The Eccentric Entomologist is Now a Queen's Consort

"I see. So you're leaving for the matter with the saintess?"

Elowen opened her eyes, a tired smile spreading across her lips as she nodded.

"Yes... I've been avoiding her all this time, you know, just so she knows my displeasure about what happened with your abduction." She sighed and shifted slightly, her head resting more comfortably against his chest.

Mikhailis couldn't help the smirk that spread across his face.

"I guess my wifey loves me a little too much, huh?" He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. She chuckled, burying her face in his chest as he held her tightly.

"Protecting me from dangerous saintesses, fighting monsters, taking care of the entire kingdom... you really are incredible, you know that?"

Elowen's smile deepened, her fingers tracing idle patterns on his chest.

"I just want to make sure you're safe. The thought of losing you..." She trailed off, her voice growing softer, almost a whisper.

"It scares me, Mikhailis."

He pulled back slightly, tilting her chin up with his finger so she had to look him in the eyes.

"Hey, come on now. Don't let your pretty head get filled with such gloomy thoughts," he said, his voice softer now, though still laced with the warmth of his smile.

"I'm not going anywhere. You know I'm too stubborn for that."

Elowen smiled, a spark of warmth returning to her eyes.

"I know... I just can't help it sometimes."

Mikhailis leaned in, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"That's why I'm here. To chase away all those worries of yours." He pulled her closer, and they stayed like that for a while, letting the warmth of each other chase away the lingering thoughts of tomorrow.

After a moment, Elowen spoke again.

"I'll be going to see the saintess with Vyrelda. Aelthrin will be handling court matters in my absence, and Serelith will be monitoring the rest of her disciples."

Mikhailis raised an eyebrow, his voice a mixture of curiosity and teasing.

"Leaving all the boring stuff to the prime minister, huh? I bet he's thrilled about that."

Elowen chuckled, nodding.

"He didn't look too pleased, but I think he understood why I have to go. It'll be three days, though, because there's a ritual that has to be performed at the Elder Tree. It's a custom for the royals."

Mikhailis's smile faltered just slightly, his brows knitting together in a faint frown. "

Three days, huh? That's quite a long time." He sighed, but his tone was lighthearted.

"I guess I'll be a lonely prince consort without my queen around."

Elowen looked up at him, her eyes softening with affection.

"You'll manage. Besides, you have Rodion, don't you? I'm sure he'll keep you plenty busy."

Mikhailis laughed, rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, Rodion's a real joy to be around. Not quite the same as my beautiful queen, though." He leaned in, his voice dropping to a playful whisper.

"But you know, before you leave for this whole saintess affair... how about we make tonight last a little longer? One more round of 'royal duties' before your journey tomorrow?"

Elowen's eyes widened, her cheeks tinting a light pink, but she didn't pull away. Instead, she gave him a small, almost mischievous smile.

"You always know just what to say, don't you?" she murmured, her voice soft.

Mikhailis grinned, his fingers brushing along her side.

"What can I say? I'm a man of many talents."

And with that, he pulled her closer once more, their laughter filling the room as they lost themselves in each other, letting the worries of tomorrow fade away.
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Elowen left early the next morning, leaving Mikhailis alone in their chambers. He lay in bed for a while, staring at the ceiling, feeling the emptiness of the room without her. He sighed, rolling over and burying his face in the pillow, trying to push away the lingering sense of loneliness. It was ridiculous, really—she was only going to be gone for three days.

But still, the thought of the castle without her felt strange, like something important was missing.

After a few more minutes of moping, Mikhailis finally pushed himself up, running a hand through his messy hair.

"Alright, enough of that. No use sitting around feeling sorry for myself," he muttered to himself, stretching his arms above his head.

"Let's do something productive."

He had wanted to test out more of his abilities as an Entomancer, maybe summon a few more ants and see what they could do. But he remembered Elowen's warning from last night—there would likely be nobles sending invitations, trying to take advantage of her absence. They'd want dinners, meetings, anything to get a word in with him while she was away.

And while he could just ignore them all, Elowen had already made other plans for him.

