Page 15 of Pawns of Fate

York rolled up his sleeve and thrust his forearm in front of Rose to show her three silvery runes, circles of interwoven lightning bolts and ancient text.

“I can channel enough lightning mana to kill a mountain troll with this,” York said.

“Without a spell, I can barely manage enough lightning to shock a raccoon.”

“Have you been practicing lightning magic on raccoons lately, York? That’s an unusual training method, even for you,” Nicholas said.

Rose tried to keep the smirk off her face, but the thought of York running around and electrocuting small forest mammals was just too much.

“York doesn’t shock raccoons!” Ava interjected.

“I’m sure he doesn’t,” Rose replied gently.

Nicholas exchanged a glance with her, neither holding in their laughter well.

After the meal, the servants quickly cleared the tables, a small band of musicians appeared, and the dancing began. Rose was amazed at how fast it happened. Everyone at this castle worked in complete synchrony, as if their roles were choreographed.

She danced with Nicholas first, then York.

Several of the knights asked to dance with her and took the opportunity to introduce themselves.

Every one of them engaged her in pleasant conversation about her life at Castle Sharp.

She’d never had this much fun at a social event, since she’d always spent them attending to Ghislaine or Luanna.

Before Rose knew it, she had danced for almost two hours.

Ava invited her to get some fresh air and take a break outside. Rose happily took her up on the offer, feeling an ache in her feet and sweat at her brow .

“I’m so impressed you can dance with that full skirt and stiff bodice. I don’t think I’ll ever learn to be a lady like you,” Ava said.

“My etiquette tutor used to make me wear dresses like this and walk around the entire Robson estate. She’d make me start over if I tripped, wobbled, or slouched. It was torture then, but now I’m glad I have the skill.”

“You’re such a good noble lady! When they had this banquet for me, I fell on my face as the marquess introduced me. I couldn’t dance with anyone but York because he had to hold me up. I couldn’t walk in the dress they gave me, and it was only half as fluffy as yours,” Ava admitted.

Rose chuckled.

“Don’t laugh!” Ava said as she, in fact, laughed. “Perhaps I should walk around the estate in a ball gown. Lyla or Nicholas would be delighted to chastise me and have me start over with any misstep.” The women shared another burst of joyful laughter as soft footsteps approached.

“Ava, could I trouble you for one last dance?” York asked, interrupting their break. “Then, I think we should retire for the night.”

“Of course, my love. Rose, will you come with us?”

“I want a few more minutes of fresh air. I’ll come in a little while. Don’t wait for me,” Rose replied.

Ava hugged her, then went with York, leaving Rose alone for the first time all day.

Rose let out a deep exhale. The banquet was almost over.

At this point, it wouldn’t matter if she returned.

She briefly considered going to her room, but a mischievous idea struck her as the faint strands of music from the dining hall tickled her ears.

What if she wandered the gardens, just for a little bit?

She wouldn’t explore too far, but some solitude and space from the loud, boisterous banquet hall felt right.

Rose was typically left to her own devices, so the busy schedule she had maintained lately felt unnatural, though not unwelcome.

Rose glanced behind her, checking to see if anyone was watching. When she confirmed no one was around, she kicked off her shoes and gingerly stepped off the porch to explore the garden.

The cool night breeze caressed her skin, a relief after spending hours in a banquet hall surrounded by throngs of people. She looked up at the night sky, noticing how clearly she could see the full moon on this cloudless night. Its gentle light guided her into the terraced garden.

She hadn’t gone very far when footsteps approached. She turned around to see Nicholas with a pensive look in his eye and lips thinned with concern.

“Rose, are you alright?” he asked.

Perhaps he was upset that she hadn’t returned to the banquet.

“Yes, I’m sorry. I needed a little fresh air.”

“You have nothing to apologize for. I just worried because you weren’t on the porch. Ava told me you were there.”

“I was, but the gardens were too tempting. I only intended to wander a little bit. I would have returned to the banquet soon.”

“It’s okay. The banquet is over now, anyway.” Nicholas wrung his hands together. Was he nervous? “There’s actually a spot in the gardens that I would like to show you, if you don’t mind my company. Unless you wanted to retire for the night?”

Rose looked into Nicholas’s sky-blue eyes. She saw genuine hope in them and found it odd. Nicholas was making it harder and harder for her to believe that she was only a pawn to him.

“I’d like to explore the garden with you.” Her pulse quickened.

Nicholas beamed, then took her hand into his and led the way.

The Sharp gardens weren’t as sprawling and spacious as those at Robson Castle.

Rose could tell, even with only the use of moonlight.

They were more compacted and layered because of the mountainous terrain, just as Nicholas had told her.

There were many more trees and fewer flower beds.

It had a more practical feel than any other castle garden Rose had seen.

Still, the scent of pine trees filled the air, and soft grass cooled her bare feet. It wasn’t a bad garden at all.

They strolled down the path, and Nicholas held out his free hand, saying a few words to cast a spell. A rune flared to life on his palm and produced small sparks of electricity that danced around like fireflies in the night.

He let out a small huff of dissatisfaction, but the little sparks enchanted Rose.

