Suddenly, a profound, beautifully heavy silence descended upon the dimly lit bedchamber.
They were both entirely, breathtakingly exhausted.
The chaotic, magnificent storm of their passionate night had completely drained their energy, leaving them sleeping so deeply that they had not even bothered to pull the heavy silk blanket over their flushed, entirely bare bodies.
Dorian was sleeping soundly, his heavy, muscular frame resting peacefully directly atop Isla's soft, trembling form.
One of his large, warm hands was trapped delicately beneath the soft curve of her chest, anchoring him entirely to her even in the depths of his dreams.
Eventually, the soft, golden light of the early morning officially broke through the heavy curtains. Dorian slowly fluttered his dark, heavy eyes open.
Realizing exactly where he was, he moved with an agonizingly gentle, deliberate care. He slowly and meticulously slipped his trapped hand out from beneath her, making absolutely sure that he did not disturb her peaceful, exhausted slumber.
He leaned down, his heart violently swelling with an indescribable, overwhelming affection, and pressed a deeply tender, lingering kiss directly against her pale forehead.
'I love you so incredibly much, Isla,' he whispered softly into the quiet room, his deep voice carrying a fierce, unbreakable vow.
'Do not worry about a single thing in this universe; I will absolutely never, ever let you marry that pathetic Prince Lucier.'
He gently brushed a tangled lock of dark hair away from her beautifully bruised, flushed cheek.
'I do all of these intense, completely overwhelming things to you simply so that you entirely forget about that bastard and only ever remember me, my touch, and my undeniable claim on your soul,' he murmured, a soft, deeply devoted smile curving his lips.
'I know perfectly well that you are completely, beautifully exhausted right now. You foolishly, recklessly accepted a fiery challenge that you could not possibly win.
You are only eighteen, my sweet Princess.
I know with absolute certainty that last night was not easy for you in the slightest; my sheer size, my terrifying strength, and my overwhelming passion were simply far too heavy and entirely too intense for your fragile, tender youth to properly handle.'
He paused, his dark eyes sweeping over her incredibly peaceful, sleeping face with absolute adoration.
'I also know that you desperately need to rest and recover today, and very soon, the annoying palace staff will come knocking at your door to wake you up.
So, let me make things just a little bit easier for you right now...'
With a breathtakingly soft, profoundly gentle touch, Dorian carefully reached down and pulled the heavy, warm blanket completely over her bare, shivering shoulders, securely tucking her in without pulling her from her deep, dreamless sleep.
Silently, he retreated into the cold marble washroom, swiftly pulling his discarded clothes over his magnificent, heavily sculpted frame before seamlessly melting right back into the morning shadows, leaving her perfectly safe, incredibly warm, and beautifully loved.
Suddenly, the sharp, cheerful sound of her mother knocking on the heavy wooden door violently shattered the quiet morning.
'Isla, my dear, are you finally awake?' the Queen called out.
Isla's heavy eyelids fluttered open, her mind still beautifully hazy from the night before.
'Yes, Mom, I am waking up... just give me a minute,' she called back, her voice thick with exhaustion.
'The sun is already high in the sky, darling! Come out quickly; we have a massive, wonderful surprise waiting for you today!'
Isla took a deep breath and attempted to push herself up off the mattress.
'Ah... ah!' she gasped, instantly freezing.
A sudden, sharp wave of agony shot through her limbs.
Her entire body was incredibly stiff, profoundly sore, and completely drained of energy from the chaotic, passionate events of the night before.
She gritted her teeth, desperately trying to force her heavily aching muscles to cooperate.
'Dorian...?' she whispered softly into the empty room, hoping he was hiding in the shadows.
'Are you still here? If you are, please... help me get up.'
But there was only a heavy, suffocating silence.
He was already gone.
Left entirely alone, Isla bravely forced herself to move.
She slowly swung her trembling legs over the edge of the plush mattress, her bare feet hitting the cold stone floor.
Her knees instantly buckled.
She was so incredibly weak and exquisitely sore from his overwhelming dominance that she could barely even stand, let alone walk properly.
