Father smiled at the pair as the queen basked in his gaze, the picture of motherhood.
“Jessal has urged me to right a wrong as well,” Father said, pulling me under his arm in a sidelong embrace as we looked at the new little prince. “I am to reinstate your titles.” Shock worked through me. “You are a true princess of Oakhaven, and it shall be known to all.” My heart sprang into my throat, tasting metallic and sweet. “And you are here to stay in court with your family from now on.”
It was everything I had ever wanted.
My father’s love. A place at court. My titles. I stood dumbstruck.
“And the other news,” The queen said, still rocking the babe in her arms. It felt wrong that a baby was in her arms at all. Her child or not. The things she had done to Arlo, to Calypstra. She was pure evil.
“Yes, the captain. As I’m sure you learned, he is of royal blood. He told us of your harrowing tale. Both the only survivors after the sinking of his ship, and then trapped on a small island alone for days.” Father smiled, truly, kindly. Filled with love and adoration for me. The way I’d always wished my father would look at me. Almost losing me seemed to truly make him see I had worth. That I was, after all, his flesh and blood.
“The captain explained that through your hardship, you both have fallen in love.”
I almost choked on the accusation, ready to deny it with every breath until my last, to protect him. “It seems the Guardians fated all this. A lesson for me that I’ll surely never forget. Therefore, if you wish,onlyif you wish,” the king clarified, “I will agree to your union of love.”
He would allow me to marry Arlo, if I chose to. Astonishment rattled through me. “I am not sure that—” I started, but the queencut me off.
“Eadric, at least let him come in and see her. He’s been waiting for her to wake for days now.”
Days?
“Who?” I questioned.
“Guards, let him in,” Father ordered.
The doors slowly opened and there stood Arlo. Tall and strong and stable Arlo. Clean-shaven, head sheared, and well dressed. The way he looked the first day I met him. The most annoyingly handsome man I’d ever had the misfortune of being imprisoned on a ship by.
“Elowyn.” His voice broke. He charged into the room and scooped me up into his arms, lifting me from my feet. I never thought I would be safe in his arms again. “I’m so sorry.” He pressed a kiss onto the top of my head. “I’msosorry,” he repeated, lifting my feet from the ground. That warm, hard body that had held me in place below the sea.
“Okay, okay. Enough, Arlo,” the queen scolded playfully. “After all, she is a princess.”
“Oh, let them be,” Father said. “They’re in love.”
Arlo released me and took my face into his calloused hands. “Elowyn, if you want to be married, then we shall be,” he said softly. “Because I love you and I never wish to lose you again.”
He wished to marry me? But what of Calypstra? What of his daughter?
“Give her time.” Father said, clasping Arlo’s shoulder. “She’s tired, I’m sure.”
Then my father took my hand in his large paw and gave it a squeeze, looking first to me, then to little Edward. His heir.
Vega and I walked arm in arm back to my room. There was a strange peace in Highthorn Castle. Spring was soaring to life within its tall walls, the scent of flowers on the crisp air stirring my soul as crickets sang their songs in the distance and the sun set on the somehow-perfect day.
“That captain, he’s something, huh?” Vega snickered. “When can we look at wedding gowns? Also, how do you feel about ice swans?”
“Oh great, let me guess. You have the whole event planned?”
“Just need to send out the invitations,” Vega teased, bumping into me as we walked leisurely through an ivy-covered archway that led up the stairs to the Onyx Chambers.
Father offered to move me to his wing of the castle over dinner, but I had insisted on staying where it was familiar. I also needed distance to comb through the whirlwind of thoughts in my mind.
Vega paused at the door of my bedchambers, waiting to go in.
I turned to her.
“Would you mind if I slept alone tonight?” I asked.
Her soft face twisted to hold back a frown.
