Thanks for the reviews! Got bored so decided to write another chapter lol. KZ yay :P

Zachary woke suddenly.

He looked around warily. Nothing seemed to have woken him, nothing was out of place. He waited a few more tense seconds, warily watching the almost-darkness, penetrated only by the small fire in the hearth, before relaxing back into his four-poster bed.

He used to only be able to sleep on his front, but that night with Kari he had slept on his back, her head resting on his chest. Now he could only sleep in that position.

He lay there, watching the flickering flames in a daze, recalling the night they had spent together.

He remembered the passion that had been shown, that both had somehow hidden from each other before then. He felt her lips all over his body, and he knew now what her skin tasted like.

He growled in frustration.

To be in love with a woman whom you are unable to marry, but know what it could be like if you were... It was unbearable.

He knew he needed this woman in his life. Her fire, passion, kindness, bravery and love. He needed her, and she him. She could offer this country so much if only she were allowed to.

But a commoner could never be Queen.

A patch of shadow moved. He froze. Friend or foe? Assassin or saviour?

A man appeared out of the darkness. He wore the blue uniform of the regular militia, but Zachary could make out a clear black tree tattoo on the man's hand. Second Empire.

The man came towards the bed, lifting a dagger as he came. When he stood by Zachary's side, the dagger rose above the man's head, ready to strike down and kill the king.

Then the man's eyes widened, and he looked down. A sword point stuck out the man's gut, and after it was taken out of his back, the man collapsed to the floor.

Zachary saw a quick glimpse of a figure in a white dress behind the man before closing his eyes and pretending to be asleep.

A light step brought the figure to his bed side. He thought he might know who it was, and when they begun smoothing out some of his amber hair, he knew for certain.

Karigan.

She sighed quietly, and made to leave, but Zachary reached out and grabbed her wrist. She gasped, but made no move to attempt to get away.

"Zachary? You're awake?"

Without opening his eyes, he pulled on her arm, forcing her to collapse across him.

"Zachary?" she whispered, and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling her under the covers. She was warm against him. He grinned, and unfortunately she noticed.

"Zachary Hillander, you let me go right now or I swear..."

He stopped her by pressing his lips to hers. For some reason, she seemed unable to resist, and twined her own arms around his neck. He rolled her underneath him, and her body lay between his knees as he rested his weight on his elbows.

When they parted for breath, she whispered, "we shouldn't be doing this."

Zachary completely ignored her, and begun kissing down her neck. She continued talking, while angling her head slightly.

"You are King, and I am just a commoner..."

His lips sucked at the joint of neck and shoulder, and she emitted a breathy gasp before continuing.

"This cannot go anywhere, I can never be Queen..."

His tongue wandered along her collarbone, and he nudged the strap of her nightdress aside with the corner of his jaw.

"We should stop this..."

Zachary licked from her bare shoulder, up Karigan's neck. Her wide eyes caused him to grin, and he dragged the shoulder strap down her arm more, kissing the exposed skin as he found it. Every part of this wonderful woman should be adored as she deserved.

She watched as he did so, no more objections, and her eyes fluttered shut.

When his lips finally found hers once more, her fingers dug into his shoulders, and she rolled so that she was on top.

She sat on him, straddling his hips, and growled.

Zachary was so suprised that he lay there immobile, just watching, as she stretched out like a cat on top of him, her fingers walking his muscled chest.

She slowly undid the buttons of his shirt, and looked back up at him, unsure.

And in that look, he knew for certain that his heart could never belong to another.

He was completely, utterly and hopelessly in love with Karigan G'ladheon.

Hope you like it. Just a quick thing I wrote instead of working haha :)