Page 72 of Wicked Prince of Frost

Violet blushes again. It makes me want to find every possible way to pull that reaction from her.

When I reach for her hand, she weaves her fingers through mine, letting me guide the way.

She is too distracted by the activity in the square to notice where we are headed until we stand before a bookstore three stories high. Her mouth parts in realization.

“It is not the same as the one you wanted to go to?—”

“No. It’s even better.”

Hands still linked, she half-drags me inside. Reluctantly, I release her. She stops in the center of the first floor, pressing her fingers to her mouth to stifle her gasp, and slowly turns in a full circle.

“You can have whatever books you can carry,” I say, then motion for her to explore. She does without hesitation, knowing I will follow close behind.

Violet runs her fingers over the covers of books with gold corners and the most intricate embossing ever created—one-of-a-kind books intended to be works of art as much as something to read.

But she doesn’t take a single one of them.

She asked for access to the palace library to research, and Iassumed she wanted to visit the bookstore in Lummi for similar reasons. But until now, I had not realized the joy she found in books themselves.

After an hour, she has amassed a small stack of books, most of which are no thicker than a notebook.

Violet has barely spoken since we entered the store, her attention stolen by the books. I could be a ghost standing at her side, for how little she notices. Yet her joy has completely ensnared me. Such happiness is foreign to me.

Is this what life away from curses and the weight of the crown is like?

Never in my life have I seen anyone so happy over anything, let alone being the reason for it.

I bring out my pouch of coins, barely taking my eyes off her long enough to pay. There is enough to buy half the books in the store if she wanted them.

“You must be newly bonded,” the man behind the counter says.

I turn to the merchant, an older gentleman graying at the temples. He looks between us with a warm smile as he wraps each of the books except the one Violet is lost in. His voice takes on a dreamy quality.

“I remember those days with my Corine. Things will change with the passing years, and your love will grow and temper, but such moments are worth enjoying each other while the passion still burns.”

A heavy possessiveness settles in my chest. Violet doesn’t hear him, and I am glad. If she is made to blush, then it should be mine alone to claim.

I mutter a harsh goodbye and usher Violet out into the bustling square. She adds the book she was reading during the exchange to the bag with the others. I insist on carrying it for her as we make our way back toward the city’s main gate.

We only make it a few blocks before Violet stops at a corner. I turn to her, expecting something to be wrong.

“I was thinking…” she says with a look of such innocence that it makes her seem guilty.

I narrow my eyes, instantly suspicious. “Yes, Wife?”

“Should we get something to take back for Mingi and Iseul? We haven’t exactly made things easy on them.”

“All right,” I sigh. With the streets this packed, it will be much faster if I only need to worry about getting myself through the crowd. “Wait here. I will only be a few minutes.”

Violet leans into me and takes the bag. Her broad smile is warm and filled with victory. She sees me in a way no one else does. She instinctively senses my weaknesses and doesn’t hesitate to use them against me.

The streets are even more crowded than before. Patrons push and shove their way through the throng, not even noticing when they bump into others.

Luckily, a nearby vendor is selling the colorful, chewy, steamed cakes the siblings have always been fond of.

I have been gone less than five minutes, but as I return to where I left Violet, I cannot see her through the mass of bodies. A sinking feeling settles in my gut.

Heedless of those around me, I shove through the throng with more force, using my powers to help move those not paying attention. Shouts and cries of alarm ring out, but I ignore them.