Images flash across her memory of the way Pera would pull Mother close and whisper, “My queen,” with all the burning heat of a thousand suns in his voice and in his eyes, and the longing to be that for Rominy aches within her.
“Your queen,” she breathes.
“My queen.”
Whistling wind. If he keeps looking at her like that, her fire magic might take on a mind of its own. At least she has water magic, too, to keep it in check.
The train whistles, breaking the spell, and Rominy looks away. “It’s getting late.”
It was already growing dark when they climbed on the train after their dinner earlier. Nothing beyond the windows of their railcar is visible now. Whether they’rezooming through farmland or past lakes is impossible to say.
As if her body agrees with him, she stifles a yawn, but she remains seated.
When she suggested sharing the bed earlier, it didn’t seem like a big deal.
Now, though, it feels much different. Especially with the way he was just looking at her.
But they’re bound. Married. At some point, it’s inevitable. He’s the future King of Nunia, after all. He needs an heir.
But not tonight. Tonight, it’s just sleeping, isn’t it? They haven’t really talked about this.
“Rominy?”
“Yes?” His heart is already speeding up.
“You wish to grow closer, right? Before we...become closer?”
His eyes take on that startled doe look again. “Well, this just got awkward.”
“It was always going to be an awkward conversation.”
He chuckles and studies his hands rather than looking at her. “I suppose it was.”
“But we haven’t discussed it, and I’m uncertain what human customs are regarding—”
“Political marriages?” He glances her way, and her stomach knots. Their relationship is more than that...isn’t it?
Unsure how to respond, she keeps her thoughts to herself, and for a few moments, they simply stare at each other across the railcar. The intensity has returned to his eyes, and this time, she reminds herself to breathe.
“I want to fall in love with you, Elowyn,” he finally says. “Day by day, hour by hour. Moment by moment. Here in the real world and in the heartlanding. Until one day, becoming as close as lovers feels as natural as breathing.”
Whistling wind. Her heart might be in danger of stopping, as he said his was in the heartlanding what seems so long ago now.
As if every day with this man is an entire lifetime.
“Will you walk this road with me?” he asks softly.
“I can’t imagine walking it with anyone else,” she somehow manages.
“So let’s just sleep. Are you sure you want me in there with you?”
As if she could leave his side now.
“I do.”
He leans back in his chair. “Really? I was afraid that whole spiel might leave things even more awkward between us.” His face lights up in a boyish grin full of mirth and something deeper, and she laughs in return.
“All it did was make me never want to leave your side.”
