Chapter Text
Poppy’s eyes stung with the tears she’d refused to shed for months. Tears that she told herself would do no good in getting Casteel back. And here he sat before her. A little pale, his cheeks slightly sallow, but a far cry from the glassy-eyed animal he’d been in Isbeth’s clutches.
But what if this was another dream. If this was another dream, she wanted to remain in it.
“It’s real,” he said quietly. Reading her thoughts, as usual. He lowered her hand from his lips, touching his forehead to her’s. “I’m here. This is real.”
A sobbed wracked her chest at the feeling of his warm skin against her’s. She took in the full meaning of his words and choked a laugh. His smile broadened, both dimples now present.
“It’s not quite the same laugh I missed, but it’s a start.”
Poppy sniffed. “You’re an idiot. Giving yourself up like that.”
Casteel chuckled, pressing a kiss to her lips then pulling away to meet her eyes. “Is that anyway to talk to your husband?”
The thick taste of concern, then disappointment. Casteel’s eyes were sad.
“What?” she asked, voice rough from disuse.
Casteel sighed and raised their hands once more, putting their palms on display. Their blank palms. The marriage marks absent.
Poppy’s breath was stolen from her.
“By death or decree,” he said with a grimace. “And I died.”
Her heart sank at the loss of such a bond. At the loss of that mark that had kept her going all those weeks she’d planned his escape. Gone.
“Thank you, by the way,” Cas said, as casually as if she’d offered him a sweet. “For bringing me back.”
The tears came again, strong and hard. Perhaps it was irrational to weep over a bond that paled in comparison to their destiny as heart-mates, but she was so tired and so shocked with everything that had happened that she couldn’t bring herself to calm down. His fingers intertwined with hers again and he placed a kiss to her brow.
“Don’t worry, my Queen. You’ll have a King again soon. We’ll marry once more.” His lips were close to the shell of her ear. “I’ve already had the most extravagant ring selected. As promised, the diamond upon your finger will enter the room before you do. It will be the envy of every merchant’s wife.”
She laughed wetly, unaware that he had remembered that promise. “I liked my old ring.”
“Then wear both,” Casteel shrugged. A grin spread on his lips. “But I do hope you wear that same dress and have that dagger strapped to your pretty thigh.”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
“And now Kieran and my parents can be present… no matter how I may feel about my mother now, it will be nice to have all of my family in attendance.”
All of his family.
All except for Malik. Malik who Poppy had killed. Malik who she hadn’t allowed Casteel to have a say in his fate.
“Cas…”
The playful glint in his eyes vanished, replaced with something stonier. Grief saturated her senses, bitter and heavy.
“Cas, I’m sorry.”
His voice was cold as death. “Malik was not my brother. Not anymore at least.”
Shame.
“If you hadn’t killed him, I would have. So, I thank you for sparing me that task.”
“Cas… it’s still… it’s still sad. No matter who he’d become.”
“I know. And I will carry that sadness with me for a long time to come. Perhaps forever,” he mused. “But while they kept me, all I could think about was getting back to you. Finding you before they made me… a thing again,” Casteel spat. “I’m sorry for trying to eat you by the way. That was no way to repay you for saving my life.”
His tone was teasing but she could see true sorrow in those amber eyes. She lifted a hand to cup his cheek and he leaned into her touch, a shudder running down his spine. He pressed a kiss to her palm.
“I expected a daring rescue but that was above and beyond.”
Rescue.
Poppy’s eyes grew wide and alert, her gaze snapping to Casteel’s. “Ires?”
“He’s here, Poppy. He is still recovering. That was quite some time he spent in that cage.”
And-and Nyktos, he-”
“Shh, shh.” Casteel silenced her with a kiss, long fingers combing through her hair. “We have a lot to discuss.”
And those words made her feel exhausted all over again. But she didn’t want to fall asleep. Because what if falling asleep was actually waking up? And he wasn’t here beside her. What if he was gone again?
“Poppy, it’s real,” Casteel repeated once more. “It’s real, alright?”
She only had the energy to nod.
His arms encircled her, pulling her to his chest and Poppy sank into his embrace. He pressed a kiss to the crown of her head, then lowered his lips to her ear.
“Rest. When you wake again, we’ll be just like this.”
“Just like this?” she murmured sleepily.
“Yes, Poppy.”
“You won’t go?”
“I swear to you that the next time your eyes open, I’ll be right here.”
“And you won’t leave?” she repeated, as a tear rolled down her cheek, saturating his shirt.
“I will not leave you.” His voice was fierce with conviction. “Nothing will come between us ever again, Princess.”