Nyle and Daisy were ripped from sleep early the next morning by the loud screams of Asalei. They didn’t even have to move a muscle to know exactly what it meant. They laid in bed for hours, Daisy holding and kissing Nyle to comfort him as he tried to process his father’s death. Daisy didn’t speak a single word, knowing nothing she could possibly say would bring him any comfort.

No one came for them until the mid-afternoon. There was a knock on the door before someone poked their head in.

“Your Highness, it’s time to get ready,” a woman called.

“Get out,” Nyle yelled.

“I’m sorry. Asalei asked me to come make sure you got out of bed.”

“Is she even out of bed?” Nyle barked, not moving from his spot on the bed.

He laid on his side, cradling Daisy in his arms with his face planted on the side of her neck. She ran her hand through his hair, wanting to help calm him down. He was upset, but there was no need to take it out on one of the staff members.

“She is… Maylei and Cecona are with her. The funeral starts in just a couple of hours, and you both need to be dressed for it.”

“Fine, we will be there in a minute,” Nyle said with a wave of his hand, indicating the woman’s dismissal.

The door promptly closed. Daisy showered Nyle’s face in kisses, trying to do anything she could to soothe him. He let out a pained breath, gripping her tightly.

“I love you, Nyle,” she said to him.

“I love you too,” he said, loosening his grip on her.

They laid there for a couple more minutes before Nyle finally forced himself from the bed. He pulled on a dress shirt, but didn’t bother to button it.

Nyle explained, “I’m assuming they have had ceremonial clothing made for us, and they will want us to have a fitting. It’s customary for Royal funerals of this scale.”

Daisy stood as well, slipping on a short navy dress she had brought with her. He put an arm around his mate and guided her down the hall. There were a couple of maids waiting outside of one of the rooms. Daisy assumed they were waiting on them. As they approached, the two women gave them sad smiles and gestured for them to walk in.

The room was massive with an assortment of mirrors, couches, and mannequins with dresses and robes on display.

“We’ll take you right through here, Miss Maddow,” one maid spoke, gesturing for Daisy to follow her into one of the doors to the side.

Daisy glanced back at Nyle as he was guided to another door. Nerves ate at her stomach as she stepped into the dressing room where a seamstress waited. She had never been alone with another dragon before.

“Stand right over here,” the woman said, pointing to the center of the room, to a pedestal.

“What’s your name?” Daisy asked as she stepped onto the platform.

The woman seemed taken back by the comment, giving Daisy a bewildered look. “Fayna, miss.”

Daisy smiled kindly at her. “That’s a lovely name.”

“Oh… well, thank you, miss.”

Fayna then helped Daisy out of her clothing. Daisy shyly crossed her arms, not used to strangers seeing her naked. She laced Daisy into a corset, pulling the ribbon until it was completely snug. Then, before Daisy could even take notice of the dress, the luxurious fabric was being slipped over her head. Fayna’s nimble fingers were already buttoning the back of the dress by the time Daisy had the opportunity to look down at it. The dress was a brilliant shade of burgundy.

It was a lovely dress that was long and fell to the floor around her feet. The fabric was silky and cascaded with such beauty. The bodice and sleeves of the dress were done in fine lace. The neckline came up to be a collar, reminding Daisy of Victorian dresses.

Fayna backed up and looked at Daisy. “Wow, it fits you like a glove. I just need to hem the skirt.”

She kneeled in front of Daisy and began sticking pins through the delicate fabric, making a perfect line all the way around the dress. She quickly and expertly sewed it in place, and then took the pins out.

“You have to be the fastest sewer I’ve ever seen,” Daisy complimented, kicking her leg out a bit to get a good look at the hem. The dress still flowed all the way to her feet but hovered just above the ground.

“Why, thank you, miss,” Fayna smiled. “Let’s finish getting you ready.”

She guided Daisy over to a vanity and sat her down. Another women proceeded to style Daisy’s hair in luxurious finger waves and skillfully applied red lipstick and winged eyeliner. The final touch was pinning a burgundy veil over her head. Daisy slipped on a pair for gray ballet flats and she was ready.

“I must say, you are too beautiful to be human.”

Daisy was pretty sure that was supposed to be a nice compliment, though it felt a little backhanded. She smiled at her, “Thank you, and thanks again for helping me get ready.”

“Of course,” she nodded.

Standing from the stool, Daisy walked over to the door. She had never been so dressed up, and it made her feel a little awkward, as if she were wearing a costume. When she moved into the main room, she noticed Nyle sitting on one of the couches, idly staring up at the ceiling. Daisy stood still and admired him for a moment. Even with red and puffy eyes and his white messy hair, he was handsome. Nyle was dressed in a flowing burgundy robe that went to his knees, with slightly darker swirls embroidered all over it. Underneath, he wore something that resembled a tunic suit. He left the collar buttons unfastened.

