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“What about the bed?” I blurted.

“What about it?” The corners of Vale’s lips twitched as he patted the mattress in a way that told me he knew exactly what he was doing.

My hands landed on my hips. “Hilarious.Do you relish seeing me squirm?”

“Only when I believe you’re thinking of us.” Vale licked his lips. “In my bed.”

Stars alive!

“Well, I wasn’t,” I lied. “I plan to sleep on the settee.” I gestured to the furniture in front of his hearth as if a wild gesticulation could hide the discomfort in my tone.

“And what would we say tomorrow if my father, or anyone, for that matter, bursts in to find my new wife asleep on the settee?” Vale shook his head. “Oh, no, we’ll be sharing my bed tonight, Neve. We’ll be sharing it every night that you’re here.”

At my name, his voice took on a growlier tone. I didn’t even think he realized he was doing it, but my body responded, sending a shot of heat through me.

“We’re not having sex tonight,” I said, then realized that while the fae were not known to be prudish, Vale was royal. This might be the kind of court where the bedsheets were checked to see that a royal marriage was consummated. “No one will know, right?”

Vale let out a full belly laugh, the first in hours, and it loosened his entire stance. Mine too, somehow. I exhaled, a tiny amount of tension seeping from my shoulders.

“Do you mean are they going to come looking for virgin blood?” He snorted. “If they did, they wouldn’t find it for half of the newlyweds in this kingdom. Plus, everyone thinks you were with Warden Roar and that I was bedding you after the feast, anyway. They won’t question it.”

In all my concern over the hours to come, I’d forgotten about our little cover story. Maybe I should have been concerned about my reputation, but at Vale’s words, only relief flooded me. Let the court think what they would about my appetite in the bedchambers.

“However.” He leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees. “Before you bathe, I have one question for you.”

I cocked my head.

“About the whispers when we touched the tree . . . did you hear it bless our union?”

My spine straightened. “I did.”

“It was odd enough to hear something, let alone that.” He let outa low hum.

“Why? They don’t speak to people?”

“I’ve touched Drassil trees, even that one, many times. It’s part of our royal duties, but that has never happened.”

My lips parted. “Not to you? Or anyone?”

“If it’s happened to anyone in my family, they’ve never mentioned it.” He paused. “But you’ve heard something before today. Haven’t you?”

My throat tightened, and I was tempted to lie. But why? Vale and I were in this together, our situation was even more perilous than the one Roar and I had devised. I needed to be open with him.

“I have. In a little city called Traliska, Roar blessed the tree. I wanted to touch it too, almost felt called to do so. I heard whispers almost the moment my palm grazed the bark. Do you know what that means?”

Perhaps it had something to do with my magic? I didn’t know what sort of power ran through my veins and would not still for days to come.

“I don’t. Were they distinct? Like when we heard the tree say the Faetia blessed our union?”

Him saying the words made my heart race. And not from attraction.

“Not distinct,” I admitted. “The ones that spoke to us in the Heart Drassil sounded serious.”

“They did.” He exhaled. “I suppose that’ll be another thing to research at the House of Wisdom.”

“And where is that?”

“Close to the castle. Have you heard much about it?”