“Exactly,” he rumbles, his husky voice causing goosebumps to rise over my skin. I smile at him before leaning in to join our lips, his taste making a soft moan dance in my throat—drawing an even deeper one from him. “Are yousurewe can’t delay it?” His hands move down my sides to rest on my hips before tightening as he pulls me flush against his hard lines.
“Ravage meafterI make a bunch of other men like me,” I say against his mouth, kissing the corners of it before pulling back.
“Don’t joke about that,” he growls, but I watch as his gray eyes move from a storm of desire to something more tender. “I love you. Regardless of what anyone else says, that will never change. My love for you will not falter.”
My exhale is soft, and it takes a minute to find my voice again. “The moon may have the stars, but I willalwayshave you.” I had told Nox the importance of those words, how I had never said them to anyone else but Bella. How they became an anchor of love and truth when I needed it most, and now theyfeel like the only ones strong enough to truly convey how much I care about him.
His responding smile is soft as he places one more kiss on my lips and then takes my hand. We turn for the door and for what I hope will be the first step towards a future where neither of us has to pretend to be anything other than what we are.
Upon arrival, Nox is asked to wait outside the council room. We had figured this might be a possibility, if only because the council recognizes that he is very vigilant over me and, as a result, they are afraid he will interfere if the line of questioning gets toointense.
“Are you ready?” Sadryn asks me as he walks up, placing a hand on Nox’s shoulder. He’s dressed casually just as he always is, his shoulder-length hair pulled back and tied at the base of his neck.
“I think so.”
“Good.” He sends me a wink before turning to Nox, chuckling at the tense look on his son’s face. “She’s answering questions in a council room not going on a deadly mission.” Nox doesn’t smile and instead glares at his father, who laughs again.
Nox turns to look me in the eye as he promises, “I’ll be right outside these doors waiting for you.”
I nod, giving him one last smile before turning and accepting Sadryn’s extended arm. Together, we enter the council chambers.
“Please, come have a seat,” Daje’s father says as he gestures to an empty chair on his left. I glance at the council—all men with the exception of a single woman—as I move to the indicated seat, the fabric of my skirt shuffling as I walk. My steps seem to echo loudly, the weight of every pair of eyes on me making my shoulders round. The concentration of all the magic gathered here is suffocating, as if my head is being pushed below water.
King Sadryn sits at the head of the table, Daje’s father to his left and the other eight council members spread out on either side so that the only empty chair remaining is directly across from me. As I take my seat, I look out at the rest of the room. I’m not necessarily surprised to see Daje sitting in a chair against a wall given who his father is. He nods his head sharply, a small grin accompanying the movement, before his eyes dart back to his father’s. I am, however, surprised to find Haylee at his side. She avoids meeting my eyes, instead staring off to my left.
“You’ll have to forgive Councilwoman Mora; she is out ill today and unable to attend,” Daje’s father says, his voice deep as he focuses entirely on me. “My name is Councilman Kallin, and I am the king’s lead advisor and head of this council. I will be asking most of the questions, but the other council members may ask any additional ones they have as well. Do you understand?”
I nod in silence.
“Before we begin, can you please confirm for the record what your name is?”
I look at Sadryn, the corners of his mouth rising as he subtly nods his head. “Rhea Selene.”
Councilman Kallin’s gray eyes bore into me from my right. “And where are you from, Miss Selene?”
“The town of Santor,” I answer, fighting the urge to nervously chew on my lower lip.I can do this. Iwilldo this.
“And where did you and His Highness meet?” I answer the question and a handful of similar ones, feeling myself grow more at ease. We had prepared well so far. When I finish explaining how Nox asked me to come here to Galdr with him, Councilman Kallin gestures to the other council members. “You may ask any questions you have.”
An older gentleman with kind brown eyes and graying-black hair sits up taller in his chair to the right of Sadryn, his elbowsleaning on the table. “Hello, Lady Rhea. I’m Councilman Hadrik. We’ve heard the logistics of how you and Prince Nox came into your courtship, but I’d like to hear more about what drew you to him. What was it that made you fall in love?”
The councilman sitting to my immediate left scoffs, his hand running over his bald head. “The girl needs to answer questions that areactuallyrelevant, Hadrik.”
Councilman Hadrik tilts his head, his lips curling up the slightest bit. “LadyRhea has indicated that she was not aware Nox was the crown prince when they met. I think it isrelevantto have her prove to us that this is true by listing what she does in fact love about him. The entire existence of this line of questioning is to make sure someone isn’t marrying into the royal family for thewrongreasons, is it not Councilman Borris?”
The other councilman grumbles under his breath but gestures for me to continue. I look around the table at the collection of faces here—some observing me like I’m something of mystery, while the majority study me as if I mean them harm. But thinking about the reasons I fell for Nox is easy because Ididfall for him before I knew that he was a prince.
“It was his kindness,” I start, willing my breathing to calm and my heart to beat steadily. “It was the gentle way he spoke to me and how he made himself aware of the things I didn’t or couldn’t verbalize that I needed. He is selfless and sweet and funny but also brave and incredibly smart. He loves his kingdom, his people, his family and friends. And he isn’t afraid to show that love or to make it known. He is…everything.”
The room is silent when I finish, so I flash another look to Sadryn, who sends me a wink in what I hope is approval of my answer.
“Hmm,” Councilman Hadrik says, leaning back in his chair. “A lovely answer.”
“Our current queen is quite involved in leading the kingdom with His Majesty. Should you and Nox marry, what kind of queen do you see yourself becoming?” the lone councilwoman asks from farther down the table to my left. She looks to be about Sadryn’s age, her long black hair braided back from her face and resting over her shoulder in a style that’s similar to my own.
I had thought long on this question, often writing down my thoughts in my journal on the rare mornings I would wake up early enough to do so. “I would hope to be the kind of queen that leads with heart. One who understands what it is to not always make the right choices but to persevere despite the mistakes made. One who is brave.”
The councilwoman smiles as she laces her fingers together on the table. “You speak of bravery, yet you avoided this council meeting for a long while. Is the burden you placed on Prince Nox by doing so an example of how you willsupporthim as his queen?” The man next to her—Councilman Osiris, I believe—snickers from where he leans back in his chair.
