Page 29 of The Reluctant Queen (Fear & Focus Duology #1)

twenty-nine

Hevva and Ehmet enter a cottage.

H evva paced the balcony of the upper library, where she’d gone to hide out to spy on Ehmet and Kas in the courtyard. She couldn’t hear them from this location, since she was situated several floors above the drive and behind a pane of glass. But she kept her eye on Ehmet’s broad back and her brother's skinny face. She watched as Ehmet shrugged a shoulder and said something to her sibling who nodded and ran into the house.

Kas found her not long later, shouting up from the main floor of the library that she wasn’t allowed to watch the king anymore and needed to come down.

“Why must I come down?” Hevva called back.

“Because there’s a surprise for you, and you can’t ruin it first.”

“What’s the surprise?” She began to descend the spiraling stairs.

“I just said you can’t ruin it! I don’t even know, anyway.” Kas shrugged. He grabbed her by the hand and pulled her down the hall, down another hall, and all the way back into the windowless part of the kitchens.

Hevva resumed her pacing as Peetha, the cook, eyed them with trepidation.

“We’re not here to ruin dinner...or our appetites.” Kas grinned as he plucked a roll from the already plated tray. “Although, we might need more food. I think someone else will be joining us. ”

“Who?” Peetha asked, her pupils flicking back and forth between Kas and Hevva.

“The king,” Hevva bit out. “Oh, why is he even here!? What is even happening?”

The cook side-eyed the young lord who pumped his brows.

“Stop that!” Hevva scolded them both halfheartedly.

A gigantic boom erupted from nowhere, shaking her to her core as it rattled the cookware.

“What was that?!” Peetha braced herself against the worktable.

“I think that was the signal.” Kas beamed, his small mouth threatening to split as it stretched wide.

Cautiously, Hevva left the kitchen and walked outside via the front doors. Ehmet wasn’t in the courtyard any longer, but a silvery glowing light beyond the south wing caught her eye, and she hurried in that direction.

When Hevva rounded the side of Summer Cottage, the sadness that had weighed so heavily on her since she’d fled Kirce, up and walked away. Her footsteps faltered as lightness rushed her, overflowing its basin and sweeping her along in the flood of joy. She inhaled past the tightness in her throat, taking in the sight before her eyes.

Not fifty yards away was Ehmet, looking for all the world like Berim. He stood beside the door to a quaint and cozy stone cottage with ivy-covered walls and a curl of smoke coming from the chimney.

That definitely wasn’t there before.

In front of the king, peppered across the lawn, lay at least twenty glowing moons of his creation. A shimmering silver ribbon caught the faux moonlight as it wound around the lights in the grass.

Hevva met Ehmet’s eye as she approached, and she could see that big goofy grin from all the way across the lawn. She smiled back at him and shook her head, unsure what was happening or what to allow herself to feel, but unable to stop herself from beaming in his presence.

The ribbon that curled amongst the glowing orbs began to undulate and flow, rising up into the air where it found form and stilled, hovering.

She scanned the words writ large and thought her heart might burst from their impact. “I love you” floated in a glowing silver ribbon across the blackened sky.

“I love you, Hevva,” he shouted across the grass.

She took off, racing toward him as she shouted her response, “I love you too, you giant fool! Aren’t you betrothed?”

“Not anymore!” Ehmet threw his arms wide and welcomed her into his embrace, lifting her from the ground as their mouths smashed into one another. With their lips locked in passion and laughter, he twirled her in circles until they were dizzy with joy.

Finally, the king set the countess upon her feet, giving her the opportunity to look over at the cottage and then back at the many moons. “What is all of this?”

He turned her so her back was pressed against his broad chest and brought his hands down to splay across her hips. They stood there silently for a moment, looking at the glowing orbs.

“I asked you a question.”

Chuckling against the top of her head, his stubbled face scratched her. The heat of his breath made up for the infraction by sending the most delightful warmth cascading over the crown of her head. Hevva tried to turn around to face her king, but he held her in place.

“Soon,” he murmured. “Watch this first, I’ve been working on it, for you.”