The gentle patter of her feet caught his attention as she closed the space between them. The moment his gaze met her, Nyle’s pained expression softened. Standing from the couch, he walked over to her.

“My God, you’re stunning,” he said to Daisy, taking in her appearance.

“Thank you,” she blushed, resting a hand on his chest. “And you look very dashing as well.”

“I’m nothing in comparison,” he insisted, his fingertip tracing her jawline as he studied her face.

The Royal clan gathered in the land behind the palace. Every single person was dressed in burgundy, the shade never differentiating. Only Daisy, Asalei, and the sisters wore veils. Daisy assumed it was something symbolic of Thalydias’s family, which made Daisy feel honored that she was wearing one as well. Everyone was seated in rows; Daisy sat with Nyle by her side, and Asalei on the other side of him.

As the service began, an entire orchestra played from the side, sounding out the most profoundly melancholic requiem. Six men appeared at the very back of the crowd, carrying a golden bed. Thalydias’s body rested on top of it, wrapped in fine burgundy cloth. Daisy couldn’t pull her eyes away as the men slowly marched toward the front. She noticed people in attendance crying quietly to themselves. Thalydias was a passionately loved, and feared, leader of the clan.

When the men passed by the front row, Asalei wailed at the top of her lungs. Daisy looked to the side, seeing Nyle gripping his mother’s hand tightly as she wept. Asalei’s beautiful porcelain face was etched with a look of complete sorrow, flushed with red as she struggled to breathe through her tears. Nyle’s lip quivered at the sounds of her cries, but then he shut his eyes tight and clenched his jaw.

Thalydias was placed upon the pyre on stage. The people in attendance lined up, and one at a time laid a single flower on Thalydias’s body. After a while, thousands of flowers piled atop of Thalydias, completely covering him. Asalei couldn’t hold back her sobs. Nyle took her in his arms, cradling her to his chest and swaying lightly in hopes of calming her.

The council of elders took to the stage, reading off a sermon in a language Daisy couldn’t understand, or even detect. They spoke for a long time. At certain parts of their speech, whatever they were saying made Asalei cry louder, but she would then ease. Daisy wished she could help comfort her, but she didn’t know what to do or what to say.

Once the council left the stage, Nyle gently released his mother as one of his sisters held her in an embrace. He stood and looked to Daisy, extending his hand to her. Her eyes widened, wondering what it was they were doing. Putting her hand in his, Nyle pulled her to her feet and walked by her side as they made their way to the stage. As they approached the funeral pyre, Nyle dropped her hand and put an arm around her, holding her tightly against him. Nyle’s voice then boomed out a few sentences in the same language the elders had used. In the end, his voice trembled, and Daisy instinctively put a hand to his chest. He cleared his throat and took a deep breath.

His other arm extended out, raising his palm toward his father. Daisy could feel his heart was about to beat right out of his chest. There was a blast then, fire blasting out of Nyle’s hand. The pyre caught fire immediately, Thalydias and all the flowers disintegrating slowly by the all-consuming flame. She could feel Nyle trembling as he watched his father slowly turn to ash. Daisy hugged to Nyle, tears of her own rolling down her cheeks. She hadn’t known Thalydias well, but she wished she could have had the opportunity to get to know him. He would be sorely missed; that was certain.

They rejoined his family as the fire burned. As the flames died out, the crowd dispersed in an orderly fashion. Nyle and his family moved into the palace, Nyle holding his mother in one arm and holding Daisy’s hand in the other.

Once they got to the residential corridor, Nyle looked to Daisy and said, “I’m going to help my mother to her bed. Go ahead to the room, and I’ll be there shortly.”

She nodded, giving his hand one final squeeze before turning to go to the room they were staying in. As she entered it, she found herself wondering if that would be their bedroom from then on. Daisy hadn’t really let herself ponder their future quite yet, though even the notion of it felt overwhelming. Her heart was too heavy to think about it, wishing she could help Nyle and his family cope somehow.

Daisy sat on the edge of the bed and took in the details of Nyle’s palace bedroom. It wasn’t at all like their home in Virginia, but rather it went with the aesthetic of the rest of the palace with elegant wood furniture, and swirls and suns scattered throughout the room. It wasn’t burgundy and gold like much of the palace, but rather cream and gray.

After a few minutes, Nyle came through the door.

“Hey,” Daisy called over quietly.

“Hey,” he said, moving over to the bed to sit with her.

Nyle rubbed his hands together and didn’t say another word. She could tell that he was completely trapped in his own head, consumed by his emotions.