Frantically wrapping the heavy silk bedsheet tightly around her shivering frame to keep the chill away, she looked back at the grand bed.
Her breath completely caught in her throat.
Stark, crimson stains of blood painted the pristine white sheets—beautiful, terrifying evidence of the fierce love bites he had left upon her chest and waist.
Moving at an agonizingly slow pace, Isla practically crawled her way into the marble washroom.
She stepped under a freezing cold shower, the icy water acting as a sharp shock to her highly sensitive, bruised skin. She scrubbed every single inch of her body with absolute, desperate meticulousness, terrified that someone might discover the intoxicating scent of Dorian still clinging to her flesh.
As she stepped out and reached for her clothes, she noticed the tiny bite wounds were still bleeding slightly.
Calling upon her ancient serpent magic, a soft, golden light pulsed from her fingertips as she gently swept her trembling hands over her injured skin.
The dark bruises and broken skin flawlessly vanished. However, her magic was only a surface illusion.
It completely erased the visual evidence to the naked eye, but the deep, throbbing ache remained entirely intact; even the absolute lightest touch to those areas sent a sharp, agonizing jolt of pain straight through her nerves.
Yet, despite the overwhelming physical ache and the terrifying reality of her royal life, a profound, secret joy violently bloomed within her chest.
She smiled softly to herself in the mirror. Last night, there had been absolutely zero distance between them.
Not even a single, fragile blanket had separated their bare souls.
She had completely, willingly surrendered to the magnificent storm, giving him her absolute, enthusiastic consent in the beautiful war of their love.
Using a final, swift flick of her magic, she completely erased the crimson stains from the bedsheets.
Taking a deep, steadying breath, she finally opened her chamber door and stepped out into the grand hallway.
She instantly froze.
The entire palace was completely transformed.
Magnificent floral arrangements hung from the grand chandeliers, vibrant silk banners draped over the sweeping balconies, and dozens of royal servants were frantically sprinting in every direction.
Deeply confused by the chaotic frenzy, Isla grabbed the arm of a passing servant.
'What on earth is going on here? What is all this decoration for?' she demanded.
The servant smiled brightly, entirely out of breath.
'It is for your royal wedding, Princess! Today is the magnificent day!'
'What?!' Isla gasped, her world violently tilting on its axis.
'My wedding?! Is today my wedding?! I literally just gave my consent yesterday evening... how on earth can I be getting married today?!'
'I... I do not really know the details, Your Highness,' the servant stammered, instantly intimidated by her sudden panic.
'Then who is even talking to you?!' Isla snapped, her fragile nerves completely shattering.
'Just go! Go do your work, do you understand?!'
'Yes... yes, Princess!' the servant squeaked, quickly bowing and running away down the hall.
Isla's heart hammered wildly against her ribs as she sprinted toward the main parlor, entirely ignoring the sharp ache radiating through her body.
'Mom! Dad! What on earth is all of this?! Where are you?!' she shouted frantically.
The Queen suddenly emerged from the grand parlor, looking incredibly elegant and practically glowing with excitement.
'Isla, my sweet girl, are you finally ready?' her mother asked brightly.
'This is exactly why we were trying so desperately to wake you up early!'
'Yes, Mom, I am up, but what is happening?!' Isla cried out, gesturing to the decorations.
'Well, when we sent the magnificent news of your acceptance to Prince Lucier's family last night, they were absolutely overjoyed,' the Queen explained, happily clapping her hands together.
'They specifically requested that we hold the ceremony today.
You see, today is actually Lucier's birthday! They desperately wanted to make his birthday the most incredibly special, unforgettable day of his entire life. And honestly, Isla, whether you marry him today or in two days, the royal wedding has to happen anyway, does it not?'
The Queen stepped forward, gently taking Isla by the shoulders and pushing her back toward the grand staircase.
'Now, hurry along right back to your bedchamber, my dear! We are sending up all of your magnificent bridal preparation items and the royal maids right now.
Go, quickly!'