Chapter 272 - Patience

"How can you allow her to go inside the temple where there would be no protection? For god's sake, Iona is lurking out there. We just encountered something so close to her. Besides, how will her staying in the temple reverse anything that is happening? The situation is only getting out of control!" angered Ileus pounded the table in front of him, which splintered upon the impact.

"She will stay protected in the temple," Adrianna replied, as she sat back on the sofa and crossed her arms across her chest. "And that is my decision. Anastasia will stay in the temple premises for the next three days." Then she pointed at him and continued, "You are not allowed to enter the place."

A wave of frustration scorched his skin because he hated the idea of parting from his mate even for an hour, and this was for three days. "Mother, you know it is not justified. How can hold Anastasia captive in the temple when whatever happened, happened because of my folly? I am ready to take the punishment."

Adrianna arched an eyebrow. "You knew it was a mistake, yet you went ahead and committed. Not only that there's a report that you took her to the creek in Silver Vales. Level two is slowly becoming a chaos and I fear that this chaos would percolate to the Level three and then Silver Vales."

After more heated exchanges, the queen left the hall surrounded by the guards. She informed him that they would all be going to Silver Vales to have dinner with Cora and Pierre in the evening. Ed would be coming from the Mountains of Tibris to meet Anastasia.

Anastasia's heart kicked around her chest as she leaned against the pillows. She hadn't thought that one simple act was going to make feel so guilty. Her breath snagged in her chest as her body quivered. "I didn't know that we would get into such big trouble."

Ileus' gaze flickered over her face. "It's not your fault and stop feeling guilty about the situation we are in." He had just poured all his tension into her as he came again and again and they were lying next to each other with their fingers intertwined.

She took a deep breath and muttered, "I am sorry." Her voice carried a slight tremor. "If I had known that this would turn out into such a huge chaos, I would have stopped. When you proposed the plan to me, I was too excited—"

"I told you Anastasia, there is nothing to apologize for," said Ileus. He was determined to not allow his young fae princess to carry the burden of guilt that according to him she was placing wrongly on her shoulders. "Mother wasn't there when the incident happened and she couldn't have learnt what exactly happened unless she had swept the cells of Darla and Aidan. You are guilty of nothing, okay?"

"But she might have swept your or my cell while we talked to her," her sapphire eyes wet.

"No, she didn't, though she tried. I had cast a very strong spell around our cells."

She squeezed Ileus' hand and picked it up to kiss it. "Do you think putting me in the temple is a good idea, Ileus?"

Ileus didn't answer her question. He just stared at the ceiling wondering what to do next. One thing was certain—he was going to put more guards around the temple and also comb the entire Level two to look for the traitor. He strongly suspected Draven and Ozin.

"Do we have to go to have dinner with your grandparents?" she asked, not really feeling like visiting Cora.

"Yes, Ed, my father's grandfather is visiting and I think Mother wants to take the opportunity to introduce you to the family."

Anastasia took a deep breath. She turned to him and rested her chin on his chest. "I will miss you a lot," she said, sounding nervous.

"I will miss you too, honey," he replied pensively as he stroked her hair.

A gloom hung in the air between the mates. Anastasia closed her eyes and then drifted off to sleep. Ileus made her lie down beside him and tucked her in the blanket. He couldn't sleep because he continued to stare at her. He twined a strand of hair around his wrist and worried it.

When Anastasia woke up, it was already evening. The maids were waiting for her. Ileus unshackled her wings. The maids helped her with a bath and made her wear an olive-colored silk dress with a meshed top. Her hair was braided with strings of gold chains that had numerous diamonds studded in them at regular intervals. She brought the braid over her shoulder and settled it in front. They made her wear a small circlet that had tiny diamonds on the border. As usual they didn't apply makeup on her face, because according to them she was naturally the most beautiful woman they had ever seen in the Lore.

When they left after making her wear olive silk padded sandals, Ileus came to her and gave her a long kiss. Her wings rustled as she craned her neck to see his face after the kiss. Wearing a pale green shirt over black leather pants and boots, he looked macho. He had combed his hair back. She cupped his face in her hands and said, "I will never tire of falling in love with you again and again, even if I forget you."

His brows drew tightly in. "And what do you mean by that? You think you can forget me just like that? I will never let you forget me!"

She laughed softly and kissed his chest. "That's just a figurative way of speaking, love."

"Ah!" he replied. "Well, don't say it then." He suppressed a tremor in his body. The fact that she was going to stay away from him for the next three days was eating him on the inside.

They walked hand in hand through the corridors and then to the garden. As soon as Ileus was about to create the portal, one of the guards said, "Your Highness, the queen has asked us to accompany you to the north wing. She wants to go to Silver Vales with both of you."

Ileus frowned but he didn't challenge the guard. They walked to the north wing's gardens where they found Adrianna waiting for them with the portal.

For the first time Anastasia saw Adrianna's portal and to say that she was mesmerized, it was an understatement. Her mind was blown. The portal was made of gold dust that swirled in circles. The lights coming off the torches in the garden made it glimmer and shine. Symbols floated on the top, which she knew were for the destination. Adrianna was wearing a long carmine red gown that had a small train. Her long black hair was tied in a neat bun. A simple gold tiara was sitting on top of her hair. Anastasia bowed to her with a soft smile out of admiration.

"Come here, Anastasia," Adrianna called her. When Anastasia went to her, she held her hand and said, "Whatever happens there, keep your patience intact."

She nodded.