Nyx's lips tingled even after the kiss ended, her heart fluttering in a way she had never experienced before. She sat there for a moment, breathless, eyes lingering on Lucas as if she was still trying to process what had just happened. Her cheeks burned with a warmth that no amount of ale could create, and before she realized it, she had lowered her gaze, her hands brushing against her mug as if to steady herself.
It was her first kiss. For all her life, surrounded by guards, tutors, and the heavy mantle of royalty, such things were distant dreams, things meant for girls who were free to love as they pleased, not for a princess bound by duty and politics. But Lucas was different. There was something about him that tore down those walls and made her forget who she was supposed to be. She didn't regret it for even a heartbeat.
