I was swelling with happiness, nearly choking on it, as I made my way through the marketplace, dragging Hongjoong along with me, hand-in-hand, as I let the sights, the smells, and the sounds take me away.

Long forgotten were the differences and dislike and all else as I marveled in the sight of Odeion, of Hell, which had always been described to me as an overwhelming pit of suffocating darkness and suffering. This was nothing like it. This was nothing like I had ever seen before.

The son of Lilith's occasional glances and stolen looks went completely unnoticed as I weaved my way through the crowd, making sure to keep my head low and, as per his orders, keep my face and eyes covered.

My heart was hammering against my ribs as pushed past curtains of fabric and scarves only to, at last, come to a halt as my eyes widened at the sight of the stall which was revealed on the other side.

Among barrels and crates and baskets of exotic foods I had neither seen nor tasted before, far from the vendors selling weapons and tools and machinery, was a hidden gem.

The shop's back wall covered in precious metals and jewelry, carefully crafted necklaces hanging from the roof that glinted like the stars which were nowhere to be seen in the sky overhead, bracelets and rings littering the countertop in front of me as I carefully placed my free hand on the wooden surface.

A small sound of awe left my lips as I let my eyes travel across all of the obsidian and onyx, some of the stones roughly cut while others were almost impossibly smooth. There was no silver in sight, the material belonging to the angels, but the hammered gold and leather seemed just as beautiful as they glowed warmly in the dancing firelight.

I turned to Hongjoong who had barely spoken a word since we left the plaza, realizing that he had already been looking at me as he immediately averted his eyes and cleared his throat.

The son of Lilith's cheeks were flushed, either from the heat of the flames or something else. I couldn't tell. He glanced down at our hands which were still intertwined, the small movement going unnoticed by me as he chewed on his bottom lip, but he stayed just as silent as before.

"Your highness," a voice suddenly said, a merchant appearing from somewhere behind all of the jewelry with a bright smile that made the corners of his eyes crinkle slightly as he regarded Hongjoong and bowed his head slightly.

My eyes immediately widened, and I realized how I was still holding his hand, quickly untangling my fingers from his as I pulled the hood further over my head and hurriedly hid behind his back.

"And good evening to you," Hongjoong said, his voice taking on a kind of warmth that had previously been foreign, unknown, to me, which made me furrow my brows a little as I clutched the fabric of his shirt.

"Are you looking for anything specific?" the salesman asked eagerly, "For yourself? Or-" he paused, furrowing his brows a little as he spotted me hiding behind his back, but the frown quickly melted into a soft smile as he said, "Or for a girl, perhaps?"

I felt Hongjoong tense, but it was faint, subtle, and he quickly made a gesture that I couldn't quite make out as he said, "I'll take that one if you don't mind."

And then there was shuffling and the faint sounds of metal scraping against metal, money, I realized, before Hongjoong was turning around, stuffing something in his pocket as the merchant said, "Give our blessings to the empress" and he promised, "I will."

I was forced to move with him, following his lead as he gently placed a hand at the small of my back and guided me down another path than the one we had come from, away from the colourful fabrics and exotic spices and foods and the stalls as we entered another narrow street.

He looked completely different as the light from the torches along the buildings' facades hit his face in occasional flashes of gold, brightening all of the features which were usually covered with shadows or masks of anger and disinterest.

The son of Lilith, now guiding me as the roles had been switched, was smiling, looking genuinely happy as he greeted the people who bowed their heads at him, noticing the heir and all asking him the same thing;

"Give our blessings to the empress."

The empress. Their empress. Lilith.

And, at that moment, he was shining so bright that I could barely recognize the man at my side, not even caring that I was staring as I took him in as best as I could from underneath the cloak which now covered most of my face, studying him, simply looking in awe.

Because I couldn't help it.

"Stop that," Hongjoong hissed under his breath, the order going unnoticed by the people around us, but I heard it loud and clear, frowning a little as I narrowed my eyes, "What?"

"You're staring."

I could easily make out the flush on his cheeks every time we passed one of the many thousands of flames facing within the streetlights or licking away at the torches, but still, I didn't look away.

"I know."

〄

He had managed to lead us out of the city and away from all of the curious eyes, and as we sat there, side by side with our legs hanging over the edge of one of the many cliffs overlooking the dark ocean, I took a moment to admire the necklace in my hands.

I had wrapped the golden chain around my fingers, the metal still slightly warm to the touch from laying in Hongjoong's pocket, and was now staring at the slightly jagged piece of obsidian dangling back and forth in front of my eyes; impossibly dark and perfectly imperfect, its edges gilded like the chain from which it hung.

"Are you sure you won't regret giving this to me later on?" I mumbled, not once taking my eyes off the piece of jewelry as I tightened my grip on it.

"It's a small price to pay for the help you're willing to give us, for saving Odeion. It's a gift, take it."

I carefully secured it around my neck and tucked it underneath the cloak which was still wrapped around my shoulders. I had thrown off the hood and could feel the ocean breeze ruffling my hair softly as I closed my eyes for a moment.

"You know," I said, sighing a little, "I can see it now."

"Your eyes are closed-"

"You worry me sometimes," I frowned, turning to the son of Lilith to find him already looking at me, "Everyone is entitled to act stupid once in a while, but you really abuse the privilege."

"Tell me," he said, and I realized that he had been joking, a foreign feeling jabbing at my heart as I regarded him for a moment almost curiously.

"You're not all bad. In a different world, I might even like you."

And then we fell silent again, but the quiet was welcomed, comfortable.

"In a different world," he agreed, closing his eyes for a second as the breeze brought with it the overwhelming smell of sea and salt. There were no oceans in Illenium, I remembered, taking in the view, the waves and the way the wind danced across the surface before climbing up the cliff where we sat, bringing with it stories of the untold in the distance that I would never get to explore.

Hongjoong got off the ground after another moment, dusting off his hands on his pants before offering one of them to me, and I took it, almost instinctively, without thinking much off it as I heaved myself up as well.

A swift look of surprise flickered across his dark eyes, but it disappeared just as quickly as it had come.

"Are you going to scare me again?" I asked, squinting a little as I searched for the palace in the distance, far across the dark sea, "Or are you maybe considering dropping me for real this time?"

"I don't think I am," Hongjoong said, and I could hear the hint of a smile lacing his voice as the words left his lips, but I wasn't quick enough to see it as I turned back to look at him, feeling slightly disappointed at the realization.

He touched the obsidian ring on his finger, exactly like the piece of jewelry which was now hanging from my neck, and enormous dark wings and feathers weaved from the night itself unfolded from his back, sending a single breeze of wind in my direction which brought a hint of colour to my cheeks.

And then his arms were wrapped around me.

And I didn't even mind it.