I waited in the hot tub for Zai to return.
Thankfully, it only took him twenty minutes. He hung our new outfits on the hooks in the corner of the room, then began undressing before joining me inside the barrier.
I felt flushed... for more reasons than just the heat, and did my best not to gawk at him, trying to keep my head straight.
"Snowe... I'm not upset with you," Zai began softly. "I'm annoyed with the situation. I wish you'd given me some warning, but... I'm more pissed off with him than you..."
He sat beside me and wrapped his arm around my shoulders.
"I should've mentioned Smoke sooner," I admitted.
Zai released a soft exhale.
"I know why you didn't... The other three women I was with? I never mentioned them to you either. Even if they don't mean anything now, I knew it would make you uncomfortable thinking about me with someone else."
A wave of relief hit me until he added,
"But you knew he was the one who invited you here, and still decided not to mention it."
The guilt hit me hard.
"I didn't think he saw me that seriously!" I protested. "We only went out for three days and kissed a couple of times… he never called me his girlfriend. He had a reputation for being promiscuous, so it was hard for me to believe he was serious about me."
Zai sighed.
"He tortured a man for ten years for touching you, and you still thought he wasn't serious? ... So unserious that he's not worth mentioning?"
I hung my head.
"I... admit I have issues believing I matter to people. I'm sure you've experienced my lack of confidence too… I'm sorry,"
"Well... he must've wanted to see you again before moving on with his fiancée. That's why he went through the trouble of inviting you here. I think he cared a lot more than you realized," Zai shrugged. "Not that it matters."
"You're right... Anyway, I'm glad you're not mad at me," I muttered, relieved.
"I'm still annoyed with you... You immediately dismissed what I said as if you thought I was stupid," he replied while meeting my eyes.
My breath caught, and I said,
"When did I do that?"
My question made Zai chuckle bitterly.
"When I pointed out how he couldn't possibly just have pure intentions toward you. Your first instinct was to defend his honor... like you think I don't understand other men or something," he remarked coldly.
"... B-but he's an Infaniyan... I mean, I don't think he... just had a physical interest in me," I mumbled.
He sighed before replying,
"He and his friends introduced you to drugs and alcohol... they were also your only friends. Why would they want to get high with a sweet girl like you, if they only had pure intentions?"
I pondered over his words as he continued.
"What were the other people doing at these parties? Think about that..."
When I did that, my heart shuddered.
Every other girl at the gatherings was hooking up with or at least grinding against their partners.
"They were trying to get you used to that environment... and make you more complicit. Anyone with eyes could see you were lonely, beautiful, and likely willing to do whatever it took to please them. If you hadn't slipped into another timeline, they probably would have turned you into a plaything," he remarked.
I gasped loudly and shouted,
"They weren't like that! Ibij and Smoke were good guys!"
He stared at me silently before saying,
"Because they were Infaniyans? ... Like Qon?"
It felt like time stood still...
He's right, my attacker was an Infaniyan too, and even if Smoke wasn't evil...
He was unintentionally conditioning me to be obedient to him.
I... didn't want to think my own people were capable of such things, maybe I still have some deep-rooted prejudices against Afarions...
Zai wandered around the room while I was spiralling mentally.
"This is a nice hot tub. How often do they clean it?" he said, seemingly out of the blue.
"Oh... there's a rune on the wall here that instantly purifies the water," I said, pointing to the symbol. I was happy he changed the subject.
"Does it get rid of pubes too?" he asked playfully, and I giggled.
"Yeah, as soon as they float over it. As long as the hair or dirt isn't attached to us, it gets cleansed and teleported away," I answered.
Zai hummed in approval.
"Memorized. Alright... so let's move on, I think we understood each other's point of view at this point and I don't want to argue, while we're on vacation," Zai murmured.
"I agree!" I replied wholeheartedly.
"How was the dinner, for you?" he asked, this time pressing light kisses down my collarbone.
"It... w-was... kind of boring, right?" I answered shakily.
He grinned and looked up at me.
"Well, yeah. Would've been happier going out to a fancy restaurant... with just me and you."
I fanned my face.
"The food was okay though… even if the flavors were kind of off," Zai added.
I beamed a little.
