

"Yes, this is yer wedding ring," said the woman in broken accented English. She smiled seeing how excited the fae girl was. "This band is made from the gold of Evindal. Look at its surface."

When Anastasia focused, she noticed some inscriptions on the surface, which appeared and disappeared as if they caressed it. Intrigued, she asked, "What do they say?" She had never seen those symbols, not even in her language.

"This is the ring you will give yer husband. He will also give you a ring, which will have another set of inscriptions. Once ye exchange the rings, the inscriptions will merge, and yer marriage will be sealed. Because you are a fae, this marriage will hold utter significance in your realm. No one from yer realm has ever got married in Evindal."

Anastasia's pulse increased as her eyes became wide. The symbols continued to appear and disappear as she moved the ring. It was mesmerizing. "Does this mean that Ileus is also playing these games at the palace?"

The old woman laughed softly. "Aye. I am sure Queen Ilyana must have arranged a massive celebration for him."

Ileus, who was hearing it all with utmost interest until now, froze. Was Ilyana finding him? That would be a massive detriment in his plan. Afraid that he might be taken away from her, if found hiding here, Ileus yelped a sad yelp and burrowed his face in her breasts.

Anastasia's attention went to him. "Oh dear, what is wrong with you?" she murmured and coddled him. She gathered him closer to her and kissed on his head. "Did you mommy abandon you?" She stroked him affectionately and kissed him more.

The wolf pup realized that the more he yelped for her, the more she held him close to her. So the cunning wolf licked her skin and snuggled in. "Mine," he growled.

"Ye seem to have taken a liking to him," said the girl who had discovered him. "Give him to me and I will feed him and get him back to you." However, as soon as she extended her hand to take him away, Ileus peeled his lips to show his tiny fangs and jaw. The girl was shocked and she stepped away from him instantly.

Anastasia chuckled. "Get the food here and I will give it to him." She gave the ring back to the old woman.

"Oh no, keep the ring," she said and gave her a chain to thread it in. "It needs to stay close to yer body so that it imbibes all yer warmth."

Anastasia took a deep breath in as she wore the chain with the ring fondly around her neck. By that time the girl came with food for the wolf. She gave it to her and said, "The palace is a buzz of activity. There is something amiss there."

Picking up a raw piece of rabbit flesh, Anastasia gave it to the pup who sniffed it and refused it, turning his head away. "Why, what happened?" she asked, keeping the flesh back in the ceramic plate.

"Prince Ileus is missing."

Anastasia's body froze and her face paled. "M- missing?" Did he leave her and go back? It couldn't be.

"The servants are saying that they saw him wandering in the gardens. Queen Ilyana has ordered a manhunt. They are waiting for him to participate in the customs."