The Crown's Fire - Chapter 153

Chapter 153: Picnic
Ezme was humming as she prepared the boxes for Atlas’s early dinner. It was already summer, but the weather was pleasant, with the sun’s rays gentle enough for a picnic. She sighed and mumbled with a pout, “It would be nice if I could mark him so we can have a couple bond. Then I could communicate through the bond and ask him where he is right now.”

Grabbing her things, Ezme transformed into her mist form and traveled directly to Atlas’s office. As she expected, he wasn’t there. His men informed her that he had gone to Mount Sorel to meet with the Sorel Guild’s masters.

Ezme sighed again as she waited for Atlas’s return. “This won’t do. Maybe I should bind a raven with me so I can have it on him, but I’m not sure if he will like it,” she mumbled.

After a moment’s thought, Ezme transformed again and went to a nearby forest to find a raven she could bind. She found one and called for it to perch on her arm.

“From now on, I’ll call you Summer, since I bound you in this summer,” Ezme said as she completed the spell, binding the female raven to her.

[Thank you, Master. I’ll be at your service!] the raven responded gleefully.

Ezme returned to Ebodia’s palace walls with Summer, and her heart nearly jumped out of her chest when she saw Atlas inspecting the baskets and boxes she had brought into his office.

He chuckled and teased, “I didn’t know you got startled so easily.” Then he frowned, noticing the raven perched on her shoulder.

“This is Summer,” Ezme introduced with an awkward smile. “I bonded it with me, and I’m planning to bond it with you as well.”

“You want a tail on me?” Atlas asked, frowning. Ezme gulped and explained, “No, it’s not like that. It’s just that we don’t have a coupling bond since I can’t mark you. I can’t talk to you through mindlink, so I thought Summer here would be of help. This way, I can easily know where you are.”

Seeing Atlas’s eyes narrow, Ezme quickly added, “Also, if you have something important to tell me, you can just call Summer through your mind, and it will come to you as fast as it can. You can tell it what you want to say to me.”

“Fine, bind it to me then,” Atlas replied with a shrug.

Blinking, Ezme asked, “Are you sure?”

Atlas nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. “Yes, Ezme. If it makes things easier for you, then let’s do it.”

Ezme’s face lit up with a smile. She carefully extended her hand to touch Atlas’s arm, performing the binding spell. Summer cawed softly as the connection was made.

“There,” Ezme said, stepping back. “Now you can always reach me, no matter where you are.”

Atlas looked at the raven perched on his shoulder and then back at Ezme. “Thank you, Ezme. This will be useful and it’s better this way. I don’t want you worrying too much about me. And it’s not like I’m hiding anything from you,” Atlas answered nonchalantly as he slumped in his chair and rested his head.

Ezme felt a wave of relief wash over her. She had found a way to stay connected to Atlas, and that made her heart swell with happiness. But then Atlas yawned so she murmured, “You look exhausted.”

She let Summer fly outside and then sat beside Atlas. “Do you still have to go out, or will you finish here?” she asked.

Atlas opened his eyes and looked at her. “Where do you want to eat? You brought a lot and even a blanket. Do you want to have a picnic outside?” he asked.

“Oh right, I thought it would be nice to have a picnic since the weather is good. But if you’re too busy, we can just eat here…” she replied. They had plenty of time for picnics and other activities.

“It’s fine. I need some fresh air anyway,” Atlas commented. “Let’s go?” he added, grabbing her hand.

“But didn’t you just get back from a long journey?” Ezme asked worriedly.

“I used Lurio’s teleportation spell, my dear wife,” he said with a grin.

“Then why do you look so exhausted?” Ezme pondered.

“I’m not sure. Maybe I just need sleep. I’ve been sleep-deprived lately, haven’t I?” he said with a teasing smile. Ezme’s face reddened. It was true; they had been intimate almost every night, leaving Atlas with little rest since he would often wake up and initiate things even at midnight and dawn.

“And whose fault is that?” she countered with a raised eyebrow. It wasn’t her fault; he was the one who always made the first move instead of sleeping.

“Is it my fault that you’re irresistible?” Atlas questioned back, making Ezme’s face redden even more.

Ezme blinked at him in disbelief, her face flushing deeply. She was speechless, opening and closing her mouth like a fish, but no words came out.

“I’m trying to tone it down, but my body isn’t listening to me at all,” Atlas grumbled next followed by a sigh. Before Ezme could respond, he pulled her onto his lap and captured her lips in a searing kiss.

“Aren’t you hungry?” Ezme questioned between his kisses.

“I am, but not for food…” Atlas muttered feverishly against her skin. Ezme pulled away to look at him, and the burning desire in his eyes was unmistakable.

He smiled meekly and said, “Alright, I’ll behave. Let’s go to the picnic spot while the sun is still up. We can continue this later.”

“Wait, did you choose a secluded place?” Atlas asked bluntly, and Ezme could already tell what was on his mind.

“I think I chose a public place,” she teased.

“No, that won’t do. I want some privacy,” Atlas replied with a serious face.

She chuckled and said, “You and your dirty thoughts. Fine, I chose a private location, so no one will disturb us.”

“That’s more like it. Come on, let’s leave this instant,” Atlas commented, following it with a peck on her lips.