In practiced synchronicity, the lights rose up into the sky until they were well above the rooftop of Summer Cottage. It was like the gods had made an error and sent twenty moons out that night instead of one. She followed them upward in awe, tilting her head to the skies.

“This will be loud, haven’t figured out that bit yet,” he mumbled.

With an enormous boom that rattled the windows of the house, again, the orbs exploded into a thousand fragments of light. No, into petals. Millions of glowing white petals—daisies, like her crown—showered from the dark sky, drifting down upon them. With a fizzling of pops, they vanished into thin air before reaching the ground.

Hevva grinned and clapped her hands. “Oh, that was beautiful!”

“I’m glad you like it.” His rough voice sent shivers down the length of her spine, and she wiggled back into him .

“Can we use this cottage?”

“Yes, but also no.”

This time when she turned to face him, he allowed it. “Why no?”

“Come inside and I will explain.” He clutched her hand in one of his own and the sensation of him closing his big fingers around her did a number on her sensibilities, which were rapidly waning.

Hevva’s fingers tensed around Ehmet’s hand, and he peered down at her in question.

“What about your great-uncle, Yusuf? And the other lady?”

E hmet wanted to laugh as much as he wanted to cry. Hevva couldn’t even bring herself to say Lady Tahereh’s name. She was jealous, which was frankly adorable. The bigger problem was that he hated himself for having put her through the pain of his betrothal to the earl’s daughter. In trying to keep his ill-pledged promise never to love, he’d done what he intended to avoid: hurt the woman who held his heart.

He told her as much, and more. They sat on the edge of the cottage’s bed beside the glowing orb-filled hearth, for the smoke escaping the chimney was only an illusion. The king was not a firebearer. For ages Hevva and Ehmet talked, putting to rest, or at least placating enough to return to later, the pain he’d caused them both to wallow in for so many weeks.

“Hevva, I will never intentionally hurt you again. I promise to never run from a conversation, to be irrationally angry, to get paranoid, or to chase away a beautiful opportunity out of fear.”

“Those are big promises, Ehmet.”

“I intend to keep them.”

“I’m not sure that you can choose to avoid irrational anger. Strikes the best of us at the worst times.”

“I promise not to take out any irrational anger on you or any other innocent people. Better? ”

“Much. And I promise you all of the same things.”

“No more running away when I’ve gone and made you feel too much?”

She pulled her wide lips into a pucker. “You did not need to be so bold with those words.”

He kissed her on the cheek.

“I shall try not to run away when you’ve made me feel too much. I can’t guarantee you won’t find me in some cupboard or pantry...but I won’t flee the kingdom.”

“I accept your offer.”

She curled into his chest.

The lady was thrilled to learn of the “discovery” of the journal that proved Lord Yusuf Hethtar had always been second born. She was perhaps even more thrilled to learn of Lady Tahereh’s compromising situation with Lord Koulos, though she expressed remorse that the lady may be forced into a bond she did not desire. Ehmet produced the note in Lady Tahereh’s hand for Hevva to read on her own. She blew air through her nose at one point, and Ehmet correctly assumed she’d reached the bit about Nekash.

“I’m going to kill him,” she growled.

He bit back a smile, heart soaring. “I’m terribly sorry to break the news to you, but it would not be the best decision for the kingdom if the queen were to kill the prince.”

H evva sucked in a breath, and the note fell from her hands. “What?” she whispered as the parchment fluttered to the floor and her heart to the ceiling.

“Hevva, it's no secret that I love you dearly. It took me some time to realize the extent of my feelings, but they run deep and shout truths at me that I can no longer ignore. I cannot bear to be away from you for even one more night of my life.” He captured her hands with his own and angled her toward him.

Hevva looked up at the man to find a shimmer of unshed tears blanketing his deep green eyes. She didn’t have the same level of self-control, and one leaked out, trickling down her cheek.

Ehmet held her hands in one of his own while he reached up to swipe away her tear. “Please, do not be sad. I love you so very much.”

“I’m not sad...anymore. I think this might be all the sadness that was sitting in me beginning to drain away.”

