Simone was brought a variety of different clothes to wear, most of which ended up being gaudy, flashy, and not to her taste. Evidently Jerome had been overly excited at the prospect of getting Simone back, and had commissioned quite a few lavish outfits for her. None of them were even remotely a fit for her personality.

In the end, though, she managed to find something to her taste, and Lewis proposed a gift of sorts, something that brought a smile to her face. Much to Lewis’ surprise, the knights were more than okay with the sudden change of leadership. Prince Jerome was likely not a very popular person. So when he offered up the idea to them as well, it was well received.

“We’re going to have a fire. A large fire…in the courtyard. Simone, you can burn all of those outfits,” he said to her in private. “I’ve invited the castle knights as well in order to burn Jerome’s flags…and whatever else they want. Of course, the free alcohol and night off probably helped spur their support as well…”

For the moment, things were going well. It was getting back to Auclair that he dreaded. He had an idea of who had sold him out, but…getting the proof…

Simone perked up at the idea of burning all the things he got her, “Oh!” She piled all the ugly clothing, the blankets, the pillows, the furniture, and anything else that Jerome had said was ‘hers’. It was a giant bonfire.

Still, she wasn’t satisfied. “Where would he have kept it?” She stormed into Jerome’s room.

“Miss! We’re still going through–”

“Get out of my way,” she pushed the knights gently and went over to a jewelry box of sorts. “Here?” She turned it over and dumped it out. “No.”

She opened all the drawers. “Here? No.”

“Hmm…” She left the room and went into his office. “Here then?” She overturned everything until she found what she was looking for. A black satin box. She carried it carefully back down to the pile. “Light it on fire.”

Once the fire was roaring she took out one of the most beautiful rings she had ever seen, “Jerome, you stupid son of a bitch!” She started to scream every obscenity she could. “You were going to give my ring to that stupid whore and then you–” She took the ring out of the box and chucked it into the fire. “Had the fucking audacity to overthrow my kingdom when it went to hell. You stupid sick son-of-a-bitch!” She was getting her frustrations out.

“What the hell did I even see in you?” She found more of his things and started to throw them in the fire too.

Once she was done she clapped her hands of dust and debris, “I feel better now.”

It was as if, at least for a night, Simone had gone mad. If he didn’t know any better, Lewis would have thought she had lost her mind, but…he knew what she had gone through and what she had lost. For her, this was letting go. At least, in a sense. It was more a sadistic catharsis than anything, but it was at least a step in the right direction for her.

Instead of hindering her, Lewis did everything he could to help. Which, for Simone, meant staying out of her way as she tore everything apart to look for the small box. Once it was found, and its contents were burned, the knights started to throw their objects in. Contracts, papers, flags…all of it was kindling as the flames grew brighter and hotter into the night.

When Simone finished with her task, though, she noticed that Lewis had vanished. Curious, she looked around the castle. When she finally found him, he was on the second floor of the outer courtyard, sitting and watching the flames from afar. She sat down next to him, and smiled.

“So..you’re finished, then?” Lewis asked. “Out of your system?”

“I thought I was over it years ago,” she gave a smile. “All he did was open the wounds again.”

There was a sigh as she watched the flames and Simone closed her eyes as she thought about it, “I was fourteen when he called off the engagement. Bigger, better things is what he said. I don’t know whatever made him so confident but I do remember telling him that… I hoped it would never work out and not to come crawling back to me when it didn’t. I don’t even know if he ever did like me but… I did love him in a way. We had been engaged since we were children. Maybe I was too boring for him.”

She shook her head and looked over at Lewis, “It was a long time ago now. However, when a woman has their engagement called off… It made others weary of me. So no one else approached, I suppose it was one of the reasons to offer myself to you. Maybe you would have taken me where others wouldn’t. Even if you didn’t love me or touch me… At least you accepted me. I’ve never dealt with rejection well.”

A princess who wants for nothing.

“So, how long will we be in Croix?”

Lewis listened as the flames flickered before his eyes. In a way, it wasn’t too different from what he had come to expect from royalty himself.

“You’re anything but boring,” he muttered under his breath. Still, he understood what she was saying, and how it was really just acceptance that she wanted. He wondered if it was merely her settling for him, but he pushed that thought aside. After all, in a way, he was settling for her as well.

“When I was younger…I was a slave to the Lord of Kaliyota. He saw…something in me, and raised me to be a weapon. His sword to brandish whenever he felt threatened. I made him a King…and then, one day, I stole it away.” He closed his eyes. “I never imagined being with anyone. All I want is to liberate those who deserve freedom. So…in a way…I feel like I would have taken you, just to give you the freedom to do what you wanted.”

He smiled. “We’ll stay here until the entourage from Auclair arrives, and then we can head back. Why…are you homesick?” Lewis elbowed Simone. “We just need to make sure that things are okay here, and then we can go back.”

Her head leaned towards him when she heard him mutter. There was a hint of a smile across her face. The insight to who Lewis was made her feel happy. This was the first time he had told her more about himself.

She elbowed him back and laughed, “Nah, I feel alright now that you’re here.” The words left her lips and she blushed looking away from him. “You make me feel safe,” it was easy to tell she had to quickly come up with something.

“I can help get things in order here so we can go back promptly. God knows you probably miss Saoirse. She has hips to grab,” she teased.

