“Sealing this moment in my memory. I’m determined to remember what you look like, after all that talk about how you did not accept himand yet.”
Thyra scoffed. “I haven’t accepted him as my mate. But that doesn’t mean I can’t have a bit of fun.”
She didn’t sound convinced, and when I opened my eyes to see Thantrel watching her, amused and not at all offended, my heart lifted. Clearly Than was confident that one day they’d be together. So confident that he continued to put up with my sister’s public denial.
“Fun indeed,” Thantrel said. “We would have had more fun if a certain princess hadn’t come knocking.”
Thyra whirled. “No, we were kissing. Nothing more.”
Sex meant the bond could snap into place.
“More time together,” Thantrel said as he came up behind her and pressed a hand into the small of her back. “But I can see that our stolen minutes are up.” He winked as he strolled by me, a self-satisfied smirk on his face and red marks blooming on his strong jaw. “Don’t keep her too long, Isolde. She offered me a dance, and if I don’t get it, I’ll have to seek her out in her room.”
“I’ll tell Astril not to let you in,” Thyra said but there was no venom to her tone.
“I can be very persuasive, love. You know that.”
I rolled my eyes. “Stars, I don’t want to keep you here at all. Truly, I only need to empty my bladder.”
Thyra smirked and strode past me as if she were the queen of all the nine kingdoms, not a fae who had been caught making out in a toilet.
The chamber was smaller than private bathing chambers, but just as extravagant as the rest of Ramshold. So much gold in a room that was a third the size of the suite I shared with Vale. Large enough that I imagined my sister and Thantrel were farfrom the only fae to have stolen into the room to lose themselves in one another.
I did my business and allowed myself a few extra minutes of alone time before exiting the room. I’d expected that Thyra and Thantrel returned to the party, but found my sister leaning against the opposite wall.
“I didn’t think you’d still be out here,” I said.
She pushed off the wall. “I wanted to ask that you not say anything about what you saw.”
“Of course not.”
“Not even to Clemencia or Anna.”
“They were included in that statement.” I paused. “But what of Vale? He knows you two kissed. I couldn’t help but tell him when I first saw it.”
Thyra let out a soft chuckle. “You can tell him, I suppose. He’s as invested in Thantrel and me as you are.”
“Your names roll off your tongue so easily together.” We fell into step. “I have to know, have you changed your mind and just not told him? You did let him take you out, after all.”
“Everyone else had plans—now I realize they were setting things up, but I felt left out. What else was I supposed to do? Sit around the castle?” She cast a sidelong glance at me. “Plus, I wanted to see more of the city.”
I’d already heard of their date. Thantrel took her to dinner at a playhouse. My sister, like me, enjoyed the theater, and also like me, she’d had little chance to go over the turns.
“You can just say that you wanted to go out with him.”
She swallowed. “I did, but . . . and I realize how ridiculous this sounds given what you told me about Sian—I’m still conflicted.”
About the marriage between House Balik and our own.
“Sian would be relieved to have freedom.”
“Perhaps.” She let out a long hum, and we fell silent until we were about a dozen paces from the room where the party was still in full swing. “Isolde?”
“Yes?”
“If Thantrel and I disappear later, will you cover for us?”
My heart soared. “Happily.”
