---
The storm returned that night.
Rain hammered against the palace windows, the wind howled through the corridors, and thunder rolled across the empire like the roar of a beast. The entire palace seemed to tremble beneath its weight.
But in their chamber, the world was hushed.
Himeka sat on the bed, knees pulled close, watching the window where he stood once again. His tall frame was outlined by flashes of lightning, his white hair glowing like silk under every strike.
Her chest tightened painfully.
After last night… after the kiss… I can't go back.
Her lips still tingled when she thought of it. Her hands trembled whenever she remembered the warmth of his face beneath her palms.
She wanted more.
Not just a kiss stolen in desperation. Not just a fleeting brush of lips.
She wanted to be close to him—to feel his warmth until it drowned out the cold loneliness that had haunted her since the day she left Barmouth.
She swallowed hard, heat rushing to her cheeks.
"…Your Majesty," she said softly.
As always, no response.
But she was no longer afraid of his silence. Not anymore.
She rose from the bed and padded across the room, the hem of her nightgown whispering against the floor. Each step sent her pulse racing faster, until she thought her heart might burst.
When she reached him, she hesitated only for a breath before slipping her arms gently around his waist from behind.
His body was solid beneath her touch, warm despite the storm's chill.
She pressed her cheek against his back, closing her eyes. "The thunder is frightening tonight," she whispered. "So… stay with me. Please."
Still no words, but no rejection either.
Encouraged, she tugged lightly at his hand, coaxing him toward the bed. Her cheeks burned hotter with every step.
He didn't resist.
Her heart nearly stopped at that simple miracle.
---
When they reached the bed, she climbed in first, then tugged him gently until he sat beside her. The storm outside rattled the windows, but all she could hear was her own ragged breathing.
Slowly, carefully, she leaned against him. Her head rested on his shoulder, her hand brushing against his chest.
The heat of him seeped into her, banishing the chill of the storm.
"…Warmer than I thought," she murmured, smiling faintly. "You feel so human, even when you seem untouchable."
She tilted her face upward, her lips brushing dangerously close to his jaw. The proximity made her dizzy.
Her voice trembled as she whispered, "…May I be selfish again?"
And without waiting for an answer, she nuzzled closer, pressing a feather-light kiss to the curve of his neck.
Her entire body shivered.
His skin was warm, his scent intoxicating—clean, sharp, faintly metallic like rain on steel.
She kissed him again, a little bolder this time. Her hands clutched at his robes as her lips lingered against his neck, soft and trembling.
"…You drive me crazy," she breathed, her voice husky with emotion. "Even when you don't say a word… even when you never move…"
Her lips grazed his skin again, slower now, more deliberate. "…I want you. All of you. Even if you never give me anything back."
The thunder roared outside, but Himeka barely heard it. Her entire world had narrowed to this: his warmth, his stillness, the intoxicating closeness of his body.
She buried her face against his chest, her cheeks burning hotter than the storm's fire.
"…Just let me stay like this," she whispered, her voice breaking. "Just let me hold you. Please."
And when his hand didn't move to push her away—when he allowed her to cling to him, to kiss him, to rest her burning face against him—Himeka's tears spilled freely.
She smiled through them, her heart pounding so wildly it almost hurt.
Because for her, this was the sweetest kind of torment:
To love him completely, to crave him desperately… and to be allowed, at least, to touch him.
---
That night, with the storm raging outside, Himeka fell asleep tangled against him. Her lips still tingled from the kisses she had stolen, her body still trembling from the heat of his nearness.
And though he gave no sign of reaction, she knew this much was true:
She had never felt more alive.
---
End of chapter 10