Chapter Four : An Explanation

After our first night together Aurelius adopted me as his personal attendant. We were sparsely apart, I accompanied him to his lessons, his training, his bedroom. The only place he forbade me to follow him was the forest.

A couple times each month he would disappear into the forest and only return after sunrise. It irritated him when I asked about his whereabouts so I stop doing so.

Unexpectedly enough after two months of this Aurelius asked to accompany him into the forest. Of course I accepted elated but Aurelius wore an expression of seriousness on his face, which caused me to hold back my excitement.

He guided me to the familiar pond which we had shared our first night, except there was no longer a stone at the centre. Aurelius sat at the bank of the pond his toes nervously fiddling with the water and told him everything.

He explained how upon his birth he was blessed by the Spirit Queen Nephilin and how his red hair and green eyes were a sign of that. When he was 10 a spirit guided him to this pond, which is one of Nephilin's natural temples and he met Nephilin for the first time. She granted him the ability to see and talk to spirits like her and told him a prophecy about himself. He would become the greatest Emperor the land has ever seen. He would have anything he desires and more but only if he found his 3 destined companions and preformed a spirit- binding ritual. She told him that she would help him find his 3 destined companions only if he swore an oath to vanquish her two greatest enemies when the time came.

He took my hand into his and said "you, are one of my destined companions Marcus". Before I could even react he pushed me down and sprung a kiss on my lips and before I knew it we were sprawled naked on the ground.

Aurelius POV:

I looked at the sleeping Marcus in my arms. I was happy Nephilin decided Marcus was a fitting companion for me.

Although he was older than me his frame was delicate and whimsical. He was also a beauty with long straight blonde lashes that seemed to flutter when he blinks as well as a cute button upturned nose that I adored. 'And ah' I chuckled to myself who knew that he would be such a passionate lover just thinking about the faces and sounds he makes me want to ravish him 100 times over again.

I gently pushed him off my body as I sat up, thinking about what it was I just told him. I sighed knowing I could only tell him the half truth as to not scare him away.

In reality Marcus was the 10th boy that he had brought to the pond, but the only one that had returned. Nephilin had deemed all the others unworthy and drowned them while crossing the pond.

Aurelius was really really glad Marcus had not drowned.