He chuckled, and when he blinked again a tear rolled down his face. “I think I can relate.”

Hevva kissed away his pain.

“I need to explain—why I didn’t believe in love.”

She cocked her head in question. “No, you don’t. I understand your fear, and I’m grateful you somehow pushed through it.”

“I’ll be pushing through it for a long time.”

“And I’ll be learning to use my words instead of running from you. I expect that will take a long time too.”

He pulled her into a passionate embrace. Ehmet’s tongue pressed into her mouth, and hers into his. Their lips met time and again for several enjoyable minutes. Eventually, he pulled away and settled her in beside him, one comfortable arm slung over her shoulder.

“Can you believe a nice, respectable match was all I wanted? Someone biddable ? Maybe friendship? Casual camaraderie? Can you believe I was opposed to this ?”

She snuggled into his chest.

“I didn’t expect to fall in love.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her hair.

Hevva tipped her head to look up, kissing Ehmet’s cheek before tucking herself back in. She could—and would—kiss him for hours later. Right now, she needed to feel the warm comfort of his embrace and listen to the rapid cadence of his heartbeat.

“I wanted to find a nice common boy.” She shrugged against his side.

“Oh, but you have.”

She could hear the smile in his voice. “How’s that?” She trailed a finger up the length of his big thigh, from kneecap to the point where he snatched her hand away.

“I believe Saka and Berim are getting engaged as well, haven’t you heard?”

“As well as who ?” she shot back, twisting out from beneath his arm and piercing him with a saucy look.

Ehmet stood and pulled her up to join him. She thanked the gods for his assistance as trembling anticipation took hold of her. With her hands shaking, mouth refusing to close, and eyes unable to so much as blink, she simply stared.

He dropped down to one knee.

She forgot how to breathe.

When he produced a dainty golden ring from within his pocket, Hevva was fairly certain her heart abandoned its duties as well. The world froze.

“Lady Hevva Tilevir, Countess of Kabuvirib, also known as Miss Saka of Rohilavol, also known as the love of my life...Will you do the great honor of becoming my wife?”

The fates sat poised, needle in hand, awaiting instructions on their next stitch.

“Yes!” A smile split her face as her knees gave out and she dropped to the floor before Ehmet.

He pulled her into a scorching kiss before locating her hand, on his arse, and moving it back between their bodies. Their eyes never left one another as he slid the golden band onto her finger.

“Is this one real?” she quipped.

Full of mirth, he said, “It is. Although, the cottage is not. And I have a sneaking suspicion my concentration won’t be enough to keep it standing—and us protected—while we celebrate our engagement.”

“Have you spoken with my parents already?”

“I have not.” He grimaced. “But I’m the king. What are they going to do, shout at me?”

She grinned. “Absolutely not. I think they will be quite pleased.”

“Good. I suppose we can invite them to our handfasting.”

“I think we should have two. Don't you? One for the king and queen, in Serkath. One for Saka and Berim, in Rohilavol. ”

“Oh, most certainly.”

Hevva bounced to her feet. Ehmet stood before her and opened his arms, but a joyous energy thrummed through her, so she leapt into his embrace, wrapping her long legs clear around his broad waist. Her skirts bunched high above her knees as she locked her bare ankles around his back, peppering kisses down the length of his jawline.

“You’re insane, woman.”

“Bring me inside. I’ll tell you where to go.”

They departed the cottage on one set of feet. As the happy pair crossed the lawn, a little pop indicated the dwelling had vanished from existence.

“There is a real cottage, by the way.”

“Where?” she asked into his throat before licking the length of it from hollow to ear.

He shivered delightfully and palmed her round bottom. “Stop that. Not yet.”

She did it again.

He gave her a pinch, and she squealed as he carried her up the stairs.

“The cottage is on the grounds of Kirce. It’s yours— ours— Saka and Berim’s.”

“I want to go there right now.” She clenched her legs around him as he fumbled with the handle to her room.

“Soon. But for now—” He pushed into the chamber and slammed the door behind them. “Get on that bed.”