Meikko gracefully bowed and said, “Good evening, Your Excellency. Now that you have come to join the queen, I will take leave to join the night patrol.”

Meikko’s exit was met with an awkward silence between the couple. Alëxios removed his beige tunic and sat upright on the bed. To his surprise, Malaykah unveiled her mind wide enough for him to sync in. Though the veil was lifted entirely, her thoughts were so erratic that he could not gain a firm grasp on how she felt. She looked at him blankly, then came to herself all at once.

“Alëxios, I need to apologize for my behavior. I’ve been going around here acting like a spoiled baby for far too long. I can’t believe you’ve just been taking my abuse. I have to check myself before I become accustomed and remain this way,” she said.

Alëxios felt vexed. It was unusual and unheard of for a god to willingly take accountability for their actions or even explain their disposition. He remained speechless, as he did not know what to do or say.

Malaykah hopped out of the rocking chair and plopped down beside him on the bed. Her eyes were warm, and she did not withhold any of herself back from him.

“Before I showed up, the maidens were fine in Phëläniciä. But then, I saw the gorgeous villa where they lived, which would seem more like a grand estate of mansions in my realm. They lived like pampered princesses, with very little to worry about or any hardships,” she said.

“There was the issue of marriage, to which I did not agree to propose to any of them,” Alëxios interjected. “Out of my own selfish desire to rescue them, as my mother never had such an opportunity, I kept the maidens like a collection of rare dolls.”

Malaykah frowned.

“I’m no better than you. I let my jealousy over you get the best of me. Now, I’ve put them and everyone else in harm’s way on a haunted ship with a cursed captain,” she countered.

Even though Malaykah continued to pour her heart out to Alëxios, he concentrated on her train of thoughts. He relished in the fact that his unlimited access to her mind made him privy to information that he would not otherwise have. In the monastery temples, he learned that every living being has a preferred method of communication, but it was their thoughts that revealed the true nature of their character. Malaykah’s uncanny sincerity exposed no hidden motives or shreds of deceit. He became aware of her wholehearted love for him and realized her intentions were only to do what was in his best interest. He could not fathom how any human could dismiss such a rare quality in favor of mere lust.

“Yes, her body both here and in the human realm display delectable beauty. But, it is her mind and heart that are the truest gems,” he thought to himself.

Malaykah was so enthralled with her apology speech that she did not hear his thoughts. Alëxios was beyond flattered that she held him in such high regard. Before then, he had always questioned others and their motives to be in his presence. He felt that if he was stripped of his royal title and status as a powerful deity, all that would remain was an injured brute to be feared and loathed. However, the fact that Malaykah was able to look far beyond any of his flaws encouraged him. She treated him like a delicate flower in need of protection and nourishment. She taught him what it meant to live with painful wounds and not lash out at the rest of the world over them. He had never encountered a being like her.

Alëxios came from under the veil of Malaykah’s mind and realized she looked at him with expectation in her eyes. H did not know what she said or asked just moments before. To conceal his lack of attention, he kissed her passionately. Their suppressed arousal bloomed in full force. He swiftly pulled her nightshirt over her head and began to massage her breast with his hands.

Malaykah became worried that their interaction would cause too much turbulence for the ship.

“We can’t,” she whispered.

“Ah, yes, we can, my dear. We can control it,” he whispered back.

Malaykah kissed him again to playfully bite his bottom lip, and mumbled, “I don’t want to.”

An intense surge of erotic energy surged between them. Alëxios took Malaykah by the waist and flew her off the bed, out of the suite. They soared up in the sky to make love among the stars and clouds.

~Ch. 22, The Realm Beyond the Stars and Sea~