She hated seeing him hurt. Daisy rested her chin on his shoulder as she gently stroked a hand against his face. “You shouldn’t try to bottle things up, Nyle. You know you can be yourself around me.”

“I know,” he whispered. “Honestly, I just don’t want to think anymore. I’ve been torturing myself mentally for two full days now, and I simply want to forget about it. It may not be the healthy thing to do, but I’m going to lose my mind if I don’t.”

Daisy nodded. His words weren’t unreasonable. He had so much on his plate, more than Daisy could ever imagine. Nyle needed to do whatever he needed to cope.

“What can I do to help?” she asked. “We can do anything you want to do. We could watch a movie, get out of here for a little bit, maybe—”

She was cut off by his lips crashing into hers. Nyle’s kiss was urgent and passionate as his hands gripped her hips. There was an emotional energy hanging in the air about Nyle as he pushed her to lie flat on the bed, his broad form hovering over her. It wasn’t the way he needed to deal with losing someone so dear to him, but she wasn’t going to turn him away and hurt him more. If that was how he wanted to cope, then who was she to say no?

As she kissed him back, Nyle already started to unbutton his own shirt and slid off his robe. His lips pulled back from hers and started kissing down her neck, gently pulling down the lace as he continued kissing her. A moan passed her lips, arousal starting to build up. Nyle’s hands hiked the long dress up to her hips, his fingers hooking into the waistband of her thong and ripping the fabric with ease.

He rapidly undressed himself, throwing his garments to the floor before moving back to her. Nyle’s eyes fell to her dress with contemplation, like he was deciding whether to leave it on her or take it off. His hands came together at her chest, and with one pull, Nyle ripped the fabric in two. Peeling it from her body, he marveled at the sight of her remaining in only a corset and her veil.

“That’s a good look,” he smirked.

Nyle’s hands glided up and down her sides as he leaned back over her, capturing her lips with his. Daisy felt his erection brush against her inner thigh. She grasped his member lightly, stroking it slowly. Nyle’s full body shuddered from the sensation. His tongue slipped passed her lips, caressing hers gently. Moving his pelvis to hers, Nyle pressed his tip to her heat. Daisy moved her hand away, letting him take control. He carefully thrust himself into her, groans escaping his throat. Her breathing was uneven as he began rocking his hips. Before Nyle, Daisy hadn’t had a partner that pleased her consistently, so Nyle had really opened the floodgates of her sexual desire. It was as though her body was always ready for his, always crying out for more.

Her legs hooked around his back, tilting her hips to give him a better angle. Nyle bit down on her lip, the twinge of pain making Daisy gasp and then giggle. Nyle smiled against her lips, moving his hips faster. Her nails scraped the skin of his shoulder blades, as she tried her best not to make too much noise. His lips moved from hers, peppering her chest and collarbone with kisses. Nyle never stopped holding her, keeping her body pressed tightly against his.

It was quick, but passionate, and truly intimate. Daisy was aware that it was a version of therapy for him. Nyle wanted to feel something other than sadness so badly.

“Daisy,” he groaned into her exposed cleavage at the top of the corset, quickening his movements. Her fingers knotted in his hair, her hips rocking up into his. His hands gripped her hips, pinning them to the bed as he rapidly pumped into her.

Her sex tightened around him. She turned her face toward the pillow to try and stifle her moans. They were used to being in complete privacy, not having to worry about their volume at all. Nyle grabbed her chin and turned her face back toward him. He looked directly into her eyes, Daisy’s cheeks reddening from the intimacy. Daisy bit down on her lip to stay quiet, and he pulled it right back out. Her brows knitted together. Did he want her to be loud and cry out in ecstasy? She didn’t want his sisters or anyone to hear them.

One of his hands slipped between them, rubbing her sensitive bud with the pad of his index finger. His eyes darted to her mouth, anticipating her moan. Daisy’s legs tightened around him, her nails digging into his skin as she tried her hardest not to make a sound. Nyle rubbed her clit more vigorously, applying just enough pressure to push her over the edge. Her back arched toward him, an audible, breathy moan passing her lips as she climaxed. He buried his face into her neck as he pushed himself into her a few more times before releasing inside of her.

Nyle’s body fell onto hers, panting as he tried to catch his breath. Daisy played with his hair, giving him light pecks on the top of his head as he laid on her. After a couple minutes of recovery, Nyle started to kiss along her collarbone with his teeth grazing her skin. Warm hands glided down her side as his thumbs rubbed her hipbones when he reached them.

“Again?” she asked, surprised by his libido.

Nyle didn’t say a word, but just glanced at her with a smug expression as he crawled backwards, lowering his head to her body and trailing kisses down her front. Even if he was trying to mask his feelings with lust and pleasure, Daisy could see the hurt lingering in his eyes. She wondered just how long he would try and run from his emotions.