Mercifully, the song ended, and Arden bowed and kissed Eleria’s hand just as the castle bells rang out.
Finally, Stella would have Arden to herself for a few precious moments. She tracked him as he politely excused himself, whispered to his guard, Falon Everett, and walked out of the tent.
The minutes dragged until finally Stella allowed herself to dash out of the tent and into the garden. She followed the familiar path through the queen’s garden, rounding the corner to her favorite rosebushes, the ones she walked to with her mother and Rosie every Saturday morning, and skirting the hedges to approach a darker, more secluded spot.
She’d barely cleared the hedge when strong arms grabbed her and tugged her against a firm chest. She bit back a yelp as she looked up at Arden’s playful grin. He’d slid his mask up on his head so she could see him clearly in the moonlight.
He kissed her, slowly, his hands roaming down her bodice, pulling away to whisper in her ear.
“You are the most beautiful thing I’ve seen all day. All life, if I’m being honest.”
Their time together was always frenzied, rushed, snuck into stolen moments in corners, closets, or the occasional castle guest room. It was thrilling, but Stella wanted what everyone else had—the time and space to go slow. She wanted to show the world their love.
They had known each other since they were children, but nine months ago, those years of friendship had shifted into something new.
She’d been standing on the beach, staring out at the waves, trying to assess if the surf was too rough for her morning swim. Arden was out for a run and stopped to talk to her. A quick conversation about storm tides had turned into a three-hour walk along the edge of the sea.
Stella had never had such an easy time talking to anyone, but Arden was such a good listener and he was one of the few people who could understand the pressure that came with being such a public figure.
She’d thought it was a one-time thing, but Arden started meeting her once a week to walk and talk, and, two months later, at the harvest festival, he’d brought her a bouquet of daisies, taken her for a walk in the gardens, and kissed her for the first time under the harvest moon.
The past seven months had been a blur of sneaking away to see each other every chance they could get, but Stella was ready for more.
“When are we going to tell everyone?”
Arden turned her so he could meet her gaze, his dark eyes bright with lust. “I have a plan for that. Something that my parents will have to honor. The last day of the festival, just before the Gauntlet Games start. I will give a speech to the people and I’m going to introduce you as my betrothed.”
Stella frowned. “What if your parents are upset? I don’t want to start off on the wrong foot.”
Arden shook his head. “Nonsense—my parents love you already and our families are so close. They won’t fight me on this. I’m certain.”
“If they don’t want you to marry a foreign princess, then why is Eleria here?”
Arden blew out a frustrated breath. “Stella, you know this is what I must do to ensure peace for now. Please, I have so little time with you this week. I don’t want to talk about whatever foreign princess myparents are foisting upon me. I want to enjoy my time alone with you.”
Stella sighed. She knew it was true. The rebel group, the Sons of Endros, had been making trouble for years, trouble that was only escalating. The mild vandalism she’d seen in her youth had turned into more violent, destructive crimes in recent years. But each time the Teripins had a foreign princess at court, the havoc died down, at least temporarily.
“You know what happened last month,” Arden said.
Stella shuddered thinking about it. The Sons of Endros had murdered one of the most avid supporters of women’s marriage sovereignty and left his body in the town square under their sigil as an offering to Endros, the god of war. The Sons were staunchly opposed to all of the work Arden’s mother, Queen Ilani, and Queen Jessamin of Argaria had been doing to give women the right to choose their own partners, instead of being married off by their fathers.
“That’s why they’ve scheduled this visit for the Solstice Festival and the Gauntlet Games,” Arden said. “If the Jeset royals are in town, they bring their own extra security, and that means things will go smoothly over the next few weeks.” He ran his thumb over her bottom lip. “Let’s not waste our limited time together on worries. I don’t want to talk about some other woman when you’re here looking unbearably beautiful and we’re finally alone.”
Arden kissed her and all the doubt in her mind burned away in a flash. She slid her hands up the front of his tunic and he kissed her deeper. The routine was practiced. He was careful not to ruffle her dress as he hiked it up over her legs. She was not nearly as careful, running her hand through his dark waves and tugging him closer. There was something so intoxicating about being alone with him. There was such a reverence when the people spoke to him, but every time she looked at him she only saw her warm, sweet, romantic Arden.
His hands trailed up her inner thighs and she shivered. The anticipation was almost enough to make her groan. It had only beena few days, butthiswas right.Thiswas what she’d been needing so badly.
Stella sighed into his mouth.
“I’ve missed you,” he murmured, kissing along her jaw. “I can’t wait until I can have you anytime I want. I want the world to know you’re mine.”
A throat cleared. Stella froze and saw her panic reflected in Arden’s eyes. He practically threw her off his lap, hopped to his feet, and buttoned his pants. He tucked his shirt back into place as Stella smoothed her dress.
Arden’s guard, Falon, stepped around a hedge. “Sorry, Your Grace, but someone just stumbled into the garden. It sounds like they’re getting sick.”
Arden nodded. He looked as disappointed as Stella felt as he pulled her into one last quick kiss. “I’m sorry.”
Stella smiled weakly, shoving down her frustration. “I know.”
