“Kiss my what?”
“Your Highness,” we say in unison as we bow to her. Propriety and all that in public because she is, after all, our queen. Privately, she will always be my Zee, Quinn’s Princess, and Dax’s Little Captive.
“Your ass,” Quinn snaps.
Rapunzel gives him a little knowing grin. “I believe you did plenty of that last night.”
“And I believe you enjoyed it.” Quinn leans close to her, but not too close. We are always aware of watching eyes. “Plenty.”
A pretty blush heats her cheeks. “Enough of that. Your sister would have a word with you,SirQuinn.” Rapunzel’s first order of business the day after our coup was reinstating Quinn and Dax’s knighthoods. She also knighted me, and while Sir Wren still sounds wrong, I’m getting used to it. “Sir Dax, please help Sybil return to the hall. She’s getting chilled.”
Dax scoops up Rapunzel’s hand and places a kiss on her knuckles. “Anything for you, Your Highness.”
Then he’s off, dragging Quinn with him.
“I would have a private word with you, please,” I say to her.
Still barefoot, Rapunzel hitches up her yellow gown and marches across the courtyard. I follow her into the grand stone chapel. Cardinal Bram conducts mass here, but not today. Today is special, and the magnificent church is empty. “Now that you have me alone, whatever will you do with me?”
The possibilities are endless—but not here, and not now, despite the raging need to lift her skirt and fuck her even under the watchful eye of God himself.
Sunlight filters through arched, stained-glass windows, casting a muted rainbow of colors across the dim chapel. She scans the area, her curls swirling around her lovely face. Her hair has grown. It flows past her shoulders. The contrast of her fair skin, green eyes, and dark hair is striking.
Satisfied no one is hiding at the altar, or between the pews, she closes the distance between us, rises on her tiptoes, and kisses my lips tenderly.
“I’ve been aching to do that all morning,” she whispers.
I press my forehead to hers. “I should be angry with you.”
“Whatever for?”
“You forgot again.” I stroke the back of her hair. Down her spine. “What am I going to do with you, Zee?”
“Wren,” she whines, dragging out the ending of my name. “Explain, please.”
I should keep her guessing, but I’m not that mean.
Pulling away from her, I dig my hand into my breeches’ pocket. I extend my arm and open my hand. Rapunzel looks down. Blinks. Then gasps. She reaches out and reverently accepts a freshly picked peony.
“Happy twenty-fifth birthday, Rapunzel.”
With tears spilling down her cheeks, she clutches the flower to her chest. “This is much different from the last time you gave me a peony.”
“I wouldn’t take back that day, even if I could.”
Her watery grin cuts straight to my heart. “I rather enjoyed what you did to me against that tower.” She glances at the peony, then back at me. “Thank you, Wren, for everything. For finding me, and for loving me, and for saving me. I would have died in that tower if you hadn’t set me free.”
I wipe the tears from her cheeks. Kiss the tip of her nose. Then I give her a slow, measured shake of my head. “No, Rapunzel, you would have been fine. I didn’t free you. All I did was give you a gentle push to the door, but you walked yourself out. Don’t you see that? You’re the real magic. It was never your hair. It was alwaysyou. Just you. Your light. Your strength. Your courage. YouareRygard.” I take her free hand and place it on my chest. “You are the beating heart of this kingdom. Our heart.” I curl my fingers around hers and tug her toward the door. “Now, let’s go celebrate your birthday properly.”
* * *
“It’s been decades since Newkirk lit the lanterns.”
A deep divot appears between Rapunzel’s brows as we stand with her on the Great Balcony. We purposely brought her up here for the unobstructed view of the south garden. The sun finally finished its descent below the horizon. Even the weather knows how important tonight’s surprise is for Rygard’s queen.
After all, every member of her staff assembled to light up the night sky for her.
“Lanterns?”
