Page 41 of A Legacy of Stars (The Lost God Legacies)

Stella paused at the top of the cliff trail, staring down at the beach far below. Teddy paced the line where the ocean met the sand. His summons had arrived just moments after she’d returned to the McKay Estate. She’d been delighted to escape her family’s scrutiny after the pandemonium in the throne room until she got to the beach trailhead and realized that escaping their knowing looks meant facing Teddy when she had no idea what to say.

The salted breeze whipped the loose curls around her face into her eyes, and she batted them away.

“You shouldn’t make him wait,” Rosie said. “I’ll leave the cottage key in the door in case you need to hide out—or need some privacy.”

Rosie had come with her for support, but Stella suddenly felt the irrational urge to cling to her little sister. Maybe it was because the last few weeks had been so monumentally tumultuous. Still, Stella had a feeling that whatever she was walking toward now was somehow bigger and more life-altering.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look so scared, Stell-bell,” Rosie whispered, squeezing her hand.

“What do you think he’s going to say?”

“I think he’s going to propose. ”

Stella stopped breathing. “What?”

Rosie giggled. “Gods, you should see your face.”

Stella held up her hands. “It’s not that I—” She blew out a slow breath to compose herself. “He kind of already did—poorly. It’s just very fast.”

“The man gave up the Argarian throne to be with you. That sounds pretty serious to me.”

“We don’t know that’s why he did it,” Stella snapped.

Rosie grinned and wrapped an arm around Stella’s shoulders. “You didn’t see the way he was looking at you because you were too busy being frozen in shock. He looked at you like you were his salvation.”

“Well, I was—several times.”

“Stella, gods!” Rosie shook her head. “You are truly exasperating. You’ve always given him a hard time, but Teddy is a good man. You shouldn’t be so afraid to believe in him. You two clearly have something. You must be the only two not to notice that you always have.”

Stella was afraid to be disappointed again—afraid she’d invented another fairy tale from the ashes of her wildest dreams. Teddy wasn’t charming in the way Arden was, but they’d been through something truly traumatic together, and couldn’t that make myth of what was simply survival?

She didn’t want to be another person who wanted too much from him—not when he’d just had the courage to break that pattern in his life. It wasn’t fair, and she wouldn’t walk down the trail until she was certain of what she would do.

She turned to face Rosie. “Do I look okay?”

Rosie nodded emphatically. “On the slim chance that he’s going to end things instead of profess his love, it would be really hard to do so with you looking that good.” She smoothed Stella’s hair and pulled her into a hug. “What does Mama always say?”

Stella groaned into her sister’s hair. “To be brave with my hand and brave with my heart.”

Rosie pulled back and smiled at her. “Go get him, Stella.”

With that, her sister turned and walked back toward the cottage .

Stella listened to her footsteps fading away. When she could no longer find any reasonable excuse to delay, she kicked off her silk slippers and walked down the sandy path slowly. She welcomed the sting of the rocks and cool sand against her feet and breathed in the salty sea air.

Normally, being on the beach made her feel calm. But that was because she was normally on her way to a morning swim, not a seaside…whatever this was.

She paused at the bottom of the trail and the bond in her chest pulsed to life at the same time Teddy turned and spotted her. Something like relief broke over his face as Stella walked toward him. She had no idea what to say, so she fell back into their old familiar pattern.

“You summoned, Your Grace ? I must admit, I thought the royal commands would cease when you ceded the throne.”

Teddy shrugged. “Glad you didn’t ignore it.”

Stella was suddenly so nervous. She couldn’t begin to find the words to say to him. It had been an hour since his shocking request was granted by the gods and her heart still hadn’t ceased its racing. Perhaps it never would.

“What did your father say? Was there yelling? Honestly, I can’t imagine King Xander yelling.”

Teddy laughed. “He doesn’t ever yell. I think he knows the silent disappointment is worse. He said it took me long enough. I guess he’d been waiting for me to make a hard decision. That’s why he left me that memory, apparently. He saw me floundering, and he wanted to remind me that the hard decisions didn’t end once you become king. They just get harder. He said that they fought to take out the Sons now so that I could have the choices he always wanted me to have. My mother reminded me that I’m not in the same position that he was in because I have three other siblings who could do the job.”

