Naomi felt the heat of Cassien's lips pull away slowly after some time, their cheeks flushed and breaths heavy for air. She should've felt the pricks of cuts on her skin or the weight of his body pressed down against hers, but all Naomi could focus on was the bright gold of his eyes that were lost in reverie. Just as she parted her lips to speak, small hands gripped his shoulders from behind.

"My lady!" Cressida's face was suddenly in front of her as she forcefully shoved Cassien aside into the snowbank, her green eyes shining with worrisome tears. She grabbed Naomi, checking her all over frantically. "You're covered in scratches! And your dress is ripped!"

"I-I'm fine, Cressida," Naomi stammered, the moment entirely lost as her friend pulled her out, sweeping the snow and ice chips from her body.

Naomi blinked in shock as she turned her head to see Cassien sprawled awkwardly across the snow, and she had to stop herself from letting out a gasp that was between a laugh and embarrassment. Cressida brushed the last of the snow from Naomi's hair before her gaze followed, her usual rosy tone paling immediately.

Her hands flew to her mouth in mortification as she rushed forward. "Your Grace! I am so sorry-"

"That's alright," Cassien cleared his throat as he rose to his feet, waving his hand dismissively. "At least we know no one would stop you from reaching your mistress."

He glanced at Naomi, and she couldn't help but feel a blush rise to her cheeks once more as the lingering warmth of his lips on hers still tingled. She tucked a loose wave of hair behind her ear as she shied away, biting her lip. She figured she looked absolutely horrific in the moment, her body covered with tiny scratches and soot, her dress shredded and exposing parts of her skin. Cressida looked between the two repeatedly as realization dawned on her face, as if she could be any more mortified.

"Oh. Oh! I…. Interrupted something, didn't I?" she squeaked.

"It's okay. You were just worried about me," Naomi murmured, though she couldn't quite turn her head back.

Cressida put her arm around Naomi's shoulders gently, pulling her away a few steps. "So things are good between you two?"

"They're… developing."

Cressida glanced back at Cassien before quietly whispering. "My lady, should I prepare - ahem - special undergarments for tonight?"

"Special undergarments…?" Naomi questioned momentarily before embarrassment flooded her. "No! Cressida!"

"There's nothing to be ashamed of, my lady," Cressida hushed her as she turned them so that they were facing Cassien, still whispering secretively at his confused expression. "It's very natural for young men and women to be curious about each other's bodies-"

"Don't you dare finish that sentence!" Naomi's voice cracked, face mortified.

Cassien cleared his throat pointedly, the tips of his ears red. "Maybe this conversation would be best left for Naomi and I to continue."

The two women froze in their gossip before Cressida broke apart. "Sorry! You're right - um, maybe just pretend I was never here?"

"Maybe that would be best," Naomi coughed, giving her friend a gentle nudge. "I'll see you back at the castle."

Cressida bit the tip of her tongue. "So I'll lay the clothes out on your bed?"

"Go," Naomi warned, though there was no real malice behind her words.

"Right!" Cressida squeaked as she began to scurry off, throwing one more apologetic look towards Cassien. "Sorry again for pushing you, Your Grace!"

The two watched the blur of red hair disappear into the dark just as the crowds of people began to pick up once more, searching for stragglers and whatever could be salvaged from the buildings. Cassien removed his cloak to cover whatever parts of Naomi that were exposed, and numbed any sore parts of her limbs with his frost - her body sighing in both gratitude and relief.

Some citizens approached Cassien and Naomi shortly afterwards, bowing at their feet for their aid; some murmured in approving tones that perhaps it was a good sign that the North and South rulers could come together in such a crisis. City guards approached in time to receive their accounts of the fire, their safety precautions on high alert after the recent castle attacks.

Near the end of her statement, a small tug on Naomi's dress pulled her attention downwards. The boy she had pulled from the top floor stared at her with wide, shy eyes, clutching her scarf to his chest before offering it wordlessly to her. It was stained with ash and soot, but it didn't matter to her as long as it had helped preserve the child's lungs.

Naomi knelt to his level, accepting it with a soft smile. "Thank you."

"Excuse me, but you are Duchess Rosenthorn, are you not?" A dark woman with brown locks approached, the child rushing to cling to the woman's legs.

"I am," Naomi confirmed as she rose. The expression of a tall, tanned man that stood beside the woman instantly crumpled.

"Your Grace," the father began, voice unsteady, "we cannot thank you enough. You've saved something far more precious than our home."

"We had only been gone a few minutes to pick up some groceries," the woman explained half-frantically. "As soon as we saw the smoke, we rushed back as fast as we could."