"That's because the soil on Infaniya is different than Earth's. Our veggies have distinct flavors, and so do our spices. The only consistent thing is the salt," I informed excitedly.
"Our veggies?" he teased. "I thought you were a certified Afarion now..." he remarked.
Am I?
Zai stepped closer to me, then he gently bit my lower lip before kissing me deeply.
"We have an early day tomorrow... let's stop wasting time," he whispered.
I gazed into his eyes and noticed his face was red too.
I had always thought Zai was calm and collected during these moments, but maybe the things he said made his heart flutter, just like they did mine.
Our lips came together again, and Zai impatiently removed my clothes. I could feel his fingertips shaking.
"Sit on the edge of the hot tub and wait for me," he whispered.
His request flustered me further, but I did as told. I listened as he undressed behind me. Moments later, he got into the water and knelt in front of me.
"Don't move," he demanded, while parting my legs and lightly kissing my inner thigh.
I swallowed hard.
His request was impossible to follow!
After I grew weary of the heat and could no longer sit upright because of what we'd done, Zai lifted me, dried me off.
Then he laid me down before drying himself.
I was shivering in bed and watching his back.
Not much after, he strolled to the bed and got on top of me to continue where we left off...
We stopped a short while before the wedding began.
I frantically got dressed and made sure my hair was pinned up.
Thanks to Zai, I barely have any time!
I felt embarrassed looking in the mirror; my eye color shifted to a glowing bright red.
I'd be broadcasting my feelings for him to all the guests if they saw me like this!
Maybe I should wear shades....
We arrived together, just in time.
The wedding was held in front of the palace. There were no seats, so the guests just stood around, chatting before the ceremony began.
"I need to talk to your old boyfriend," Zai said in a teasing tone.
I pouted, suspecting he was playing with me, but I realized he was serious when he strolled off toward Smoke.
I couldn't read their lips, and with all the conversations going on around me, I couldn't overhear theirs.
When Zai returned, I asked,
"What did you talk about?"
"Oh… I asked him where your old teacher lives. I plan to visit him after the wedding," he answered with a mildly sadistic grin.
"Also, I challenged him to a sparring match tomorrow. There are rules here I have to follow, so I'll save punching him in the face for then," he added nonchalantly.
I gasped.
Zai is going to fight Smoke... wait, and is he planning to fight Qon too?!
If even a bit of tension with Smoke got him fired up, I can't imagine he'll let Qon off easy.
The ceremony began before I could respond.
I didn't know how to protest.
A part of me was... grateful. That someone wanted to fight Qon for me.
I could be jumping to conclusions, though... no, Zai will definitely want to hit Qon at least once.
Still... I wasn't sure how I felt about the match with Smoke...
We just made up, so I have enough sense not to speak against it.
The wedding went smoothly.
The bride looked stunning... it was hard to believe she'd once been human.
She and Serco exchanged rings, then drinks, and the crowd cheered as they shared a kiss.
"The new King and Queen of the Southern Continent! Serco Shion and Akina Shion!" the Priestess announced.
Teal flowers rained from the sky over the ceremony as everyone cheered.
Once everything concluded, I greeted a few guests who asked how I knew the prince.
I kept my answers vague, saying I was a family friend.
It would be better if no one recognized me.
Whenever Zai held my hand or touched me unexpectedly, my eyes would flare, and I'd hear whispers from the crowd:
"She has chameleon eyes! How rare!"
"And her eyes are red! So passionate! They must be newlyweds too. How cute!"
We ate at the reception but were one of the first groups to leave.
"We can't relax just yet... We don't have much time left on Infaniya, so let's take a quick trip," he murmured.
Zai then picked me up and carried me at lightning speed straight to a house I could only assume Qon was staying in.
The building was lovely, and that was deeply irritating.
My stomach churned.
I hate that he was released and living freely...
But I knew it was mostly pettiness.
If I had truly experienced the full weight of the years that passed, maybe I wouldn't feel so slighted.
Zai knocked on the door, and Qon answered.
He still had visible scars, and his fingernails were only starting to reform, but he looked healthier than the last time I saw him.
That was also unpleasant...
"Who are you?" he asked as he squinted at Zai, then glanced at me.
"Oh," he muttered knowingly.
"Can we come in?" Zai inquired with a gentle smile.