“Teddy, I’m so happy for you. I don’t know what to say?—”

“Don’t panic.” He smiled sheepishly and pressed his fingers to his chest. “I can feel how nervous you are. I didn’t do it for you—or, rather, I didn’t only do it for you. I did it for me, because I needed time to get to know you. Gods! I need time to get to know me , Stella. My entire existence has been about keeping other people happy. I’d like to finally learn what makes me happy and you were the first thing that came to mind.”

“I make you happy?” Stella asked skeptically.

He sighed. “And crazy and honest and curious and brave, Stella. You make me brave.”

Tears pressed against the backs of her eyes. “That’s not true. You made me brave.”

Teddy took her hand and placed it over his heart. “I mean in here.” He lifted her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm. “You gave me the courage to be honest with myself—to listen to my foolish heart.”

Stella couldn’t quite process everything he was saying—everything that had happened in the past hour. Her heart was racing and her nerves were completely shot from the ups and downs of the day. Much as she had wanted to deny Desiree and say that she was just messing with them, Stella had seen the wisdom of her aunt’s vision. More than that, it was suddenly so obvious how they just fit together.

“It was this dress, wasn’t it?” Stella asked.

Teddy bit back a laugh. “It’s a spectacular gown, but no. It wasn’t the dress, though I like seeing you in it almost as much as I’d like to see you out of it.”

“The swords, then?” she teased. “Double-wielding blades usually catch some attention.”

He blew out a breath. “It was the swords and the wearing my shirt and nothing else—and the rain.”

Stella burst out laughing. “I knew it. That recipe always works.”

Teddy ran a hand through his hair and smiled. “It was more than that, although the sheer amount of nudity certainly didn’t hurt with helping me see you in a new light.”

Stella pretended to flip her hair. “A wise man once called my ass legendary.”

“Maybe if you do him the honor of allowing him to court you, he’ll write a drinking song in its honor,” Teddy said .

“ Your Grace , have you been hiding musical talents?”

“Absolutely not, but I’m nothing if not determined. I’m sure I could whip something up with the right motivation.”

Stella’s chest clenched. This playful side of him was so new and disarming and she was thrilled at the prospect of seeing him this relaxed all the time now that the pressure of perfection was gone.

He tilted her chin up so she would meet his eye. His smile was teasing. “I’m going to need your help, Stella. I have so little practice being imperfect, but you’re so good at it.”

She slapped his arm. “Shut up and kiss me, you perfect liar.”

Teddy kissed her and all the nervous energy from the day bled from her muscles until there was nothing but the urgent press of his lips, his hands in her hair, and his firm body against hers. The bond in her chest pulsed, and she wanted to draw him in, to have him closer. She wanted him to lay her down on the sand and make her forget the stress of the past two days.

When he finally pulled away, Stella was breathless. The orange glow of the sun, low on the horizon, was almost blinding.

“I thought we could finally go on a date that doesn’t involve people trying to murder us.”

“Sounds boring.” She glanced down the empty beach. “Why here? Why not bring me flowers or ask me on a proper courting date?”

He grinned and began tugging his shirt up and over his head, tossing it into the sand with the same nonchalance with which he’d tossed away his crown earlier. “Well, I was hoping you’d be willing to give me my first swim lesson—you know, so that I don’t almost drown on our next adventure.”

Stella smirked and gestured down at her dress. “And ruin this exquisite gown?”

Teddy licked his lips. “Oh no, Minyha . Take that dress off. If I’m going to get in the sea and flail around embarrassing myself, I’m going to need a little motivation—for courage.”

Stella cocked her head and smirked. “For courage?”

He unbuttoned his pants, letting them hang dangerously low on his hips. Stella drank in the sight of him. Teddy glowed, his brown skin gilded by the setting sun. His smile was more relaxed than she’d ever seen it and that combined with the lines of his defined abdomen disappearing in a point just below the waistband left her breathless.

“For courage and maybe for a reward when I’m finished,” Teddy said with a wink.

“So certain you’ll earn one?”

He shook his head and let his pants fall, stepping out of them so he stood naked before her. “Certain you’ll make me.”

A laugh bubbled up from Stella’s chest, the sensation rising as if it came directly from the bond.

This was it—the fairy tale she’d been searching for. It didn’t end with a walk down the aisle in a fancy temple; it started with a walk across the beach to the man she could truly be herself with.

Stella unbuttoned her dress, let it slip into the sand, and followed her handsome, naked prince into the sea.