Page 76

Chapter Seventy-Five: Rhea

Sadryn and Alexandria greet us near the entrance to the public gardens an hour later, in a side corridor tucked away from prying eyes.

“We are so incredibly happy for you both,” Alexandria expresses, a sheen covering her dark gray eyes. Dressed in a stunning strapless gown of burgundy with gold accents along the hem, the queen of the Mage Kingdom exudes regal beauty, her hair left loose and cascading down her shoulders. Sadryn stands next to her, his button-up shirt matching Nox’s navy-colored one and undone to reveal his chest and a little more. Silver threading in a swirling pattern travels up his sleeves and to his shoulders, while his black trousers tuck into pristine black boots. On their heads are crowns of gold, both larger and with more gems than Nox’s but with the same celestial theme etched into the metal.

Alexandria reaches her hand out for mine, her own silver ring glinting on her finger. “We will plan it however you like. Whatever you want and need, you will have.”

A wedding . I would be planning a wedding . The thought is almost enough to distract me from what had happened earlier at the temple. I swallow down the bit of uncertainty that threatens to extinguish my excitement. Tonight, I will have a good time with my friends. I will celebrate my engagement and spend every moment in blissful happiness. Everything else can be dealt with in the morning.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Alexandria playfully scoffs while Sadryn chuckles next to her. “There are no more formalities, my dear, even out here. Use whatever name for us that you feel comfortable with, but know that for Alexandria and me, you are well and truly our daughter.” Sadryn claps Nox on the shoulder, a shared look of pride bouncing between him and Alexandria as she squeezes my hand one more time before letting go. The king and queen head off through the open double doors, the herald announcing their arrival to the cheers of their people.

“Does he have any idea what those words mean to me?” I whisper to Nox as I struggle to keep myself composed. Their daughter . Not by birth. Not by force. But because they want me to be. Because they see how much their son loves me. Nox’s fingers glide down my arm lightly, just a sensation of touch before he holds my hand in his.

“I know he speaks the truth. They love you, Rhea.” And then, as if he heard my inner thoughts, he adds, “Not because you are mine, but because you are you .” He brings my hand to his lips, gently kissing the back of it. “Are you ready?”

I blow out a breath and roll my shoulders back. Am I ready to announce to the kingdom that we are betrothed? To deal with whatever the council may say and have every eye on me—friend and foe? No . I am decidedly not ready. But I am not alone either. I had told Nox that it felt like we were on an island, and until the day came that I didn’t have to hide a single part of me, I imagined I would always feel that way. However, with the support of my friends and my new family, with him, perhaps an island wasn’t the worst place to be.

No longer am I a woman who cowers in fear or in despair. As Selene had once told me, those parts of my life are woven into me like the threads of a tapestry. Up close, the history of it all is tangled and ravaging—hard to let go of. But maybe that is the point. I am not meant to let those things go as if the hurts haven’t happened to me at all. I can choose to use them as a point of comparison, a way for me to see just how far I’ve come. How far I’ve grown and evolved and bloomed . When I step back and look at my life as a whole, at the tapestry that makes up who Rhea Maxwell is, I find that I quite like what I see now. Someone who is strong and determined and unafraid to love. Someone who is far from perfect but who is no longer letting life pass her by. I see someone I am proud to be.

So turning to Nox, his hand tightly holding mine, I reach up onto my toes and plant a kiss on his cheek before facing forward, my lips curving into a triumphant smile.

“Congratulations!” Elora shouts as she pulls me into a hug. I had heard the word over and over again as I passed the partygoers on my way to her.

When the herald announced our arrival, when he shouted our titles “His Highness, Prince Nox Daxel, and his betrothed, Lady Rhea Selene,” the gardens had erupted into nothing short of pandemonium. There were cheers and clapping, and though it all became a discordant ringing in my ear, I had looked around to find mostly happy smiles. Only when my gaze met a few of the council members’ did I remember that there would be an important few who were not thrilled. They were apparently so distraught over the news that they called an emergency council meeting, pulling Nox and Sadryn back into the palace.

