“Anyways, I have to give this item to my master, so I should better not get late”.

  “So, do you accept that I love you?” she asked while clenching her fists behind her back.

  M placed his arm over her shoulder with a smile, “Yes, I do”.

  She jumped and hugged him tightly by wrapping her legs around him, “I knew, one day you would accept my love”.

  “Ok, ok, easy there, I’m not being able to breathe,” he said with a laugh.

  She released him gradually by kissing his lower lip, “Can you please stay a little bit more?”.

  “I would have loved to, but as you know, I have to give this item to my master,” he said, “so…”.

  “So can we meet tomorrow?” she asked

  “Yes, we should”

  “Ok, then” she kissed him on his lips again, and then he walked off.

  “Why did you take so long to bring these items?” asked the witch.

  “I met the girl again, who keeps following me everywhere”

  “So, what happened?”

  “She said she loves me”

  “So, what did you say?”

  “I accepted her proposal”

  “Are you out of your mind?” she shouted at him, “I have told you not to get familiar with people and especially girls, didn’t I tell you how dangerous they are. If they are somehow able to get to know about us and what we do, then they will burn this hut with us being inside.”

  “I’m just joking, mother,” he said with a laugh

  “So, you didn’t accept the proposal, right?” she asked

  “No, I did.”

  “Then why are you saying…”

  “I didn’t tell her about you and the work we do,” he said, “I said that I am a slave and I steal items for my master”.

  “And still she offered you the proposal,” she asked

  “Yes, she foolishly did,” he said with a wide smile.

  “You love her?”

  “No, not at all”

  “Are you confused or are you trying to confuse me?” she said, “If you don’t love her, then why did you lie and accept her offer?”.

  “I did because she is very useful,” he said with a cunning smile.

  “In what sense?” asked the witch

  “She is good at sleight of hand, which makes her quite stealthy, and hence she is perfect for stealing things,” he said and took a sip of water from a wooden glass kept on the table.

  “But why would she steal, and what is the guarantee that she will not tell anyone about this?”

  “because of one reason”

  “And what is that?”

  “Because she is foolishly in love with me,” he said with a laugh, “and from my childhood, you have taught me, mother, how love makes a person stupid”.

  “And you proved to me…my son,” she said, then she kissed him on his forehead by holding his face, “that I have taught you well”.

  “This is just a beginning, mother, I’ll make you prouder than you ever can be.”

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  “I know, you will”

  After a few weeks,

  “So, are you ready?” asked the witch

  “Ready for what, mother?” asked Ivaan

  “You have to do the ritual tomorrow instead of me,”

  “I know, mother, you have told me before,” he said, “and believe me, mother, I am ready to do the ritual”.

  “And what about the things we need for the ritual tomorrow?”

  “You know, mother, we have the best thief in the world,” he said with a grin, “and she’s on her way”.

  “Okay, get the required items, I’ll be waiting here”

  “But we have to do the ritual tomorrow, Mother, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, it is, but there’s an ingredient that I have to prepare right now because it takes time.”

  “Ok, mother,” said Ivaan

  “But you don’t have to take much time, get the ingredient, and come fast without any delay,”

  “As you say, Mother,” he said, and he got out of the house and went to market.

  I have told her to wait for me in the market. I hope she will be there on time. How foolish I am, of course, she will be on time, after all, she loves me madly, and we don’t even meet so frequently, so she will be there on time without a doubt.

  He reached into an alley situated in the market while hiding from everyone’s sight. “Risha, are you here?” he asked in a low voice, but he got no response in return.

  “Risha?? Risha??” he said, but then again, he got no response in return, “Ivaan…” Risha whispered in his ear, he startled and turned around in shock.

  Risha was standing in front of him, “missed me?” she asked with a smile.

  “Why did you do that?” he asked, “You could’ve come out when I called you for the first time”.

