I look to him, too, but his expression gives away even less than Morwen’s. He’s simply observing. Silently judging? I can’t be bothered by that right now. I stagger a step, catching myself on the arm of the throne tree. A shudder runs through me, a tingle of undeniable power radiating from the bare branches. There might not be much life left in its roots, but this tree hasn’t given up yet.
Morwen nudges me with the tea tray again. I accept a fresh cup, if only to endear her to me a little more.
“But he’s…” I can hardly form the words, my tongue heavy, throat dry. “My…husband?”
“Not yet,” Morwen says, a sharp edge to her voice. “It takes quite a bit more than a bargain with a Dealmaker to become Queen of the Emerald Throne, human.”
“That’s not what I—”
“You thought you made a good deal for yourself,” she scoffs, the hospitable mask slipping.
“That’s enough,” the other demon snaps, stepping forward with his tail lashing behind him.
Morwen dips her head in deference, but her expression remains as pinched as ever as she retreats a step.
“To answer your question, your contract outlines a very specific type of betrothal in our lands. To be bloodsworn is to make a commitment not only to your betrothed, but to their lands and subjects, as well.”
My chest tightens, and I must look as faint as I feel, because Morwen ushers me to another seat while I fan myself.
“My lord, do you think this is the time?”
“I need to know,” I croak, turning a pleading look to him.
“The Dealmaker didn’t explain, did he?”
With a heavy sigh and a hand raked over his face, he sits down and begins to explain.
It’s a lot to take in, but Valenar—the demon’s name, I learn—is more patient with my ignorance than Morwen, outlining in detail the three main stages of my engagement. The Presentation, the ball we had tonight; The Unveiling, a trip across the lands to meet the subjects; and The Bonding, the ceremony that completes it all.
“Tonight was only the first step?” I ask, gratefully taking a third cup of tea. My soul can use all the soothing it can get right now. This whole situation is growing more daunting by the moment.
“Itis,” Valenar corrects. “One dance is hardly a Presentation.”
My heart sinks. They want me to go back out there? Now I understand why there’s a new dress waiting for me.
“And what about the other parts?” I ask, throat tightening as the staff erect a screen between us to help me into the new gown. My reprieve, it seems, is over.
“Each stage progresses on the Full Moon—”
“So a month?”
“Not so fast,” Morwen cuts in, once again mistaking my reaction as eager impatience. “Royal weddings aren’t normal affairs, and this one in particular—” Whatever she was going to say is stopped short with a glance toward the shadow behind the screen. “With thecircumstancesof this Presentation, I would not be surprised if His Majesty desires another go at it,” she says with a bit more tact than I think is usual for her.
Circumstances,I echo in my mind.Like an unexpected human bride making a fool of him.
Shoving aside a twinge of guilt, I latch onto a glimmer of hope instead. “So it might take longer than a few months?” I ask, remembering my conversation with the Dealmaker’s mate. “Much longer, perhaps?” Long enough to see me to spring, perhaps?
I might not understand all the details of demon marriages, but I doubt they’re something that can be abandoned with the change of seasons. Serenity emphasized the timing for a reason. Could it be that I have a chance to delay my nuptials until my contract has expired?
The Dealmaker seemed willing to bargain further, but I have nothing more to offer, and Xandril was pretty clear in his opinion on the matter. He won’t be backing out of this…not any time soon, at least. But once he’s gotten to know me? Maybe he will realize I am not fit for him or this world.
A flash of his burning-ember eyes makes my stomach twist, a deep, strange, nagging feeling taking hold at the thought of never seeing them again.
“Is she ready?” Valenar calls over the screen while the nimble claws of staff finish fastening the long line of tiny buttons on my gown.
This one is made of materials just as fine as what I arrived in, but the design is much simpler—and less constricting—relying more on the draping of the fabric to create the impression of extravagance rather than elaborate beading. The gown the Dealmaker gave me was a masterpiece, a work of art, truly, but looking down at myself now, the simplicity and elegance is…regal.
That thought halts all others for a moment until the screen is folded and carted away. The dress’s effect is clearly not limited to me; Valenar unconvincingly forces his surprise into a neutral expression, but his widened pupils and flickering tail give him away.