"Ugh, please don't remind me of her. It's been so nice without her around. Like a weight has been lifted…"

Simone shot him a look and tried to hold in a laugh. “So she was always on top then?”

She could see the ghost of a smile from him as he replied, “Shut up…”

“Make me,” Simone chuckled as she grabbed a nearby seat pillow and smacked him with it.

“Oh but you would like that too much,” Lewis replied. “You seemed to enjoy being made to do a lot of things,” he said, thinking back to the other night. He picked up another pillow and smacked her with it, smirking. That prompted another hit from Simone, and the two started to laugh.

It was about this time that Xeik arrived. He was merely a messenger, a precursor to the arrival of the whole group. It was his job to make sure that things were ready. And yet…

“Here I am with an important message, thinking that things could be dire here,” Xeik stated with a dull tone. “Yet here you two are, fighting like teenage girls.” There was a half smile on his face, indicating he was at least amused with the situation. “Just be careful, we don’t want to-”

Simone took advantage of a distracted Lewis, and smacked him hard with the pillow. Out of instinct, the King retaliated back, throwing his pillow at Simone nearly full force, knocking her onto her butt.

“Hurt…Simone…”

Simone flopped herself on the ground with her legs bent as she looked back at Xeik, “I think I’m okay. A bit dizzy but… Lewis owes me now. Punishment of my choice~”

Vela peeked her head in, “Why is Simone’s nose bleeding?”

“Because Lewis hit her with a pillow…” Xeik sighed as he got her a handkerchief to clean her nose with.

“…Why a pillow?” Vela looked between them. “Were you guys having a pillow fight?”

“Something like that…” Simone was blushing and then she saw Drake. “So… Drake…”

He peeked his head in, “Yes princess?”

“If Lewis pisses me off again… and I want to lock myself up in a tower… How much would it cost me for you to come guard it?” Simone said it straight-faced as she could.

“I feel like I shouldn’t answer this…” Drake looked over at Lewis.

“Two hundred silver…” Vela was rubbing her hands together. The group looked at her in shock, “What? I can get him to do anything…”

Simone started to laugh again as Lewis helped her up and checked her over, “I’m alright, I promise. You just threw it a bit too hard. Probably because you miss playing hard to get with Saoirse,” Simone smacked him with a pillow again before darting away from Lewis.

Lewis rolled his eyes, “What did I tell you…I don’t want to think about her right now. Please just let me have my freedom, however temporary it may be…”

The night passed with laughter from them all, and by the morning, arrangements had been made and settled. Things were stable enough that Lewis, Simone, and the rest of the group could head back without having to worry. Since the whole bonfire was such a hit, Lewis was met with a cheering crowd as they departed.

–

Their travel back to Auclair went well, with nothing notable occurring on the trail. It was relaxing, for a change, not to have to worry about anything. Lewis was even tempted to take a detour for a few days and just enjoy the wilderness, but decided against it, should Auclair send someone looking for them in a panic.

When they arrived, they were met with cheers of their return. Saoirse was waiting, with the harem in tow, a smile across her face. It wavered for a moment when she saw Simone riding next to Lewis, but she maintained it well, though the strain was a little obvious after a time.

“Welcome home, my lord!” she said through her fake smile. “I see it went well…” There was a half glance in Simone’s direction. “I am…surprised to see Lady Simone. Was she not to be wed to Lord Jerome?”

“There was a change of plan…” Lewis waved his hand. “I won’t bore you with the details, but Croix is now a part of our kingdom.”

Saoirse clapped her hands together. It seemed she was thinking hard about something. “Then…we must celebrate. I had a party planned in celebration of Lady Simone’s betrothal to Lord Jerome, but…we can…we can celebrate the annexation of Croix instead!” She laughed nervously. “Yes…I had the help set it all up. It would be a shame to let it go to waste…”

Simone arched an eyebrow and got a look on her face, “Lewis, my king, I think my hands are still hurt from you holding them so tightly when we reunited~” She gave him a pout him and Lewis got closed before pulling her over on his horse. She snuggled into him and stared at Saoirse. “I think a party is a great idea.”

There were whispers in the crowd that Lewis had conquered Croix to get Simone back. Which to be fair was exactly what happened. Some said that it was because the conqueror didn’t realize how much he missed Simone, which to be fair, wasn’t what happened but Simone didn’t correct it when she heard it.

Once they had stopped at the castle Simone got off with Lewis’s help. “Saoirse.” Her eyes went to Saoirse now that it was just them, the knights, Lewis, and their friends. Vela was watching Simone carefully. “This is what I think of my betrothal to Jerome.” She ripped her dress off and threw it in front of Saoirse. “He makes me vomit. Or made me vomit, Lewis got a dragon and single-handedly saved me. To which we had a passionate embrace and kissed. I do wonder how Jerome came about thinking the letter he had was legitimate.” She didn’t say anything more as she stood there with a white corset and white slip. Lewis was quick to put his cloak on her.

“What?” She said to the look on his face. “I’m going to get dressed in clothes Lewis picked out.” She was taken by her maids back up to her room where she happily modeled several dresses that the maids picked out until they found one for the party.

"…I'll have whatever Simone eats for breakfast please because that girl has attitude." Vela finally spoke up. The knights were all red in their faces and even Xeik was blushing. For Simone, it was a moment of liberation.