“Thank you, Elora. I’m sorry that we didn’t have the chance to tell you before everyone else found out.”

Elora snorts and waves her hand in front of her face. “As long as I get to be included when it’s time for you to start planning, then all is forgiven,” she jokes with a wink. Linking my arm with hers, she guides me around the ball where we have polite conversation with some of the patrons before we end up next to the refreshments table.

“This is not as daunting as I thought it might be,” I tell her, taking a bite of a small leaf-shaped cookie, the flavors of apple and cinnamon dancing along my tongue.

“Good. The engagement announcement certainly became an invitation to start a conversation with you.” Her eyes sparkle under the light of the spelled flames as she takes a sip of her drink. She wasn’t wrong. I lost count of how many people cooed or gasped at the sight of my ring. I didn’t mind it, however, feeling just as excited to show it off as they were to glimpse it. We finish our fare, and Elora begins to lead us to the dance floor.

“There are some gentlemen over there eyeing us as if they are in need of dance partners.” Tugging on my hand, she drags me through the crowd, the strangers’ eyes meeting mine and offering warm smiles and dips of their chins. And then her words register, and I stumble over myself as I try to slow down her pace.

“I don’t know if I should dance with anyone else?”

“What? Why?” she shouts over her shoulder. “Don’t tell me the prince is so possessive over you that he won’t let you dance with another man!” Her eyes narrow as she looks around, presumably for Nox.

“No! It’s not that. I don’t know what the protocol is. Am I allowed to?”

Elora stops a few feet short of the men whose eyes have grown wider and turns to face me. “Rhea, you are going to be queen of the Mage Kingdom. More importantly, only you decide what you want to do. No one else. If you want to dance, dance. If you don’t, don’t. No one makes those decisions but you . And if Nox doesn’t agree… Well, prince or not, he’ll get a piece of my mind.” I huff out a laugh, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. Elora reaches over and straightens my diadem before placing her hands on my shoulders. “Do you want to dance?”

“I do.”

“Then let’s dance.” We step in front of two men, both bowing before us and holding out their arms to lead us to the dance floor. The man I’m paired up with smiles warmly before placing a hand gently at my side, his touch like a ghost’s with how it almost hovers over me. His other hand clasps mine, eyes bouncing between my face and the sparkling crown that sits on my head. I hadn’t thought it possible, but he might be even more nervous than I am.

“I have to warn you. I’m not very good at this dance. I only learned it this week,” I confess.

That does earn me a chuckle, his stiff posture loosening slightly. “That’s alright. I always seem to forget the steps when it’s time for me to move.”

I laugh as the music from the band crescendos, the sound somehow floating in the air all around us. Whether it’s magic or just a testament to the band’s talent, the beat is easy to hear as we waltz across the makeshift dance floor set in the center of the garden. I learn that the man’s name is Ian and that he is a carpenter that lives in a small town on the outskirts of Galdr.

“I’m sad to say I haven’t explored much outside of the capital. I will have to remedy that.” While Galdr is beautiful and has everything one might need within a few short miles, there is still so much I haven’t seen. But time… I have so much of it now. At least until we ascend the throne. Swallowing, I force that thought away to deal with tomorrow and finish the waltz with Ian, who bows again once it’s over. Then a familiar face takes his place.

“May I have this dance?” Evren, the man who works at the tavern, asks as he extends a hand out to me. I nod, and we move into the same waltz as before.

“Are you having a good time?” I ask him, his curly blond hair bouncing with each step.

“I am. Congratulations on the engagement.” Our conversation turns into small talk, his eyes darting behind me for most of it. I follow to see what is snagging his attention and am surprised to find Elora dancing with Daje. She laughs at something he says before he twirls her. Looking back at Evren, my curious gaze catches his, and he clears his throat, twirling me as well.

“You should ask her to dance next,” I say, watching as his eyes move to Elora again.

A blush stains his fair skin as he lifts a shoulder. “We’ll see.”

