I waited in the hot tub for Zai to return. Thankfully, it only took him twenty minutes. He hung our new outfits on the hooks in the corner of the room, then began undressing before joining me inside the barrier. I felt flushed—for more reasons than just the heat—and did my best not to look at him, trying to keep my mind straight.
"Snowe... I'm not upset with you," Zai said softly. "I'm annoyed with the situation. I wish you'd given me some warning, but... I'm more pissed off with him than you."
He sat beside me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders.
"I should've mentioned Smoke sooner," I admitted.
He laughed.
"I know why you didn't. The other three women I was with? I never mentioned them to you either. Even if they don't mean anything now, I knew it would make you uncomfortable thinking about me with someone else."
A wave of relief hit me—until he added,
"But you knew he was the one who invited you here, and still decided not to mention it."
"I didn't think he saw me that seriously!" I protested. "We only went out for two days and kissed a couple times… he never called me his girlfriend. He had a reputation for being promiscuous, so it was hard for me to believe he was serious about me."
Zai sighed.
"He tortured a man for ten years for touching you, and you still thought he wasn't serious?"
I hung my head.
"I... admit I have issues believing I matter to people. I'm sure you've experienced my lack of confidence too… I'm sorry."
"Well... he must've wanted to see you again before moving on with his fiancée. I think he cared more than you realized." Zai shrugged. "Not that it matters."
Then he looked at me and met my eyes.
"This is a nice hot tub. How often do they clean it?"
"Oh... there's a rune on the wall here that instantly purifies the water," I said, pointing to the symbol.
"Gets rid of pubes too?" he asked, and I giggled.
"Yeah, as soon as they float over it. As long as the hair or dirt isn't attached to us, it gets cleansed and teleported away."
Zai hummed in approval.
"Memorized. Alright... so how'd you like the dinner?" he asked, this time pressing light kisses down my collarbone.
"It... w-was... kind of boring, right?" I answered shakily.
He grinned and looked up at me.
"Well yeah. Would've been happier going out with just me and you."
My blushing worsened.
"The food was okay though… even if the flavors were kind of off."
I beamed a little.
"That's because the soil on Infaniya is different than Earth's. Our veggies have distinct flavors, and so do our spices. The only consistent thing is the salt."
"Our veggies?" he teased. "I thought you were a certified Afarion now."
Then he gently bit my lower lip and kissed me.
"We have an early day tomorrow... let's stop wasting time."
Our eyes met. It looked like he was blushing too. I had always thought Zai was calm and collected during these moments, but maybe the things he said embarrassed him just like they did me.
We had our way with each other in the hot tub, and after growing weary of the heat, dried off and moved to the bed to continue—until an hour before the wedding.
I got dressed and made sure my hair was pinned up. I felt shy looking in the mirror; my eyes were still glowing bright red.
The wedding was held in front of the palace. There were no seats—guests just stood around, chatting before the ceremony began.
"I need to talk to your old boyfriend," Zai said in a mocking tone.
I pouted, suspecting he was teasing, and watched him walk off toward Smoke.
I couldn't read lips, and with all the conversations going on around me, I couldn't overhear theirs. When Zai returned, I asked,
"What did you talk about?"
"Oh… I asked him where your old teacher lives. I plan to visit him after the wedding."
He smirked.
"Also, I challenged him to a sparring match tomorrow. There are rules here I have to follow, so I'll save punching him in the face for then."
I gasped.
Zai is going to fight Smoke... wait, and is he planning to fight Qon too?! If even a bit of tension with Smoke got him fired up, I can't imagine he'll let Qon off easy.
The ceremony began before I could respond.
I didn't know how to protest. A part of me was... grateful. That someone wanted to fight Qon for me.
I wasn't sure how I felt about the match with Smoke, though.
The wedding went smoothly. The bride looked stunning—it was hard to believe she'd once been human. She and Serco exchanged rings, then drinks, and the crowd cheered as they shared a kiss.
