I won't fall for the queen who burned my world-Chapter 309: Veilmist Falls

As the last echoes of Kaelith’s laughter faded down the corridor Thalor whisking her off toward the gardens for a day of grandparental spoiling Malvoria found herself nearly trembling with anticipation. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓

A whole day. No obligations. No papers to sign, no feasts to endure, no sticky hands tugging at her cloak or horns. Just Elysia, her laughter, the promise of something new.

She grinned and squeezed Elysia’s hand. "Ready?"

Elysia arched a brow. "You’re more excited than Kaelith on cake day. What are you up to, Mal?"

Malvoria pressed a quick, secretive kiss to her cheek. "You’ll see. But we need to pack. And bring a swimsuit."

Elysia’s eyes lit up. "A swimsuit? Should I be worried?"

Malvoria tried for nonchalance, failing spectacularly. "It’s not required, but... there might be swimming involved."

"Swimming?" Elysia repeated, her voice teasing. "Or is the Demon Queen just plotting to get me half-naked in public again?"

Malvoria put a hand over her heart, feigning scandal. "You wound me. I would never plot such a thing." Then, with a wicked gleam, she added, "It’s a very private place, I promise. You can wear whatever you like. Or nothing at all, really."

Elysia’s mouth curled into a grin that made Malvoria’s knees weak. "Oh, I see how it is."

She disappeared into the wardrobe, rustling through drawers. Malvoria busied herself with the picnic basket.

Two bottles of chilled wine, a loaf of fresh bread, a wedge of nutty cheese, olives, a jar of honey, tiny tarts filled with berries, and two chocolate truffles pilfered from the palace kitchens.

She packed a soft blanket and a slim volume of poetry. In the corner, a battered deck of playing cards—her secret weapon for after-dinner seduction.

She’d barely finished tying the blanket when Elysia emerged, triumphantly holding up the smallest, most outrageously indecent red swimsuit Malvoria had ever seen outside of a fever dream.

Malvoria’s mouth dropped open. "That’s... that’s not regulation swimwear."

Elysia waggled her eyebrows, tossing the swimsuit into her bag. "It’s what you get for giving me creative freedom. Besides, you said it would be private. Unless you plan to invite half the guard, you’ll just have to deal."

Malvoria could not, for a moment, remember any language other than Elysia. She coughed, busying herself with folding the blanket. "Fine. But if you start a forest fire, I’m blaming your outfit."

Elysia’s laughter was warm and wicked. "That’s your job, not mine."

Malvoria’s nerves fluttered, delicious and new. It felt like they were newlyweds again, not queens weighed by kingdom and child.

She checked the list again—wine, food, swimsuits, poetry, teleportation shard.

Her heart hammered with a blend of excitement and giddy fear. What if Elysia didn’t like the place? What if she tripped on a mossy stone and tumbled into the river? What if she was disappointed?

Elysia slid up behind her, wrapping her arms around Malvoria’s waist, resting her chin on Malvoria’s shoulder. "Whatever you’re worrying about, stop. I’m already having the best day of my life."

Malvoria turned in her arms, pressing a slow, grateful kiss to her lips. "I just want it to be perfect."

"It’s us," Elysia said softly, tucking a strand of Malvoria’s hair behind her ear. "It already is."

Reluctantly, they let go, slinging bags over their shoulders and making their way down the corridor toward the teleportation chamber.

The castle was oddly quiet without Kaelith’s chaos. The guards gave a knowing bow, but Malvoria barely noticed—her mind was a swirl of anticipation.

As they entered the circle room, Malvoria took out Saelira’s opalescent shard, feeling the cool weight of magic pulse through her palm.

The room was silent, a circle of silver chalk etched with runes at its center. Malvoria placed the shard in the precise center, reciting the words Saelira had taught her.

"Veilmist Falls," she murmured. "By love and moon and stone, take us there."

Elysia slid her hand into Malvoria’s, squeezing tight as the air shimmered around them, light spinning in a spiral of blue and white. For a heartbeat, they stood weightless, breathless.

"Ready?" Malvoria whispered.

Elysia’s eyes sparkled with excitement—and a little hunger. "With you? Always."

There was a sound like wind through crystal, a shift in pressure, a heady, dizzying sensation—and then the castle was gone.

They landed on a patch of soft moss, dizzy but upright, the world bursting into color and light.

The first thing Malvoria noticed was the air—sharp, clean, alive with a scent of wildflowers and cold water.

They stood at the lip of a lush green valley, fringed with wild roses and soft ferns. Below, the river wound like molten silver, fed by a broad, multi-tiered waterfall that tumbled from heights shrouded in perpetual mist.

Sunlight glinted off every drop, shattering into rainbows across the rocks.

Tiny wildflowers purple, blue, gold nodded in the soft breeze, and the moss underfoot glowed faintly, as if the ground itself remembered moonlight.

There were no sounds but the waterfall’s roar, birdsong, and the distant wind in the treetops.

Elysia gasped, clutching Malvoria’s hand. "Mal... It’s beautiful. I—" She shook her head, eyes wide and shining. "How did you find this place?"

Malvoria felt her own breath catch, heart pounding. "Saelira’s secret. For lovers and ghosts, she said."

Elysia’s eyes glimmered with emotion. "It’s perfect. It’s... it’s ours."

Malvoria set the basket down and drew Elysia into her arms, laughter tumbling from her lips. "Only the best for you."

Elysia pressed a kiss to her jaw. "So, Queen Malvoria. What’s the plan?"

Malvoria grinned, letting the nerves melt away at last. "First, we eat. Then, we swim. And after that... we make up the rules as we go."

Elysia’s answering smile was slow, dangerous, and dazzling. "I like your style."

They spread the blanket beside a tumble of wildflowers, the waterfall casting diamond-splinters of light over everything. Elysia kicked off her shoes, lounging in the grass with the sun on her face, watching Malvoria uncork the wine.

Malvoria couldn’t keep her eyes off Elysia, and Elysia clearly noticed. "You’re staring."

"Can you blame me?" Malvoria said, pouring two glasses and handing one over.

Elysia took a sip, eyes full of teasing. "If you stare at me like that all day, we’ll never get to the swimming part."

Malvoria raised an eyebrow, unwrapping a berry tart. "That’s not a threat. That’s a promise."