We chat more about his work at the tavern, how his dream is to one day open his own, before the song ends and I all but push him towards Elora. Smiling, I watch as he extends his hand out to her after she and Daje part, a curl falling over his forehead that she reaches to brush out of the way with easy familiarity.

Walking to the edge of the dance floor, I search the crowd for a head of wavy black hair. I can feel him here, my magic like a magnet sensing its match somewhere within the revelry—those invisible strings pulling taut. As minutes pass and my search proves fruitless, I take a step towards the palace in hopes that perhaps Nox is with his parents near their dais, but I am halted when a man steps in front of me.

“Would you like to dance?” He extends a broad hand out towards me, his shaved dark blond hair glistening when the orbs of the spelled flames floating on a magical wind pass above us. They set the features of his face aglow, and I have to pinch my lips together to stop a gasp of surprise from escaping. Arin . My throat constricts as I cast my gaze out towards the palace again in search of Nox.

“I was actually—”

“Just one dance, My Lady,” he insists.

I stare at his proffered hand, my own growing clammy with unease. When Arin lifts a brow in question, I tentatively place my hand in his and let him guide me to the middle of the dance floor. A cold shiver breaks out over my skin when his fingers touch my side though he’s not doing anything different than any other dancer before him.

“You look absolutely beautiful.” The words are a low purr in his throat.

I murmur a “thank you” that garners a deep chuckle from him. Avoiding his gaze, I stare at the gold threading of his green jacket instead. It covers the lapels and cuffs of his sleeves, the embroidered design made to look like stars.

“I’m surprised Daxel left you alone out here.”

“I can take care of myself.” My voice wavers as I speak, an unfortunate thing to happen when paired with that statement. A laugh trickles from him again while his hand flexes, tightening a little more around my waist. The sound of the band begins to get drowned out by the heavy thumping of my heart.

“You know, I was curious when I first saw you on his lap in that tavern. He’s so clearly enamored by you that it’s honestly pathetic. Whatever you’ve done to him, I commend you for it.”

Embarrassment brightens my chest and neck when his gaze draws down my body and a lecherous smile curls his thin lips. “I haven’t done anything—”

Arin leans down until his cheek is pressed against my own. He holds me in place against him, ignoring the way my body struggles to get away. “He has a weakness now. I can’t wait to see how I can exploit it.”

I grit my teeth together against the onslaught of magic boiling beneath my skin. He quickly straightens and then releases me, making a mockery of a bow before he disappears into the crowd. Music comes rushing back in as sweat beads on the nape of my neck. Minutes tick by while I stand there, trying to calm my quickly beating heart.

“Rhea!” Cass calls out to me, motioning with his hand for me to come join him. I glance back to confirm that Elora is still dancing with Evren before making my way over to Cass, my hands shaking at my sides at the memory of Arin’s hands on my body and words in my ear.

“Wow,” he drawls, giving me a bright smile. “You look like a queen already. Congratulations, by the way.”

“Thank you. Look at you!”

Cass throws his arms out to his sides and spins in a circle, showcasing how handsome he looks. Dressed in a brocade-style overcoat in dark plum and silver, Cass’ stark blond hair—left unbound and hanging just past his shoulders—shines brightly against it. Trousers of the same deep purple and black boots add to his lavish look.

“And—because I know you’re wondering—yes, there are several daggers hidden on my body,” he adds, winking at a nearby man who happens to overhear him. I cover my laugh with the back of my hand, my mood improving as Cass holds his own out to me. “I would be honored to dance with the future queen.”

Playfully rolling my eyes, I squeal when he whisks me into a surprise twirl, drawing several inquisitive looks from the people around us. “Thanks for that,” I grumble when I’m facing him again.

“If it’s any consolation, they are mostly staring at me .”

I laugh again, Cass leading us in a different waltz—one I can’t remember all the steps to. He makes up for my lack of refined dancing with smooth movements of his own.

“Did you know Nox was going to propose?” I ask, once more searching the crowd for him.

“I knew it was coming soon, but I didn’t know he was going to do it today,” he answers. “He’s still inside talking with the council.”

