Page 11 of Mountains of Mist and Magic (A World of Sun and Shadow #4)

E smeralda sat as close as she could to the fireplace, yet still shivered. No matter how many layers of clothing she put on, or how near she sat to the many fireplaces in the lodge, she was always cold. As much as she wanted to be around Phillippe, she did, at times, miss her ancestral lands. She missed her room, the place where she could retreat and find comfort. She longed for the beaches and ached to swim in the ocean and explore the tide pools.

But she was grateful for the protection of Phillippe and his family, and happy to spend more time getting to know Phillippe. And she was thankful for Renya, who had become like a sister to her.

“Did you enjoy the island?”

Renya looked up from her crimling tea, eyes mischievous. “To be honest, we didn't really leave the treehouse.”

Esmeralda's laugh filled every corner of the library. “I'd like to pretend to be shocked, but I've seen the intensity in which Grayden looks at you.”

Renya sat her cup down. “It's that obvious, huh?”

Esmeralda just grinned. “It's a good thing, Renya. I'm glad you've found such a good partner.”

“Speaking of partners, what is going on between you and my brother-in-law?”

It was Esmeralda's turn to blush. “Not much—I mean, some things, but—”

Renya put her hand up, trying to spare Esmeralda any further embarrassment. “All I want to know is if he is behaving himself.”

Esmeralda smiled shyly and stirred her tea, trying to keep her nervous fingers busy. “He is. Very much so. So much that sometimes I wonder if he's not taking our courtship seriously.”

Renya frowned. “From what I know about Phillippe, he has quite the reputation with women. To be honest, I think it's good that he's treating you with care and caution.”

“Really?”

“Yes. I think it shows growth and maturity. But if you tell him I said that I will deny it from here to the Sun Realm.”

Esmeralda smiled, thankful once again for Renya. “What are you going to do about the Sun Realm? Phillippe mentioned that you won't be staying here?”

“As much as I want to live in the Snow Lands, I'm needed there. My father—it still seems so odd to say that—wants to teach me and to help me understand the kingdom. He's getting older, and I know living in the human realm and his constant use of powerful magic has weakened him considerably. Not only that, but my magic is stronger in the Sun Realm. It's a better place to train.”

“And?”

Renya raised her eyes in surprise. “How do you know there's an 'and?'“

“There always is, Renya.”

“And...I'm pregnant.”

For just a split second, Esmeralda felt the cruel seed of jealousy land in her stomach and try to sprout. But she swallowed it down and dismissed it instantly. “That's such great news, Renya! I would say that it's shocking news, but given all of the surprises that have come out of your relationship with Grayden, a baby born so soon isn't even on the list.”

Renya patted her tummy. “I'm nervous and excited. But now that I'm going to be a mother, I want my child to know where they come from. I didn't get that growing up, and I don't want my baby to ever feel that way.”

Esmeralda sipped her tea, feeling the warmth hit her throat and soothe her insides. “That makes complete sense. What does your aunt say?”

Renya grimaced. “I haven't told her yet. I know she'll be fine with it since she was fine with me being fated to Grayden, but I just...it's not the conversation I want to have with her right now. She hinted before we left for our honeymoon that she wants me to help her in the Shadow Realm—but that's not—I just don't feel connected there.”

“You need to tell her, though. I'm assuming Phillippe knows, and the more people who know—”

“Yes, you're right. But maybe I'll make Grayden tell her.” Renya winked, and then a smile appeared on her face.

Esmeralda chuckled again. “I can just imagine how that conversation would go.”

“She still calls him 'boy', so finding out that he's going to be a father might be difficult for her.”

The two continued to drink their tea, looking around at the library until Renya spoke again.

“And then, there's fixing the magic and dealing with my...with Cressida. Sion and Selenia have already left for the Sun Realm to do more research, and I know we need to join them. But I'm so tired of traveling. I'm trying to convince Grayden to let Beauty take us—it would be much faster—but he worries it'll shock the entire city. They are still rebuilding from the destruction there, too. And you know how Beauty is...”

Esmeralda tried not to let her guilt get to her. Both the Sun Realm and the Twilight Kingdom endured significant damage during the war with Cressida, but the Tidal Kingdom was untouched. She made a mental note to ask Triston to send funds to the Sun Realm as well, since he provided men to the Twilight Kingdom.

“Have you seen Beauty yet?”

“No, that's my next stop. I was disappointed Selenia wasn't here, but I'm glad she's getting to spend some time with Sion.”

“They've been pretty cozy,” Esmeralda said, smiling. “Considering their bond is only one-sided, they still seem very much attached.”

“I'm happy for her. After Jurel died, I worried she would lose her fire. But she seems to have recovered well.”

“Funny how love will do that,” Esmeralda agreed.

Phillippe sat next to her at dinner. From time to time, she could feel his leg brush against hers, and every time they made the connection, she felt a fire spread throughout her body. She struggled to pay attention to what was being said, especially with him so near.

“—and I think we should ask the Spring Lands to join us as well—”

“Has Cyrus agreed? I thought he wanted to keep them out of it so there was at least one ancient family left—”

“I hadn't thought about—”

Esmeralda tried to listen to them make plans, but her mind was swimming with desire.

“When do you think we should leave?” Phillippe asked.

“As soon as possible,” Grayden responded. Esmeralda could see the look on Renya's face, and she knew her friend wasn't pleased with Grayden's response. She couldn't imagine how tiring it must be to be constantly darting from one kingdom to the next, especially being pregnant.

“It's settled then,” Phillippe agreed, and pushed out his chair and stood. Like every night, he held out his hand to Esmeralda and she took it, allowing him to pull her from the table. “If you'll excuse me.”