  “But where is fun in that?” she said while coming closer to him. “Besides, I like you calling my name,” she said while touching his neck. She pulled him closer and kissed him on the lips.

  “There’s something I need you to do,” he said while pushing her a little bit.

  “Please not again, Ivaan” she said, “I don’t like to steal, it's wrong, and I just do all of this for you. For the first time, I thought that this time it would be about you and me, but you proved me wrong again”.

  “It’s not true,” he said, pulling her closer by grabbing her waist, “it is all about us, I didn’t want to tell you, but I think it's time.”

  “What is it?” she asked while gazing into his eyes.

  “My master has said to me that he is impressed by my work, and if I steal the one last thing for him, then he will free me, and after that, we can stay together forever.”

  “Is it all true?” she asked by holding his face.

  “Yes, it is all true,” he said and started kissing her vigorously while his hands reached her hips. He grabbed her hips and lifted her up while she wrapped her legs around him.

  “I’m so happy,” she said, “After this we will stay together forever”.

  “So, what is the thing that I need to steal to free you?”

  He put her down smoothly. “This time you need to be extra careful” he said

  “You already know,” she said with a giggle, “I’m very sneaky.”

  “I know, but this time it is different”

  “Don’t worry, I will steal that item in no time,” she said while punching him in the chest.

  “This is no joke, please listen carefully,” he said, “this time you need to steal a crystal.”

  “Ok, a crystal, I can do that,” she said, “where is it?”

  “It’s… It’s in the king’s treasury”

  “Oh, in the king’s treasury,” she said with a giggle, “WHAT!!! In the king’s treasury,” she shouted.

  “Please keep your voice low”

  “There’s way too much risk”

  “Yes, there is,” he said, “but you are excellent in your skills, so we will be okay.”

  “You don’t understand,” she said, “this is very difficult for me, even if I have excellent skills”.

  “It is difficult, that’s why the reward is my freedom.”

  “I understand, but…” he pulled her closer and grabbed her hips tightly, “don’t you want me free” he asked while gazing into her eyes.

  She pulled his neck down with her hand and kissed him, “anything for you”.

  “So, until when do I need to steal that crystal from the king’s treasury?” she asked

  “The master said by tomorrow”

  She gazed at him. He’ll help me in this after all, he loves me, and no one leaves their love in danger.

  “So, you steal the crystal and meet me at this same place by tomorrow. I will take the crystal from you, and then I will hand it over to the master in return for my freedom,” he said.

  “Will you not come with me?”

  “I desperately want to come with you” he said while holding her arm instantly, “I don’t want you to be in danger all alone, I can never think of it but I know myself and how bad I am at this, if I stayed with you there, then it will cause only problems so I don’t want to put you in problem by being there”.

  “It's ok, Ivaan,” she said by holding his hand, “I believe in you.”

  Wow, that was a close call. I hope she didn’t get suspicious of me because I don’t want to leave such a good thief and such a fine woman, a flower that I can squeeze whenever I want and have its juices whenever or whichever way I want.

  She started gazing at him again. He’s so good, and he cares for me so much, and here I am doubting him, showing nothing but how stupid I am.

  “It's my time to go back to my master, I hope you will get this thing done,” he said

  “For us, I will do anything,” she said

  “I know,” he said by holding her chin, and then he walked off.

  The door got trudged open and Ivaan entered the house.

  “Easy, how many times have I told you not to open the door so roughly?” she said while stirring the potion in a cauldron.

  “Sorry, mother, I’m in a hurry, so I forgot,” he said and started packing a bag with fruits.

  “Wait,” the witch said when she looked at him packing the bag, “where do you think you are going?”

  “Nowhere,” he said, “just going up to the nearby mountain”.

  “Ok, but why are you packing so many fruits?”

  “In case I get hungry, then I will want something to eat,” he said and went towards the door, “By mother, I’ll be back soon.”

  I’m feeling like he is hiding something; anyway, whatever that is, I will know what he is up to.