Led By Fiery Passion (currently being revised)

Part 19

As with most mornings, Aenyra broke her fast in her chambers with Sara by her side, the two sharing warm bread, fresh fruit, and quiet conversation. Afterward would usually come training in the courtyard, where Cregan would be waiting—sword in hand and mischief in his eyes.

But this morning brought a change.

Cregan arrived bearing news from Castle Black: the Night's Watch was in need of more men. Without hesitation, he answered the call and extended the invitation to Aenyra to ride north with him—not because she was needed, but because he knew she would want to see it for herself.

It had been long since she rode horseback.

Days of harsh travel followed, with biting winds and endless snow as their constant companions. Yet Aenyra felt a quiet thrill stir in her chest—she was curious to see what the wall would look like, how tall it would be.

The North stretched on in wild, unrelenting beauty, and still, Cregan led her forward.

When they finally reached their destination, The Wall rose before them—a towering monolith of ice and stone that seemed to scrape the sky itself.

Aenyra's breath caught in her throat.

A sense of awe washed over her as she took in the sheer enormity of it. It was one thing to hear tales, to read of the ancient barrier built to keep the darkness at bay—but to stand before it, to feel the cold breath of the wind curling down from its frozen crest, was something else entirely.

It wasn't just a wall. It was a warning. A promise. A legacy carved in ice.

Taking the lift to the top of the towering ice barrier, Cregan led Aenyra to the edge, revealing the vast wilderness that stretched endlessly beyond the Wall — a frozen, untamed frontier where danger and mystery lurked.

Knowing the history and purpose of the Wall was one thing, but witnessing it firsthand was something else entirely. The fierce wind whipped around her, biting through her clothes and sending shivers racing down her spine.

Noticing her trembling and the way her teeth chattered, Cregan gently wrapped his arms around her from behind, offering warmth and comfort as they both gazed out into the distant, wild horizon.

Her heart  skipped a beat, her body immediately felt warm from his touch.

"Cregan..." Aenyra whispered, her heart now pounding in her chest.

Gently, he turned her body in his arms, guiding her face to rest against his chest. She could feel the steady beat of his heart beneath her cheek — a rhythm that both calmed and stirred something deep within her.

"Aenyra," Cregan murmured, his voice low and husky as he breathed her name into her ear.

Leaning down slowly, he pressed a soft kiss to her cheek, then traced his bottom lip along the curve of her jaw. A sharp gasp escaped her lips, caught between surprise and anticipation.

Their embrace tightened instinctively, and without hesitation, Cregan claimed her lips with his own — tender, yet full of a quiet urgency that left them both breathless.

"Mmm," she breathed into his mouth as their once-innocent kiss deepened, igniting into something far more intense. Their tongues met—tentative at first, swirling together in cautious exploration before giving way to something hungrier, more desperate. Cregan pressed her gently back against the cold wall of ice, the contrast between its chill and the heat surging between them drawing a soft gasp from her lips. A low, guttural groan rumbled from his chest, reverberating against her as he lost himself in the moment.