Page 143 of The Chains You Defy

“Fuck it.” That hand was mine, and I wouldn’t let her go, not even if my grandfather appeared in front of us. Even he wasn’t able to ruin today for me.

Thank the Triad for the rites and customs of my people. The High King could order the slaughter of thousands of fae, and no one would bat an eyelash. But if he messed with any of the rites, he’d have an uprising to deal with in no time.

Twice, I’d tried to trick him into committing a serious mistake like openly ignoring traditions, but both attempts hadn’t turned out well for me.

Hmm, maybe another shot was due.

But not when my courtship rites were involved. However, I should definitely revisit this train of thought later.

“Explain why we’re rushing through the palace as if it’s on fire.”

“You hate surprises, don’t you?”

“As if you enjoy them.”

She had a point. Also, the creases on her forehead made me reconsider keeping everything close to my chest.

Fuck.

She was worried, and that was the last thing I wanted. “I’m taking you on a small excursion to show you my favorite place in both worlds.”

Well, this wasn’t entirely true anymore because lately, my most treasured spot was wherever she stayed, but—technicalities.

“Oh, this is leisure? Is it safe for us to leave the palace?”

“In a way, yes.”

“Only in a way?”

“Sharing my secret sanctuary with you is something I crave. And yes, it’s safe enough. Don’t worry. For once, I’m quite sure Galrach doesn’t know nor care about my refuge, and for what it’s worth, we have an official concession for the Third Act of Courtship.”

“Oh.”

Her hand turned clammy.

Unacceptable.

Why was my courting affecting her nerves? After all, I’d clearly and more than once announced what my intentions were, and only because she was clinging to the illusion she could keep me at arm’s length didn’t make my efforts any less sincere.

Because one thing was certain. Nayana was mine, even if she still fought tooth and nail against admitting the truth. But we’d find out soon who was the more stubborn specimen of the two of us. While she was a serious contender, losing this particular battle would be intolerable for me.

“Why do we have to share a horse? After all the months of traveling, I’m sure I can ride on my own.”

“We don’t know for certain.”

“And we’ll never find out if I can’t try.”

“Ah, good. It was only a question of time until you saw reason, thank fuck.”

“Princeling.” Seething, I attempted to create some distance between us on top of Cath, Dion’s war horse, which was even more of a giant than the unnamed steed we’d left behind in Ivreia. And of course, his coat rivaled his master’s hair in terms of darkness, as if the princewould perish if he came in contact with any other color than black for a prolonged amount of time.

To no one’s surprise, my struggles were in vain as the infuriating fae tightened his arms, tucked me closer into his chest, and rested his chin on my head. He must place a lot of confidence in his stallion to relax in such a manner, and for an irritating second, I asked myself if he trusted the animal more than me. As the unwanted picture of him whispering secrets into the beast’s ears entered my mind, I couldn’t stifle a chuckle. Why had my thoughts taken such a weird turn?

“Shush now. We’ll be arriving soon.”

“About time.” A few weeks of leisure, and my body had forgotten how to adapt to spending several hours on horseback.

Being engulfed in a massive fae made movement complicated, but I rolled my hurting shoulders as well as I could.