Qon looked hesitant.
"Don't worry… I just want to talk." Zai assured.
His tone was deceptively pleasant... but I personally knew him too well.
Still, Qon let us in. We sat at his kitchen table.
"So what? You want closure or something?" he asked flatly, looking at me.
"I admit it... I had a crush on you, and I took it too far.
Sorry."
The way he said it was way too casual.
He literally tried to force me down, isolate me from everyone else, and turn me into his personal plaything.
A simple sorry isn't enough; he doesn't even seem truly remorseful either.
Apparently, Zai agreed because in less than a blink, Qon was slammed to the floor, his chair shattered beneath him, and Zai had an emerald knife pressed to his throat.
Qon hit the ground hard, wind knocked from his lungs.
Zai's weapon was buzzing faintly, with waves of electricity circling it.
Zai stood, his eyes glowing faintly silver, as he stared down at Qon coldly.
"Try again," he said, voice low. "This time... show respect when you talk to my wife."
Qon was still stunned for a moment, but then his pride overtook him, and he chuckled, blood visible in his teeth.
"You think I'm scared of a knife?" he remarked.
The lights dimmed.
Everything metal in the kitchen trembled, then rose. All the forks, pans, cabinet handles, and knives were transformed into sharp spears aimed at Zai.
As they launched, Zai didn't flinch.
An invisible field pulsed out from his body, and every weapon that slammed against it bounced off like it'd hit a solid wall.
The air warped around him, and I could feel hair on my skin standing.
Qon was frozen again. He didn't know how to counter. It was clear the gap between him and Zai was too wide... so the only expression on his face now was regret.
"Oh? Do you hate being the one feeling defenseless?" Zai sneered. "You're afraid... because someone stronger... is now in the perfect position to hurt you."
Zai met Qon's eyes... a second later, gravity itself betrayed Qon.
He collapsed to his knees, crushed as if by an invisible weight.
Zai slowly approached him, dragging the emerald blade across the floor behind him. It sliced through the carpet and wood floor as if it were made of marshmallow.
"I'm sorry! I mean it!" he whimpered, bowing his head at Zai's feet.
"B-but she came to me and started relying on me. You gotta understand. Any man would have taken that the wrong way," he added defensively.
Zai nodded as if understanding...
"I see..." he muttered before plunging the blade into Qon's shoulder and twisting it.
Qon screamed so loud that it gave me chills. I withdrew a few steps.
Zai withdrew the blade, then stabbed the same spot once more.
Qon cried, and I winced, staring from the sidelines.
I watched Qon's wound close slowly, leaving a spiraled, ugly scar.
Qon raised his hand to retaliate, but none of the metal in the room moved.
Zai gazed at him, struggling and smirked.
"It's magnetized," Zai began. "Everything within my sight is completely under my control... You can't beat me. I have a brother who can control metal; we used to spar all the time. I know all his tricks, and he is much stronger than you," Zai declared.
"Bastard," he muttered, clutching at his shoulder and feeling the disfigured skin.
Zai gasped dramatically, pretending to be offended.
"I really did just want to talk... until you pissed me off," Zai said, still keeping Qon pressed to the floor with an oppressive gravitational force.
Qon glared at him but bit his tongue.
The metal in the room spun in a furious cyclone behind Zai.
Lightning danced along the ceiling.
"I'll make you an offer... You can fight me tomorrow… or you can fight Snowe, and I'll just referee," Zai said sweetly.
The pressure in the room spiked. Electricity coiled around the floating fixtures like snakes. The very structure of the house groaned.
Qon's face twisted; he knew he was outmatched.
I knew Zai would hit him, but I never imagined he'd make me fight Qon myself.
I can't tell if I'm scared or excited.
So his decision came quickly.
"Snowe... I'll fight Snowe. Will that really satisfy you?" Qon mumbled shakily.
I grinned widely, then said,
"Yes. I'm satisfied... In fact, let's go to the arena, now, not tomorrow!"
My enthusiasm seemed to shock Qon.
Zai didn't look surprised one bit.
I was the first out the door.
As we left, I faintly heard Zai whisper,
"If you go too far… or disrespect her even once… I will end the fight by killing you in the most painful way imaginable... just so you know," his tone was cheerful, but the words made Qon tremble.