Ileus: The Dark Prince

Ileus joined Anastasia who was standing with his parents. Dmitri was talking to the young soldiers who had come to gather around him. He was telling about the perils of joining the army in the main capital while jesting with them. They all looked at him with awe and reverence. However, most of them couldn't stop glancing at Anastasia who was standing beside Adrianna. Her golden hair was braided with tiny pearls and the braid was loosely hung over her shoulder. The wings on her back were tightly tucked and their edges often fluttered.

Jealousy was apparent in Ileus's scornful gaze at all those who dared to look at her. As soon as he stood beside her, he placed his hand on the small of her back and slid his palm over her hip. That was the best way to show who she belonged to. He leaned over her and whispered, "The fuckers are stealing glances at you and I can't promise that I won't gouge their eyes."

Anastasia rolled her eyes. "They are seeing their princess and the prince. Stop getting your knickers twisted in your pants every time!"

He squeezed her buttock hard. "Don't tell me you are not able to discern the looks of men out here! I can see them fucking you with their eyes."

Anastasia was peeved. "Stop it, Ileus!" she whispered angrily through clenched teeth.

Adrianna shot them a glare with her golden eyes to stay quiet. Ileus pursed his lips as he pretended to listen to his father's speech while scanning the soldiers. And to his chagrin, he found one of them staring at her with his mouth open. It was as if he couldn't even breathe. Ileus narrowed his eyes and gave him a withering glare to back off, but the soldier was oblivious to him. At once Ileus jumped in his cell but the moment he tried to enter, he encountered a thick shield. He stifled a growl because that shield was of his mother's. She was already swiping the cells of each and every soldier in the room.

Since he couldn't enter his cell and knew that his mother wouldn't do anything to stop the man from looking at Anastasia, he said aloud, "The season of midges isn't over. Shut that mouth of yours!" Dmitri paused in his speech as he jerked his head towards his son and listened to that ridiculous statement.

"Gods above!" Anastasia remarked, rolling her eyes.

When Dmitri found Ileus staring as if he would kill the poor soldier, he coughed a little in order to stop his laughter. After all, the son was just like his father. "The apple doesn't fall far from the tree," Adrianna remarked in a whisper.

The soldier was red as a tomato. He lowered his eyes as if guilty like a thief stealing from a cookie jar.

"Bloody louche!" Ileus murmured and scowled at him as Dmitri resumed his speech.

Anastasia had had it enough. She turned around and walked out of the crowd. Her husband followed her on the heels. "Ana!" he called her.

'Don't you 'Ana' me!" she growled. She didn't stop until she reached outside in the front gardens. Almost immediately the guards became alert. She strode past them and turned to the groves. She was so angry that only no smoke was coming out of her ears.

"Why are you so angry, love?" Ileus whined from behind. "I didn't do anything to the guard."

Though she listened to him, she didn't reply and continued to march through the groves. All at once, her wings snapped wide open and she shot in the air.

"Anastasia!" Ileus shouted from the ground. "Come back woman, else you are going to be in a lot of trouble!"

No answer. Only a thick flapping wings in the air could be heard and the swirl of leaves as wind whooshed. Ileus picked his hand up in the air. A broom appeared right next to him. He sat on it, kicked the ground and was up in the air, chasing his wife. He caught up with her soon. "Ana!" he called her as he halted her midair. She came to a stop as her wings flapped behind her to stay in the air. And right now, they hovered over the northern periphery of Kaizan's estate.

Crossing her arms, she barked at him, "When are you going to stop behaving like that? For god's sake, when will you stop being jealous of everything that looks at me?"

Ileus tilted his head and blinked at her owl-eyed as surprise etched on his face. "I am not jealous of the horses who look at you, nor at the birds in our home or at the—"

"Shut up!" Anastasia snapped.

Ileus paused. A moment later he whined, "Anaaa, baby, you know that wolves are possessive in nature." He inched towards her. "I hate it when anyone flirts with you."

"Have I ever hated women who try to flirt with you?" she reasoned. "And there are plenty who want to seduce you!" 𝐟r𝑒ℯ𝘄𝐞𝙗ｎov𝚎𝙡. 𝑐𝘰𝘮

He raised an eyebrow and came closer. "How is it that I haven't noticed them? I feel terrible now."

"What the fuck?" she lashed at him. "Why do you feel terrible?"

"Because they tried to seduce me and I didn't even see it coming?" he replied nonchalantly.

Anastasia was so angry that rolled her hands into tight fists. "You mean to say that—"

Before she could complete her sentence, he grabbed her waist, yanked her to his chest and crashed his lips on hers. All her protests died in his throat. He slid his hand to the back of her head and pressed it. He left her only when they were both breathless and her limbs became a putty in his embrace. Slowly, in that position, he brought her to his ride and made her sit on it. The next Anastasia knew was a gentle breeze blowing around them as they flew back to a grassy hummock. When Ileus pulled away, he licked her swollen lips and brushed her flushed cheeks with his thumbs. "I am sorry," he said in a soft voice. "I will keep a check on my emotions."

Her lips curled up throbbing with the pleasure and pain of his kiss. He stepped on the grass and held her waist to hoist her off the broom. "Come, let's go in."

On their way back, Anastasia noticed figures moving through the groves. "Paige and the twins?" she asked.

"Yes, isn't this bizarre?" he said as he glanced at them.

"I don't think so. You don't challenge what moon goddess has given you. She must have thought about it very carefully and then paired you up with your chosen one." Anastasia's hands curled around his.

He stared at her with his eyes that were twin flames. "I know that the goddess has been benevolent to me."

When they arrived, two soldier girls were coming out. They both halted and bowed. While Ileus nodded to them, Anastasia smiled. She noticed that both of them had pinkened and had stars in their eyes while looking at Ileus. She shook her head and chuckled while going inside. It was nothing. However, at dinner, when she was with Olivia, she noticed the two talking to Ileus. They were all laughing and one of them touched his elbow. Something raw burned in her chest.