The father rubbed his wife's arm soothingly, though his eyes were rimmed with tears. "We'll never leave Milas alone again."

Naomi gave them a kind smile, free of judgment. "I'm just glad your family is safe. If you find yourselves needing help, please send a letter to my estate directly. I'll personally ensure your losses are compensated."

Before the family could respond, the city guard that had been recording her statement spoke up. "Lady Rosenthorn, rest assured that will not be necessary. Tudor's council covers such damages."

"That's reassuring to hear," she replied, relieved to hear the affected would be helped.

The family thanked her profusely once more before departing, and Naomi waved a small goodbye to the child who couldn't tear their eyes away from her. She finished the last of her statements before the guard bid Naomi a good night - free to resume their night as they pleased, though regrettably the square would be closed for the time being.

As silent as a whisper, Cassien appeared beside her, his scent immediately provoking a slight warmth to her cheeks. "Tonight has certainly been eventful."

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She turned to him, grinning. "Definitely not how I pictured the evening going."

"Maybe we should get you back to the castle, have your injuries checked out," Cassien said as he turned towards Calypsa Castle's direction.

Naomi touched his shoulder gently, halting his movement. "Actually, I would really like it if… we stayed out, just for a bit longer?"

Cassien's brow furrowed. "But you're covered in scratches."

"I promise I feel okay," Naomi said quickly, tugging the cloak against her body. "I'll go see the physician as soon as we get back. But for now, I'd really just like to spend some time with you."

His expression softened then, a brief conflict in his eyes. Finally, Cassien held out his arm to her. "Just for a while longer."

Naomi looped her arm through his, her heart quickening. "Thank you."

They made their way out of the remnants of the chaos towards one of the calmer pathways, eventually leading to a sturdy wooden bridge that overlooked a water canal. The soft lights of nearby buildings were bright enough to emit a cozy ambiance, and the silence between them was comforting.

Naomi let out a quiet breath as they stopped to rest against the railing. For some time, neither spoke as they simply enjoyed the peace of the isolated area, the hum of the square distant and low. Then, out of nowhere, a bubble of laughter rose from Naomi, her head dipping past the railing. Cassien raised a brow at her, but her laugh was too infectious not to smile as well.

"What's so funny?"

Naomi giggled harder before she forced a deep breath, peering up at him. "It's just my luck that during my first outing ever, not only did I almost get squashed like a bug; I also jumped off the roof of a burning building."

Cassien let out a chuckle of his own. "Correction: you jumped off a burning building while saving a child."

Naomi snorted, covering her mouth with her hand. "Honestly, if my mother was alive to see all of this happening, I really would be locked up for life."

He smiled dryly, turning his body to lean back against his elbows. "She wouldn't have been able to keep you tied down for long."

"You don't think so?" She propped her elbows against the railing, leaning out at the waters.

"I know so," his eyes glinted mischievously. "Have you met yourself? The phrase 'risk assessment' doesn't exist in your vocabulary. Not that I'm trying to encourage you to keep leaping off of buildings."

She turned her head briefly, eyes glittering like a thousand diamonds as their gaze locked.

"I wouldn't be scared to anyway," she said, her voice smooth as velvet, with almost a smoky purr to her words. "because I know you'd be there to catch me."

Cassien forgot how to breathe. There was something so mesmerizing - so irresistible - the faint scent of smoke and citrus as she leaned in ever so slightly, the pink of her lips as they tilted upwards, the outline of her body even beneath the cover of the cloak. He moved in slowly, as if giving her the chance to move away - pleased that she didn't.

His hands found the small of her waist as he pulled her into him firmly. She gasped a soft, startled sound that melted instantly into a dreamy sigh as his lips met hers, eyes fluttering shut. This time, their contact was hungry, wanting - her hands found his hair urgently, threading through his short, dark waves. Their kiss deepened with the heat of their tongues entwining, his arms crushing her against him as if she would disappear at any moment. Naomi rose to her tiptoes, one hand tracing the sharpness of his jaw as her need grew more desperate and consuming.

They had had their fair share of kisses in the past, but never quite so passionate and wanting. This was entirely different - a renewed sense of trust, emotional connection, and history that only fueled their reignited flame. Finally, they pulled away to catch their breaths, though their faces were still only inches apart.

Cassien raised his hand, gently tracing the contours of her cheekbone. "Another unexpected move for the night."

Naomi gave a shy laugh as the moment passed, biting her lip. When she spoke, her words were almost hesitant. "So… are we really doing this? I mean, you and me, again?"

Cassien pulled back slightly so that her frame was in full view, though he didn't drop his hand. "Is that what you want?"

