Page 50 of The Chains You Defy

When Dion reached for a piece of confectionery as well, I dared to collect one of my own, gently putting the mouthwatering delicacy on the rim of my saucer. “Thank you.”

Gods, I behaved like a parrot that had never learned to speak more than a single phrase.

The prince busied himself with snacking on his chosen piece of confectionery, and when he’d finished the treat, he chose another one. Maybe his behavior was his way of showing me he wanted to give us women space, but all I could think of was how envious I was that he enjoyed himself.

Although, in all honesty, I could watch him nibbling at the cube-shaped desserts for a long time. How he nodded approvingly after each bite was quite cute.

“Could you perhaps recount in your own words what happened, or would this be too much?”

The queen’s words hit me square in the chest. Only considering forcing everything back to the surface tiedmy airways together. I just wanted to forget. “Didn’t Dion explain the details?” Gods, this had been impolite, but the queen didn’t seem to mind.

“Yes, but I’d like to hear your side of the story.” Ann’s voice was full of compassion.

The fae next to me was still busy feasting on the treats, but without even looking, he seized one of my hands and engulfed my fingers in his, squeezing them gently in encouragement.

And so I summarized the events of the last few months as briefly as I could. Not everything, only what had led to my almost death at the gallows, about being rescued by Dion and his soldiers, how I’d had no idea they were fae, and that Perran Feroy had hunted me. My story ended outside Amalach, where he’d found and kidnapped me, and after a moment of reluctance, I added waking up in his dungeon, mentioning that my host had treated me rather unkindly.

Especially during the last part, I kept my tale short, not only because the memory threatened to bury me alive, but also because after a few words, Dion lost his composure and growled under his breath.

Ugh, I wanted to kick myself. Of course, he got all agitated since I hadn’t spoken of the time I’d been tortured in Feroy’s dungeons yet, and I stopped my report abruptly. The fae appeared too murderous for my taste, as if he was fighting with himself not to storm off to finish the merchant once and for all.

As he noticed me glancing at him, Dion frowned, then schooled his expression and selected another sweet treat. This rare show of restraint earned him a dip of my chin and a smile of encouragement. That he attempted to dampen his temper was unusual.

To distract myself, I observed him a moment longer, expecting him to indulge in the candy he’d picked up, but instead of biting into the small cube of chocolate, he leaned closer and brought the piece to my mouth.

When I didn’t catch on to his intentions fast enough and just stared at the treat, he scowled. Finally, after he’d tapped the cube against my lips twice, I opened up and bit into the delicacy.

My eyes widened as flavor exploded in my mouth, and I barely suppressed a groan. There was the bittersweet taste of chocolate, but underneath was some sort of soft cake with a light nutty flavor and some tart, sweet-and-sour cherry jam.

Dion grinned at me, and then the other half of the heavenly treat disappeared in his mouth.

I caught a glimpse of his wickedly sharp-looking peaked canines. They weren’t prolonged like the fangs of a wolf, at least as far as I could evaluate, but they were definitely not as harmless as my human teeth. I bet he’d have no problem drawing blood with his bite, just like a true predator. An involuntary warm shudder I couldn’t explain ran down my spine. Nothing unpleasant, just weird.

Oh my, he’d managed to distract us both.

Queen Anneria had witnessed our little spectacle with amusement. Blood rushed into my face as I straightened. Making a scene in front of royalty. Ugh.

Ann schooled her features as well and acted as if the whole interlude hadn’t happened. “You’ve been through a lot, Nayana. How are you dealing with your horrid memories?”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re not,” Dion chimed in.

The audacity of the prince. My eyes shot daggers at him before turning back to Ann. “Please don’t listen to him. He’s under the illusion of knowing me better than I do myself.”

“If you don’t want to talk about your experiences—to me or anyone—you won’t have to. But still, I want to offer you the opportunity to consult one of the court medics who specializes in treating wounds of the soul.”

“How is that even supposed to work?” I’d never heard of such a thing.

“Through conversation. A professional helps sort out your thoughts and supports you by validating your feelings. This might sound like madness to you, but I can assure you that the approach works.”

“I’m grateful for your offer, but, to be honest, I don’t think baring my inner self to a stranger could do me any good. Besides, I’m dealing with the past, and I’ll be fine.”

“Sometimes, a detached person is exactly what is needed. Distance allows them to see more clearly. Such a treatment helped me when I’d been at a breaking point. But I accept your stance. Still, the offer stands should you change your mind.”

“That helped you?” Frowning, I scanned the young queen, wondering what hardships she had to endure.

Ann nodded but didn’t elaborate. “Just consider my proposition.”