The guards?
Well, I heard them.
Scrambling in the hallway after us, skidding to a stop just outside our bedroom door.
Hilarious. These powerful, high-ranking Fairies couldn't keep up. Didn't matter if they were the best fighters from each fairy faction, trained in all sorts of combat techniques.
But you know what? I make no apologies for my eccentric behavior. Expect the unexpected. That's the rule. Keeps them on their toes—reminds them not to get too comfortable.
Scarlette was already curled up on the bed—lavish red velvet sheets beneath her, a thick black blanket draped halfway over her legs like a queen lounging in her own daydream.
"Why are you still in a daze?" she asked, tilting her head curiously.
Only then did I realize I'd been standing there, lost in thought.
I dove onto the bed with all the grace of a falling log, landing face-first into a pillow.
Scarlette laughed.
"And here I was thinking you felt guilty for making the guards run," she teased, voice dripping with mockery.
I rolled onto my back and gave a dramatic cough. "Expect the unexpected," I said with a wink. "Besides, everyone could use some cardio."
Scarlette rolled her eyes.
"Also… where's my Juniper?" I asked, scanning the room for my kitsune.
She narrowed her eyes and pointed to the window ledge. There she was—Juniper—already asleep, her nine tails coiled around her like a luxurious scarf.
"This fox is too adorable," I grinned.
Scarlette smirked. "Do you remember when you wanted a golden retriever? Just to be like the humans? You were even ready to trade for one."
"I would do no such thing," I huffed, crossing my arms like a sulking child.
"So, what are you going to do on your off day?" she asked, her olive eyes catching the moonlight.
"Firstly, it's our off day. You're involved too," I said, flashing a grin. "No work allowed for you."
But Scarlette sighed.
"Veravos, the kingdom needs to run. We can't be taking breaks every now and then," she protested.
So I did the most logical thing.
**Flirt to convert—**my wife's mind, of course.
"Scarlette… my beautiful queen. You care about the kingdom, and trust me, I do too," I said gently, leaning closer until my nose was nearly touching hers.
She blushed—vermilion red. I couldn't help but giggle. She's too adorable.
"To think that when we first met, you told me to stop ogling you," I teased.
"Excuse me," she said, mock-offended. "I was running from the Love Fairy Kingdom in the old world, and there you were, staring at me like a deer in the path of a speeding carriage."
She turned away in feigned annoyance.
"Go away," she said.
Instead, I pulled her closer by the waist, until I could feel her warmth against me. A quiet spark lit in my fingers as they brushed against her side—soft, glowing, like a whisper of fire.
"We've come a long way, Scarlette. I can't simply go away now," I whispered.
"We have a kingdom to run, my dear King. We're not just escapees from systems that failed us. We're building this new world," she said, voice softening.
"A new world it is indeed," I replied, pressing a kiss to her forehead.
"We can do so much here, Ver... so much," she whispered.
"To think there was a time I only cared about surviving. Watching. Waiting… until I couldn't anymore." I paused, letting silence stretch. "Then I met you—a wildcard. A Love Fairy practicing magic I'd never seen before. You were an outcast, like me. Everything changed."
"Is that how you saw me?" Scarlette giggled.
"I needed someone like you to figure things out with me. I was just a solo actor, grappling about in darkness. And something tells me you needed me too."
"You were wise, Ver. Still are. I wouldn't have made it so far without you. Not then. Not now. My powers were strong—but they were stronger with you around."
"You were this severely powerful Dark Fairy who refused to use his full potential. Always undermining himself," she added.
And she was right.
"That's because power always comes with a price. Even more so when it's rooted in darkness," I replied, my tone more serious now. "I never want to be consumed by it."
"Why?" she asked, brushing her hand against my cheek. "You've always moved through darkness with purpose. You're not afraid you'd end up like Dark Fairy Queen Judorah, are you?"
"Impractical. That's what you called her back then," she added softly.
I gave a half-smile before it faded.
"No, Scar... that's not the only reason. I worry that power might corrupt me. It's a disease that affected all of them—those pompous, deluded monarchs of the old world. Not just Judorah. The rulers of Love Fairies, Light Fairies, even Dark Fairies. All of them. I don't want to become one of them."
She gazed into my eyes, her voice a whisper. "We won't be. Don't worry."
"And that's exactly why rest is important," I reminded her. "So we can run a longer race—and do the right thing. Because we care."
Scarlette held my gaze. "You are so much more than you say you are. More than you realize."
Then her lips met mine—deep, certain, and warm.
"Is that what I get for worrying about your work burnout?" I asked with a cheeky smile.
"You and all your over-the-top terms and expressions. Where do you even get them from?" she grinned.
Moments later, she buried her face in my chest. I gently stroked her dark scarlet hair, the soft threads running through my fingers as the room quieted, comfort blanketing us like a second layer.
She was right.
I had changed.
I am so much more now.
We're the King and Queen of a United Fairy World. A demanding role—hence, I'm insisting on a break.
Tomorrow, we'd walk around the kingdom. Take time to see what we've built with our own eyes. We needed it. But would tomorrow bring unexpected discoveries?
Would they be hilarious? Boring? A sign of impending doom?
Expect the unexpected. That's the lesson I've drilled into my guards.
Maybe it's time I remind myself of it too.
I don't have the answers for tomorrow.
Only this:
We rest now—because we care.
Because we must.
Because even kings need reminding…
Expect the unexpected.