He walked with her out of the dining room and into the great hall, heading towards the door. Her cloak was hung next to his, and he grabbed it, securing it over her shoulders carefully. She shivered as his fingers brushed her neck, and she tried to hold still as he connected the end of her cloak with her pin.

“Are you ready?” he asked.

She both loved and loathed this part of the evening. Every night Phillippe would take her hand and lead her outside for a stroll around the gardens. While being with Phillippe excited her in a way she couldn't describe, the cold made her absolutely miserable.

But Phillippe made her so happy. She felt safe with him, secure. She only hoped that he felt the same as she.

He held his arm out, and she rested her arm comfortably on top of his. The cold air blew around them, moving underneath her neck and pushing her hair aside. She shivered again, and Phillippe pulled her close to him, letting her absorb his body heat.

“How are you feeling? About taking over for Grayden?” She looked up at him, watching as his eyes locked on hers.

“I'm still trying to wrap my head around it. I've led soldiers, and I do it well, but leading the entire land? Making the tough decisions? I just hope I'm up for it.”

“You will be,” she said, picking up her skirt so it didn't drag in the snow. “I believe in you.”

“No one has ever had the kind of faith in me that you do,” Phillippe whispered, and then stopped walking. He pulled her in front of him, and she felt the fire burn in her stomach as he leaned down and brushed her lips with his. He groaned, and pulled her even tighter against him, and she could feel just how much he desired her. Esmeralda's eyes widened, and she parted her lips, inviting him to deepen the kiss. Much to her desire, he did, exploring her mouth with his.

His arms went around her shoulders, and he fiddled with the strands of blonde hair she let fall freely down her back.

“Phillippe,” she moaned into his mouth, and his arms pulled her more tightly into his embrace.

He pulled away, and she instantly froze, scared that this would be the moment he'd apologize, and take her hand and continue their walk. But instead, he lifted her up in his massive arms and carried her to a small bench underneath an arctic pear tree. He sat, and then draped her across his lap, with her legs dangling over his.

Phillippe kissed her again, his passion evident. It was a stark difference from the tender kisses he had given her before, and she felt excited, like they had finally broken out of the pattern and moved forward.

“Are you okay?” he asked in between kisses.

“I'm perfect,” she replied, stroking his cheek with her hand, “but Phillippe...” she murmured against his mouth.

“Too fast?”

“No...I just...let's continue this upstairs.”

The look he gave her was one of unbridled joy. Esmeralda had never noticed his dimples before, and realized it was because this was the biggest smile she had ever seen on him. She was practically giddy as he swung her legs back around and carried her down the gravel path, but in the opposite direction of the lodge.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“A special place I know,” he said, leaving the outlined path and heading into the forest.

The snow continued to flurry around them, so heavy that Esmeralda had trouble seeing more than a few feet ahead. Luckily, Phillippe seemed to know where he was going without needing to look at his surroundings. After a few more minutes, he stopped, and then slid her down until she was standing on her own feet.

A small cabin stood before her, with roughly hewn wooden walls and a thatched roof. A single chimney rose out from the roof, and a large pile of wood was haphazardly stacked next to the door.

“What is this place?” she asked.

Phillippe fiddled inside his tunic and pulled out a key. “It used to belong to one of my ancestors—my great-grandma, I think. I believe she had it built so she could stay on the family property but have her own space outside of the lodge.”

He opened the door and pushed it aside so that Esmeralda could enter.

The small cabin was barely bigger than her room at the Tidal Kingdom, but every single surface was covered with burning candles. A soft bed of fur was made up, and a plate with fresh fruits and cheese sat on a table near the bed. There were lotus petals on the floor, leading to the furs.

“Phillippe...” she mumbled, suddenly nervous about what he had planned.

Phillippe shut the door behind him, his arms full of firewood. He made his way to the fireplace in the corner and stoked the fire until the entire cabin burned bright.

“I want you to know that I don't expect absolutely anything from you tonight. In fact, I'm putting my foot down and letting you know that we won't be sleeping together—yet. But we are going to spend the night getting to know each other more intimately. I couldn't think of any better way than to do it with no distractions around.”

She was somewhat disappointed, but the romantic gesture assuaged her sadness immediately. He had done all this for her.

“Hand me your cloak. I'll put it by the fire, so it dries. If you want to spend all night here with me, you can. If not, we'll have a drink or two and some fruit, and then I'll escort you back to the lodge.”

She nodded and removed the sea star pin that fastened her cloak together. As soon as she undid the pin, he was before her, plucking the little pin out of her hand.

“No,” he whispered, clasping her hand in his. “Now you wear mine.” He pressed his forehead to hers, and then pulled a snowy owl pin from his own cloak, pinning it to the front of hers. “I want every single person in these lands to know that Princess Esmeralda belongs to me.”

His words hit her like a fiery storm, and the heat rose in her stomach once again. She wished she could think of something clever to say to him, something witty or romantic, but nothing came to her. Instead, she just leaned up and kissed him under the chin.

“Fates, you possess me, my Sea Star. I'd swim all the way up to the gates of your kingdom just to be with you.”

He led her to the bed, and she sat down. He sat next to her, holding her hands in his. She looked at his face, noticing how vulnerable and unsure of himself he seemed. It was hard to believe that the great womanizer of the Snow Lands was nervous around her.

Tentatively, he put his arm around her, and then laid his head against the pillow, pulling her down beside him. Her heart raced, but he just held her, looking up at the roof.

“Tell me about your childhood,” he implored.

“What do you want to know?”

“Everything,” he whispered, and then placed a tender kiss on her brow.