Ileus didn't know that drying Anastasia could prove to be such an interesting feat. He dried her hair thoroughly, using his magic to remove the dampness. Then he took the towel lower to her back and stomach. He took extra care to dry the swells of her breast.

"Why do I feel that you are spending more time than required over there, Al?" she said as her lips curled up.

"That's because dampness below the swells of the breasts will cause sweat," he said.

"What?" She chuckled. "I've never heard of that."

"How can you? You stayed in Vilinski all your life. That place is cold," he replied as his brows drew together tightly. The towel from hand slipped and his fingers brushed her nipples.

"Did you forget that I traveled back in time to Zor'gan?" she said to tease him.

He took the towel to her navel and slowly lowered to her crotch. "That was just two weeks-not enough of a time to understand how sweat works."

She shook her head when he sat down and dried her inner thighs while only looking at her sex intently. "I think we are done," she said.

"No princess, I have to take care of you properly. We are not done." Gently he dried her there, taking every opportunity to brush his fingers on her folds. "You are pretty wet here."

A nest of butterflies stirred in her stomach and she sucked in a sharp breath. "I wanted to say something," she said in order to distract her attention because she wasn't wet because of the water. She was wet because of what he was doing to her. Her juices wanted to flow out at their own accord.

He urged her to turn around and then traced her scar from her lower back to her thigh. "What is it you want to tell me?" He went to dry her hips.

"I don't want you to call me princess."

"Ah-ha. What do you want me to call you?"

"You can call me honey," she replied, hoping he didn't tease her thinking that she was intending a double meaning. She wasn't.

"If I call you honey, I would be reminded to lap you every time," he said without shame.

Damn it! He did exactly that. Her cheeks flushed red and she became silent. Her husband had absolutely no regard as to what it was to be shy.

He dried her legs and got up. He dropped the towel down, and leaned to her side as he grabbed her hips and kneaded them. "How about I call you 'sweetheart'?" he whispered and kissed her earlobe.

"Okay, that sounds very good," she said quickly in order to make him forget 'honey'. "I will also call you sweetheart."

"Do you want to dry me up?" he asked.

Ah, the shameless soul.

"Aren't we getting late?"

"We have all the time in the world."

"I am hungry," she said honestly. She had done so much activity and was actually hungry.

"I am hungry too, but for something else."

She spun and craned her neck to look at him. She slapped him lightly on his chest and said, "Sweetheart, I am hungry for real food. Take me back."

He took her hand to his cock and said, "That is good food." He thrust it in her hands.

"Take. Me. Back."

He sighed and pursed his lips. "You are too harsh on me."

They wore the clothes quickly. She ended up wearing a white shirt over gray slacks. She was happy that the weather was warm in Yelgra because that got rid of her heavy sweaters.

When they rode back to the camp, she was once again mesmerized by the trees of Yelgra. The gold and silver leaves shimmered amidst the green ones.

They reached where the group had camped soon. He helped her dismount. When she was walking to their tent, her gaze drifted to a thicket of trees on the right. Something gold and furry caught her glance. A moment later her eyes became wide. "Seashell!" she said loudly and leaving Ileus' hand she ran to the lion.

Seashell was sitting there in all his glory with that thick golden mane and shiny fur. She pounced on him and patted him and stroked him lovingly. The lion bent his head and nuzzled up against her. Sometimes he even licked her, but Anastasia would move away whenever he tried to do that. Suddenly, he looked at Ileus with ferocious eyes. "What is it, Seashell?" she asked. But the lion stared hard at Ileus for a moment more and then turned to nuzzle her face. He stopped licking.

Glad that he was back, Anastasia rubbed him till she was happy and till her stomach grumbled again. She got up and started walking towards her tent when her head jerked back in surprise. Darla was standing on the opposite side under a canopy. Anastasia blinked her eyes with disbelief. She opened her mouth to say something but she snapped it shut when she saw that Darla briefly looked at her and walked away. Feeling awkward, she bit her lip.

"Let's go and eat food," said Ileus, holding her hand and tugging her.

"Y- yes," she nodded lightly. Didn't Darla go back? Was she going to face her again? Gods.

Ileus took her to the backside of their tent where she found a group of men sitting around a fireplace on fallen logs that they had arranged around it. They were eating silently.

"Hello, princess," Kaizan greeted. "Join us."

Anastasia smiled at him and grinned at the familiar faces of Aidan, Guarhal and Tadgh. Rest of them were new. They rose to their feet immediately and bowed to her in curtsy.

"You may rise," she said. She walked to where Kaizan was sitting and sat next to him. Ileus served a tray of rabbit stew, cheese cubes, pastries and bread for both of them and came to sit right next to her. He made her eat the cheese. She turned her face to the new boys and asked. "May I know your name?" She found them staring at her as if she was the most beautiful thing to behold. She raised her eyebrow when they didn't answer.

"Oh! I am twenty-six," said the first one.

"What?" she frowned. "Is that your name?"

He nodded. He pointed to the rest of them saying, "He is thirty, twenty-one and ninety-two!" He introduced the remaining with their numbers.

Anastasia's jaw fell. Perplexed as hell, she looked at Ileus for answers.

"Sweetheart, they are Mozias and in Draoidh, Mozias aren't called by names. Numbers are their identity."

Kaizan stopped eating. His neck jerked back. "Can I call her sweetheart?" The dark prince, the bad boy of the Lore, was saying alien words. Sweetheart? Really? Man you are gone!

Ileus glared at him. Kaizan dropped his gaze back to food.

Anastasia laughed aloud and the Mozias became all the more mesmerized. She was just the most beautiful woman in the world. Like a goddess.

One withering look from Ileus and all of them scrambled away. He took a pastry in his mouth and then leaned towards her. Instinctively, she bit the piece off from his mouth.

Kaizan shook his head at the public display of owning the territory.

Anastasia ate the pastry and looked at Aidan. "How is Darla?" she asked.