I can’t help my defeated sigh. “They hate me.”

“Maybe not hate .” At the look on my face, he snorts. “They’re all just paranoid about change, I think.” He shrugs, and it’s on the tip of my tongue to tell him where Nox and I had gone earlier and how that had the potential to change things even more, but I bite it back down. Tomorrow.

Daje and Haylee pass by us as they dance together, the former giving me a warm smile. A grin tips Haylee’s lips as well, her hair curled to frame her face while a sapphire gown made of thin silk adorns her body. She catches my gaze and holds it briefly before the dance moves them farther away.

The ending of the song builds, the string and percussion instruments growing louder as they reach the song’s peak. The thumping of my heart matches pace, Cass and I finding a rhythm that ends when he dips me in time to the song stopping. There’s a tug on my chest, a nudge of recognition, and when Cass pulls me back up, Nox is there, his hands behind his back and an easy smile carved on his perfect face.

“Can I cut in?” he asks, his voice a soothing balm that caresses my entire body.

Cass nods, but before he releases me, I pull him into a hug. I can’t say why, other than that I’m grateful for his presence and friendship. He wraps his arms around me, carefully placing his hands over the cape that runs down the back of my dress before squeezing me tightly. We separate, and he flags down one of the palace aides carrying a tray of drinks. Plucking up a glass flute, he gives Nox a two-fingered salute before spinning on his heel and walking farther into the crowd.

“I’m sorry I’ve been gone for so long,” Nox murmurs against my temple as I slide my hand into his.

“Trouble with the council?” I ask, letting him guide us into a slower dance.

“We were correct with our assumptions of how they would react. My parents are still speaking with them now.”

“Cass said that maybe they are afraid of change.” I let my insecurity bleed into my words, let Nox see the way I frown as I say them.

“If that’s the case, then they are fools. Fearing change will only lead to the inevitability of it.”

He turns me so that my back rests against his chest, our hips swaying in tandem to the slower pace of the current song. I tilt my head, looking up at the woven branches of the trees—the canopy thick enough in this spot that seeing the night sky is impossible. I know it’s there though, the moon and stars calling to me just as the sun does.

“Do you remember the night we danced in the tower?”

Nox spins me to face him again, one hand holding mine between us and his other resting on my lower back. It’s so easy to get lost in the way his eyes swallow me whole, how everything about him draws me in.

“Of course. It was my first time dancing, after all.”

“I almost kissed you that night,” he confesses, leaning in until our noses touch. “I could tell you wanted me to; it was written all over your beautiful face. The way your chest was rising and falling. How you were pushing yourself closer to me. Gods , did I want to. I had dreamed about how you would taste—how your body might feel in my hands—for so long. But when the moment came, I hesitated. Then we were interrupted, and it felt like it wasn’t the right time anymore. I do wonder sometimes how things might have changed if we had kissed then.”

“There is nothing stopping you from kissing me now .”

Heat sparks in his eyes as his lips hover over mine. “If I kiss you now, I may not be able to stop,” he says quietly, his breath warm against my lips. “Because, I need to be honest, the moment you said yes to marrying me, I have thought of only one thing.”

“And what is that?” I ask, my fingers digging into the muscles of his shoulder.

“Getting you alone and slowly undressing you from this very distracting dress so that you’re only wearing my ring.” He pauses, his gaze flicking up to my head before dropping back down. “I suppose the crown can stay on too.”

“So we shouldn’t kiss, then?” I ask, pushing myself closer to him as desire pools low in my belly.

“Not unless you’re fine with leaving this party.”

The song ends, the slow beat replaced by one that’s more lively. New couples form and begin dancing around where Nox and I now stand. My hand roams from his shoulder to his collarbone, tracing the indent there until I reach the unbuttoned portion of his shirt.

“And if I asked you to keep your crown on, would you?”

He makes a noise deep in his throat, his voice dark and seductive when he answers, “I’ll do whatever you want me to.”

“I want you,” I rasp against his mouth, and that’s all it takes before he’s guiding me through the crowd and back towards the palace.