"She said she arranged something... what was it again?" Mikhailis muttered to himself as he got dressed. He tried to remember what she'd said, something about an appointment. His eyes widened as the memory clicked into place.

"Right. Magic lessons." He let out a sigh, shaking his head.

"Finally, I get to learn magic, and of course, it's right when Elowen leaves."

He stepped out of his chambers, making his way down the hall, his steps echoing off the polished stone floor. He wasn't sure what to expect from the lesson, but he was excited nonetheless. He'd been waiting for this—finally, a chance to learn real magic.

As he approached the designated room, he heard a familiar voice.

"Your Highness, I am looking forward to teaching you your first magic."

Mikhailis's face fell as he recognized the voice. He opened the door, and sure enough, there she was—Serelith, standing at the front of the room, her usual mischievous smile playing on her lips. And standing behind her, with an almost exasperated look, was Lira.

Mikhailis sighed, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Of course, it's you," he muttered under his breath. He glanced at Lira, giving her a small nod.

"You're here too, huh?"

Lira smiled politely, bowing slightly.

"For today, yes, Your Highness. I'm here to assist in any way I can."

"But not every day, right?" Mikhailis asked, his tone hopeful.

Lira shook her head, her expression apologetic.

"No, I have other duties as well, Your Highness."

Mikhailis sighed again, glancing back at Serelith.

"Well, this is going to be... interesting."

Serelith's grin widened, her eyes glinting with mischief.

"Oh, come now, Your Highness. I promise I'll be gentle with you... at first."

Mikhailis gave her a wry smile.

"Yeah, that's what I'm worried about." He stepped further into the room, his eyes scanning the space. It was a large, open room, with shelves of books lining the walls and a large table in the center.

Serelith walked over to the table, gesturing for Mikhailis to take a seat. "Now, let's begin, shall we?" she said, her voice dripping with false innocence.

Mikhailis sat down, glancing at her warily.

"You're not planning anything... strange, are you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

Serelith's smile turned into a smirk, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"Oh, Your Highness, you wound me," she said, placing a hand over her heart dramatically.

"I'm here to teach you magic, nothing more."

Mikhailis watched her for a moment, then let out a sigh, leaning back in his chair.

"Alright, let's get this over with."

Serelith moved closer, her eyes glinting with amusement. She leaned in, her lips brushing against his ear as she spoke, her voice barely a whisper.

"You know, Your Highness, I do like it when you play hard to get."

Before Mikhailis could respond, he felt her foot slide up his leg, her toes brushing against his crotch. He stiffened, his eyes widening as he looked at her, his mouth opening in surprise.

"Serelith," he said, his voice a low warning.

She just grinned, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

"What? I thought we were getting comfortable. Isn't that what magic lessons are all about? It's about taking a grasp of something,"

Mikhailis sighed, a smile tugging at his lips despite himself. He reached down, grabbing her ankle and giving it a light squeeze.

"You really are something else, you know that?" he muttered.

Serelith's grin widened, her eyes sparkling.

"I do try."

Mikhailis shook his head, his grip tightening slightly on Serelith's ankle as he spoke, his voice filled with exasperation.

"You know, this really isn't the time or the place for this sort of thing," he said, glancing around the room. They were in the royal castle, for goodness' sake.

Anyone could walk in.

And Lira is staring daggers at us in the first place.

Serelith gave a small, delighted laugh, her eyes bright with amusement.

"Oh, come now, Your Highness. Life is too short to worry about such trivial things." She leaned back, letting her ankle slip from his grasp. But as she did, she lost her balance slightly, her foot thumping against the table with a dull thud.

"Ouch!" she muttered, rubbing her shin with a small grimace.

Mikhailis smirked, tilting his head slightly.

"See? That's what you get for trying to be sneaky."

Serelith gave him a pointed glare, though there was a hint of humor in her eyes.

"You'll pay for that, Your Highness."

He chuckled, leaning back in his chair, feeling a bit more at ease now. He turned his attention to the small, floating robot that hovered nearby, Rodion's voice crackling through his glasses.

"Alright, Rodion, let's get back on track," Mikhailis said, his tone more serious now.

"Can you give me a quick overview of what magic is all about? I'm sure you've accumulated enough information by now."