Page 69 of House of Blood and Roses: Vol. 2

He laughs and leads me onto the dance floor. I break away from him and curtsy, but he shakes his head before I can dip all of the way down. "Not as deep."

"Oh. I didn't think of that." It's going to take some getting used to the idea that I need to act in the way a princess does. I've barely gotten used to the etiquette of being a lady, now I have a whole new set of rules to learn.

"I bowed too deeply to everyone when I first came to court. It took me months to get it right. Marcus helped."

"He's a good brother," I say.

"He is," Linc agrees.

The music starts to play and Linc pulls me into hold. I immediately forget about all of the people around us and meet his gaze, dancing with him for the first time as his wife. I know that nothing has actually changed between us, but it feels as if it has. There's something deep within me that knows things are different. And I like it. Far more than I expect it to.

"I love you," I whisper.

"I love you too," he responds. "I feel very lucky that I'm here with you today and not with someone else."

"I know exactly how you feel," I respond. "I can't imagine marrying anyone else."

"I hope you never have to," he says.

"Me neither." I lift my hand from his arm and touch his face. It's not part of the dance, and I know we can't kiss while we're in the middle of a ball, but I think people might forgive us a little bit of affection given what the day is.

Linc twirls me under his arm and I let out a carefree laugh. Other people have joined us on the dance floor now, but I don't care about any of them. They're not part of this moment.

"You wore your rubies," Linc says as I find my way back into his arms.

I touch them without thinking. "I love them. They're bigger and more ostentatious than I ever expected to own, but you got them for me."

He nods.

"And I thought it might be a faux pas to not wear them."

He chuckles. "You might be right about that."

"I'm also wearing the dagger Lord Fallmartin gave me last night."

He raises an eyebrow. "He gave you a gift?"

"Is that not normal for weddings? I don't know much about the customs here yet."

"Mmm, good point. It's not unheard of, but it also isn't necessary. Did he tell you anything about it?"

"He said that it had been worn by members of House Rothorne for five hundred years, including his first wife," I respond.

Linc raises an eyebrow, but is stopped from saying more by the moves of the dance. "That sounds almost sentimental."

"He almost seemed sad when he talked about her."

"That is emotional depth I didn't expect from Lord Fallmartin."

I laugh and let him spin me again in the final move of the dance. "Perhaps, but I doubt it changes anything about the ruthless politician he is."

"No, probably not."

The dance comes to an end, and I step back, remembering not to curtsy quite as deeply this time.

"Would you like a drink?" Linc asks.

I nod and loop my arm through his. "And later, I'd like a drink of a different kind."