"What I want is irrelevant if it means you don't," she said, eyes mingled with a touch of anxiety.

His hand slid from her face to her hands, fingers interlacing. "I've never not wanted you. But I want to do it right this time. We rushed into things too quickly last time, before we really had a chance for each other."

"So we take it slowly," Naomi murmured, squeezing gently. "As slow as you'd like."

"And no more secrets or hiding what we want to say from each other," Cassien said firmly. "though that should go without saying."

"No more secrets," Naomi echoed, rising to press a soft kiss against his cheek.

They stood together in the hush of the bridge as the gentle current of waters swayed beneath them, side by side in comfortable harmony. After some time, something popped up in Cassien's mind.

"There is something I discovered during the fire," he said, rubbing small circles on her hand. "When I lost track of you in the fire, I wanted to see where you were. Since I was able to see through your eyes in the past, I deliberately focused on your vision - and it was just that: I saw everything as you did in real time."

Naomi's eyes widened. "I didn't even notice any sensation. So do you think…?"

Cassien nodded at her trailing words. "You could probably see through mine at any time too."

She went quiet, her face deep in thought. "That could be a pretty useful tool, if not a little problematic."

"Problematic?"

"Yeah," Naomi responded, though her tone was playful as she stuck out the tip of her tongue at him. "I wouldn't be able to tell if you snuck a peek at me while I'm bathing or something."

"Well, with luck and some time," he responded coolly. "I don't need magic for that kind of view."

Naomi's jaw dropped open, and this time, it was her turn to turn beet red as she swatted his arm. "As... As if! You're such a guy!"

He gave her a half cocky grin that even she had to smile at, embarrassed as she was. His expression turned slightly more serious. "Another thing as well - Aryn and I got ahold of an old artifact just today: the Ghost Ship. That's why I had left for a bit at the festival. Really, it's a key that unlocks a ship, but that's just semantics."

"Ghost Ship?" Naomi asked, though the implied name quickly shifted the pieces into place. "Cassien, please don't tell me it is what I think it is."

"I know you're not a fan of revenge, but this isn't just about revenge anymore. We can't just let Alistair's magic go unchecked - you saw how powerful he was even just minutes after the shard broke."

She glanced out over the canal, voice softer. "So you're planning to use it to go after him."

Cassien nodded. "Aryn and I, along with a handpicked team will sail for Seraveth as soon as the Accord is finished. The ship is undetectable, so we'll be able to sail through without being spotted."

Naomi thrummed her fingers anxiously over the railing, biting the inside of her cheek. Her heart felt unsteady, the pit of her stomach deepening at the thought of Cassien heading straight into the enemy's territory. Strong, gloved hands enveloped hers as he squeezed them reassuringly, pulling her gently so that their eyes met. He took the time to explain the depths of their plans - the day that the two men spent planning an endless list of tactics and scenarios, as well as meeting up with Polovik to secure the artifact.

"If there is a better approach than this, I'm all ears. But Aryn and I don't see any other way to end him without being sitting ducks."

"And what about afterwards? His people are not going to take the murder of their king lying down," Naomi countered, though not unkindly - more as a matter of fact.

Cassien's brows furrowed. "It's not murder, Naomi. Don't forget that he tricked us, attacked us first. Not to mention, the princess is still comatose. It's under rightful grounds to retaliate. He caused all of this."

Naomi let out a heavy sigh, her throat tightening. "I know, I know. I'm not trying to argue with you, I just…. There's a lot at stake. What if, on the off-chance, you don't succeed? Or if we lost Aryn, too?"

"The risk is there regardless of if we retaliate first," Cassien said gently. "If he was willing to orchestrate all of this to acquire his power, we can't afford to sit around for his next move."

Cassien squeezed her hands once more, voice low but certain. "I don't want to drag you into this. But I also can't leave you behind, now that we're linked. Even if we were to wait for him to come to us, we can't leave each other."

"Neither of us is leaving the other," Naomi shook her head stubbornly.

His jaw tightened. "I know this isn't what you want to hear after what we just said tonight, but you'll always have an 'out' from me. Don't let this - me - hold you back from whatever it is you need to do to live. Your safety comes first. Always."

A spark of anger rose in her - not at his offer, but the callousness of his regard for his own life. "Take your 'out' and shove it. Like I said, neither of us are going anywhere, that's not how this is going to work."

A faint smile tugged at his lips. "Then…?"

Determination, stubbornness, and just a little bit of fear - fear that their renewed spark may not get the lifetime that it deserved - radiated from every inch of her. "I'm going with you."

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