"The new King and Queen of the Southern Continent—Serco Shion and Akina Shion!" the Priestess announced.
Teal flowers rained from the sky over the ceremony.
I greeted a few guests who asked how I knew the prince. I kept my answers vague, saying I was a family friend. Better if no one recognized me.
Whenever Zai held my hand or touched me unexpectedly, my eyes would flare, and I'd hear whispers from the crowd:
"They must be newlyweds too. So cute."
After eating a bit, we left.
Zai carried me at high speed straight to the house I could only assume Qon was staying in. It upset me that he'd been released and was living freely—but I knew it was mostly pettiness. If I had truly experienced the full weight of the years that passed, maybe I wouldn't feel so intensely.
Zai knocked on the door, and Qon answered. He still had visible scars and no fingernails, but he looked healthier than the last time I saw him.
"Who are you?" he squinted at Zai, then looked at me.
"Oh."
"Can we come in?" Zai asked with a smile.
Qon looked hesitant.
"Don't worry… I just want to talk."
Zai's tone was deceptively pleasant—but I knew him too well. He was lying.
Still, Qon let us in. We sat at his kitchen table.
"So what? You want closure or something?" he asked, flatly, looking at me.
"I admit it—I had a crush on you, and I took it too far. Sorry."
The way he said it was way too casual. Apparently, Zai agreed—because in less than a blink, Qon was on the floor, his chair shattered, and Zai had a knife at his throat.
Qon blinked—and in that instant, his chair shattered beneath him. He hit the ground hard, wind knocked from his lungs. A blade shimmered in front of his throat: emerald-tipped, buzzing faintly, as if charged
Zai stood over him like death itself, his eyes glowing faintly silver. "Try again," he said, voice low. "Talk to my wife with respect."
Qon chuckled, blood in his teeth. "You think I'm scared of a knife?"
The lights dimmed.
Metal in the kitchen trembled, then rose—forks, pans, cabinet handles, knives—all turned into sharp spears aimed at Zai. They launched.
Zai didn't flinch.
An invisible field pulsed out from his body, and every weapon that slammed against it bounced off like they'd hit a solid wall. The air warped around him.
"Oh? Do you like feeling defenseless for once?" Zai sneered. "Let me teach you real fear."
Suddenly, gravity itself betrayed Qon. He collapsed to his knees, crushed as if by an invisible weight. Zai walked slowly toward him, dragging the emerald blade across the ground.
"I'm sorry! Okay, for real this time! I mean it!"
He stammered.
"B-but she came to me and started relying on me. You gotta understand—I took that the wrong way."
Zai nodded as if understanding—then plunged the blade into Qon's shoulder and twisted it.
Qon screamed so loud it gave me chills.
Zai withdrew the blade and stood. The wound closed slowly, leaving a spiraled, ugly scar.
Qon raised his hand to retaliate, but none of the metal in the room moved.
"It's magnetized. This is easy for me, I have a brother who can control metal—we used to spar for fun. You're much weaker than him."
Qon clutched his neck until the bleeding slowed.
"Bastard," he muttered.
Zai gasped dramatically, pretending to be offended.
"I really did just want to talk... until you pissed me off."
Qon glared at him but said nothing.
The metal in the room spun in a furious cyclone behind him. Lightning danced along the ceiling.
"You can fight me tomorrow… or you can fight Snowe and I'll just referee."
The pressure in the room spiked. Electricity coiled around the fixtures like snakes. The very structure of the house groaned.
Qon's face twisted—he knew he was outmatched.
So his decision came quickly.
"Snowe... I'll fight Snowe. Will that satisfy you?"
I grinned widely.
"Yes. Let's go to the arena. Now, not tomorrow!"
My enthusiasm seemed to shock him. I was the first out the door.
As we left, I faintly heard Zai whisper,
"If you go too far… or disrespect her even once… I will end the fight by killing you in the most painful way imaginable."