Norah’s mouth fell open, but then she laughed. “I wasn’tthatbad.” She paused. “Was I?”
“I don’t know.” He chuckled. “But I do remember being fascinated by you. And I think that was when our parents began discussing a possible alliance.” His smile faded. “Those talks grew much more serious after I contracted the illness.”
“How did you know the pirates were behind the plague?” Norah asked. “You seemed unsurprised when Jameston admitted it.”
“Here, let’s sit.” Phillip opened the double glass doors to reveal a balcony nearly as wide as Norah’s old cottage had been. Then he led her to a bench in the shade of one of the taller trees on the grounds behind them. Only when they were seated did he take her hands in his and continue.
“After King Everard told your parents that he believed there was a dark force behind the plague, they sent a messenger to my parents to let them know. Unfortunately, I had already contracted it. In fact, I was one of the first, but my parents managed to keep it hidden for a long time. Knowing that, I began to search for answers not long after my parents died.”
“My parents searched, too.” Norah sighed. “But they were too busy trying to heal the children to learn what they really needed to.”
“It took me years and lots of messengers,” Phillip said. “And I didn’t put all of the pieces together until after I’d lost my ability to write. Apparently, Willamina and her husband had decided to take the city for themselves. They planned to weaken the throne, murder my parents, and then pounce when I was unable to do anything about it.” He paused. “But what they didn’t count on was the resourcefulness of my sister, who kept everything quiet.”
“They were also, apparently, having to deal with the subsequent deaths and illnesses of their own children,” Norah added bitterly.
“Once I did figure it out,” Phillip continued, “there was no way to tell my sister or anyone else what I had learned.”
“All those children.” Norah leaned her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes. “So much suffering.”
They were silent for a long moment. The birds chirped in the trees, and the wind rustled the leaves. In the distance, Norah could hear the murmur of voices from the coronation party. Still, despite the horrible events of the day and the memories they had just brought to the surface, there was what felt like a healing balm that was slowly spreading through her heart.
Phillip had been right. They both needed to start somewhere new.
“What about you?” She sat up suddenly and looked at him.
“What about me?” he asked.
“When did you fall in love?” She gave him a wry grin. “I was somewhat thrust upon you as well.”
“Well,” he said, pulling her into his lap. Norah shivered as he wrapped his strong arms around her. “I’ve already told you about our infamous beginning. But I could hardly believe my eyes when I saw you standing out in the rain. Your… wig thing had slid down just enough for me to recognize your hair beneath.” He chuckled. “I won’t lie and say I wasn’t in shock.”
Norah snorted. “I looked like a drowned squirrel.”
“Drowned or not, you can’t imagine the awe we were inafter searching for you for years, only to have you show up at our door begging to be let in. Then, after the initial shock, I began to feel both hope and guilt in waves. Hope that you really might break my silence, and guilt that we were forcing you into something you weren’t prepared for.”
“But none of that is love,” Norah pointed out.
“It’s not. But the longer I spent with you, the more I began to see therealyou, and I was captivated again by the girl who had turned my head when I was a boy.”
Impulsively, Norah leaned toward him. Without pause, he seemed to understand, and his lips met hers. This kiss, unlike their wedding kiss, was long and slow, and Norah drank his love greedily, realizing just how parched her soul had been for connection.
“My question,” he said, finally leaning back and taking her by the shoulders, “is now that your old dreams are gone, what do you want?” He leaned closer again, his eyes on her lips once more. And when he spoke, his voice dropped to a whisper. “You need new dreams to take their place.”
It was a good question, and Norah paused before answering. Partly because he was distracting her as he kissed her on the temple, and partly because she hadn’t given it much thought.
She’d been too busy being kidnapped.
“I think,” she said, “I’d like to return to my family’s island. I can’t live there anymore, of course. Nanny and I were told that very few stayed. But… some did. And now that the pirates aren’t a threat anymore, perhaps we could turn it into a place of healing once more.” She gave him a shy smile. “My family didn’t just heal. They also trained nurses and healers who didn’t have power. I’d like to see if we could do that once more.”
He bowed his head. “Absolutely. In fact… I think Princess Jaelle–Prince Lucas’s new wife–might be just the one to talk to about that.” Then he quirked an eyebrow. “What else?”
Norah grinned, suddenly feeling quite cheeky. “I want a baby.”
He froze briefly. Then he laughed. “Already?” Then he laughed harder. “Not that I’m complaining!”
Norah shrugged and tossed her hair. “I told you, Phillip. I waited long enough to begin my adventure, and I’m jumping in with both feet. But if you’re not all in as well–”
Phillip swept her up into his arms once more. “I don’t think there’s any question of my readiness,” he said, his voice suddenly low and gravelly. “And if I have to prove it to you,” his brown eyes suddenly smoldered, “I’ll just ask the Maker for two at once to save us both some time.”
