The Crown's Entrapment

At Cordon Castle

Unable to sleep well, Jayra found herself waking up far too early than she wanted. Not having anything better to do, she kept on skimming her personalized book of spells. That Thousand Dreams thing sounded so familiar to her, but she couldn't remember much detail about it.

"Hmm, it's still early," Bartos whispered into her ear as he wrapped his arms around her from behind. "Come back to bed with me."He then frowned as he looked over her shoulder. "Why are you reading a blank book?"

Jayra chuckled as she looked at her husband's confused expression from the reflection of the vanity mirror. "It's because this book is very special to me. It's my own journal, and I've written everything inside with my own hands." She grinned, "I cast a spell on it so that no one could read what is written inside it except for me."

She then continued on as she mumbled to herself. "That thousand dreams is actually so familiar to me… It's just that I can't remember much about it. I want to know how it works. I mean, in that trial, Xenia and our King's lives are connected. Whatever happens to Xenia will happen to the King like getting hurt, feeling the pain, the same wounds… But how come now that the King is also inside the dream, it doesn't work like that?"

She chuckled, "I'm intrigued, but there's no way to ask this guardian right now." She was someone who loved her abilities, and she would like to grow her abilities more by cultivating her skills.

Back when she passed the trial to become a mage in Ebodia, she was honestly overjoyed despite only being selected because of the amount of mana and potential she had in her body to create magic. Somehow, it made her feel that was someone special despite the pain that lingered in her heart knowing that she was nothing but an abandoned baby outside the castle walls.

Even an animal wouldn't abandon its offspring like that, but that was what happened to her. As such, she couldn't help but feel like she was probably trash, one whose parents or family didn't even want in this world.

Still, being a mage helped her grow and overcome her weaknesses and inferiority complex, not to mention that it helped her gain a family that loves her in the form of the royal family that Xenia extended to her. Seeing her fortunes turn, she vowed to become someone greater… to be the best wizardess she could ever be!

Back to the actual topic, it was why she kept on learning and studying casting spells. It was through this behavior that she found these thousand dreams truly intriguing.

"Hmm, maybe it's because our king and that Sphinx had swapped appearances?" Bartos casually guessed.

"Right!" Jayra burst out.

Was she a moron that she hadn't thought about such a possibility? Or maybe she was just too focused on finding out more about that thousand dreams trial that she overlooked that scenario? Those two men had swapped appearances, hence altering the cycle of the spell and causing some distortion.

Jayra turned around to face her husband, who had gone and knelt to her level since she was still seated. Cupping his face, she mumbled, "Aren't you a genius?!" She then showered her husband's face with kisses before frowning as she stared at him.

"What is it, wife?" Bartos asked with a blink.

"I'm curious…" she replied with a naughty smile.

"About what?"

"Hmmm… How come you never reminded me to continue removing your scar? I mean, we only did it once back in the encampment, and then you passed out after I kissed you…" Jayra recalled. "Since then, I've mostly forgotten about that scar on your face."

With a giggle, she brushed the loose hair dangling over Bartos's face. He had this short haircut, with his hair brushed to the side with some loose hair dangling over him that would sometimes cover the scar he had on the left part of his face. He honestly looked mysterious and gorgeous because of it.

"Hmm… you didn't seem to mind my scar, so I don't see the need to remove it…" Bartos shrugged.

"It's because I can't really remove it since it's an old scar," Jarya confessed with a giggle. "I can only remove scars that have recently healed. I lied to you, husband..."

"Huh?"

Jayra's smile widened as she said, "You're so aloof, and I had a feeling that you wouldn't approach me at all if I didn't make the first move." She recounted with a smile, "In the end, I gave you an alibi so that we can have a private moment together and talk. If I didn't suggest that you have a private session with me, I'm pretty sure you would've kept on hesitating to approach me…"

Bartos only blinked as Jayra felt his burning emotions towards her through their Mate Bond. She gently touched the scar on his face, trailing its contours as Bartos closed his eyes, relishing her loving touch.

"Even if I had the power to remove this scar, I wouldn't bother doing so… This scar defines who you are, your struggles, your sufferings, and how you've won and overcome everything thrown against you," Jayra murmured as she gently leaned in to trail sweet kisses over his scar." This scar doesn't make you any lesser man at all. This is also a part of you… It's responsible for who you are right now…" She loved everything about Bartos, and she would embrace all of what he had to offer to her without a second thought.

Bartos groaned at her lips' touch, and Jayra could feel his overflowing desire for her growing at that moment. She hummed in approval as well when she felt her husband's hands slipping inside the hem of her nightgown, spreading her legs apart and pulling her nightgown up to expose her bare legs and hips.

"Wife… how exactly deep do you want me to fall for you?" Bartos huskily whispered.

Jayra started trembling when she felt his soft and warm lips kissing the sides of her thighs. Leaning backward till her back hit the side of the vanity table, she put a lilt to her tone as she replied. "How deep? I want it to be never-ending… a nonstop fall will do…"