“They’re supposed to light our path, not jump around like that.” Rose glanced at him, noticing his slumped shoulders and sheepish expression.

“I think they’re lovely.” She smiled gently and squeezed her fiancé’s hand.

Nicholas guided her to a section of the garden surrounding a small pond, which was bathed in moonlight. Silver flowers and white lilies bloomed around the water’s edge, giving the area an ethereal, numinous feel.

“These are the moonflowers I showed you on the journey here.” Nicholas motioned to the elegant silver flowers that wove around the large, white lilies. “They only bloom on nights with a full moon.”

“They’re captivating,” Rose whispered with a bit of awe. She wished she could bend over and touch them, but her gown was quite restrictive.

“They only grow in mountainous terrain. The ones here are nice, but one day I’ll take you to where they grow wild. On nights with a full moon, they cover the whole mountainside, and it looks like the stars have taken residence with us, an entire sea of silvery light.”

“I’d like to see that.”

Nicholas led her to a small bench beside the pond. They sat down, which took some effort on Rose’s part.

“Ava fell on her face when we made her wear a formal dress like this.” Nicholas chuckled.

“She told me. Poor thing!”

“We didn’t realize that wearing dresses like these required training,” Nicholas said regretfully. “She hasn’t had to wear one since. Even her wedding dress was simple by high society standards. It doesn’t seem like the full skirts were a problem for you, though,” he added.

“I had etiquette tutoring at my uncle’s. ”

“What I meant to say” —Nicholas took Rose’s hand into his— “is that I’ve been very impressed with how well you’ve handled” —he gestured as if including the whole castle— “all of this. You’ve done more than I could have asked, especially given the circumstances.”

Rose really couldn’t figure this man out. Was he complimenting her or reminding her that she was about to serve as collateral for his family? Her heart screamed that it was a genuine compliment. Her head warned her against letting her guard down any further.

“I’ve stuck my foot in my mouth.” Nicholas wrinkled his nose, and his head swayed.

“No, I’m just…” Rose sifted through all the words scrambling around in her head. If nothing else, Nicholas had been honest with her. She could be honest with him. “It’s hard for me to know where I really stand with” —she gestured as if including the whole castle— “all of this.”

Nicholas nodded. “I understand.”

Rose wasn’t sure he did.

“I mean,” he added, “That makes sense. Circumstance dealt you an extraordinary hand. I like to think that my family is welcoming, but it doesn’t change the fact that we’re using you in the same way your uncle did.

” He let out a breath of air that carried the weight of the world.

The firefly sparks that he’d summoned earlier disappeared.

“Still, you’ve handled everything so well.

I’ve been nothing but impressed by you since the moment we met.

I wish our situation were different, but I’m glad you’re to be my wife and that our families have brought us together. ”

“Oh,” Rose said, taken aback by the tenderness of his confession.

“May I kiss you?” Nicholas asked.

She felt her heart pounding so hard that she wondered if it might burst out of her chest. Butterflies danced out of her stomach and into her head, making her dizzy with happiness. For a brief moment, her emotions took over, and she lost control of her aura.

“You’re pink,” Nicholas exclaimed.

She snapped apart the connection between her senses and the aural plane, realizing she wanted Nicholas to kiss her. She very much wanted it.

Her head nodded in consent; she closed her eyes and turned her face toward his.

Nicholas gently wrapped one arm around her waist, pulling her close. The other he placed at the nape of her neck, guiding her head close to his face. He started the kiss gently, lightly placing his soft lips against hers, then slowly deepened it, wrapping his fingers in her hair.

Rose thought she might melt under his sweet touch.

She opened her mouth to his tongue, glad for its soft invasion.

His hands wandered to her waist, then pulled her into his lap, hugging her tightly.

Waves of pleasant tension shot to her core, and she felt light-headed as Nicholas continued to deepen the kiss, trailing one of his hands to cup her face tenderly.

She’d never had a first kiss that was so… electric. Perhaps Nicholas was more skilled with his lightning magic than he th ought.

Nicholas reluctantly pulled away, trailing a few kisses down her neck, but stopping before going any lower. Rose’s anticipation as his mouth hovered above her collarbone was almost unbearable.

“Shall we go inside?” he asked, peeking at her through silvery lashes.

“That would probably be wise,” Rose replied softly.

He kissed her one more time and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

They walked back to Rose’s room together in comfortable silence. They held hands, which was good because Rose worried she might float away from how light and airy the kiss made her feel. She couldn’t get her head down from the clouds.

At the door to her room, Nicholas put his hands on Rose’s waist and lowered his head so their foreheads gently touched.

“Did you enjoy yourself tonight?” he whispered, mouth hovering deliciously close to Rose’s ear. A pleasant shudder went down her back. The thought of inviting Nicholas into her room played in the back of her mind.

Rose was about to answer him when the bedroom door opened, revealing a very tired Betty. The poor maid had been waiting to help Rose with her hair and gown.

“My Lord! My Lady! I didn’t mean to interrupt! So sorry!” She slammed the door back into place, still shutting herself inside Rose’s room.

Nicholas laughed, and Rose felt the tension of the moment ease.

“Good night, Nicholas,” she leaned up, giving him a soft kiss on the lips.

“Good night, my Rose.”