“She says that she once lived in the foundation of a village chapel and saw humans coming together like this. Says it always started with nervous humans holding hands and someone standing before them, telling them what to do. She wants to be that person.” She gives me a puzzled look. “Did you—did you ask her toofficiate?”
I lift a shoulder. “Someone had to.”
Sabine’s face twists in wry disbelief. “You’re okay with amouseofficiating our wedding? Never mind that there was a time you wanted nothing more than to stomp her.” She leans in and whispers, “You know this won’t be binding in the slightest, right?”
“You know I don’t give a damn about the Red Church, right?” I echo, teasing. “This is for us, little violet. I’ll arrange official marriage documents when we get to Old Coros. Folke knows an excellent forger. We’ll claim a village priest married us, if they ask his name, we’ll pay off some recordkeeper to say it checks out.”
She grins—becausehere’sthe sneaky bastard she knows.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart.” I gently cup her cheek. “I’ve thought this through. Hell, I’ve been plotting something like this since the day I set foot in Drahallen Hall and laid eyes on you for the first—new first—time.” I shift, plunging one hand in my pocket. “Captain Tatarin also got me this, though I owe her a king’s ransom in gold once I have access to the royal coffers and can repay her.”
I wrap my fingers around the small scrap of metal, then pull it out and open my palm.
The ring is small in size, but its decoration makes up for it. A gold circle made of woven metal strands made to look like vines, inlaid with pale emeralds as tiny leaves, all surrounding an amethyst-violet diamond cut like a blossom.
Look, I don’t know jewelry. But this? I know this isexceptional.
Her fingers hover a few inches over the ring, as though she’s afraid to touch it, like if she does, it might give a soap bubble’s pop. She whispers, “Where in the world…?”
“A spoil of war. Captain Tatarin’s great-great-grandfather took it off a fallen general during an ancient battle, and it’s been passed down since. She was all too happy to sell it. Says that sideof her family disowned her years ago when she left their farm to join the army. Her loss is our gain.”
“Oh, Basten. It’sbeautiful.”
From the corner of my eye, I catch a flicker of movement. The mouse is on her hind legs, paws waving like she’s calling court to order.
I arch a brow at the whiskered drama. “I think she wants our attention.”
Sabine tilts her head to listen, then bites back a laugh. “She’s not actually sure what to say. She couldn’t understand what the reverend used to tell the newlyweds back in the village chapel. You should hear what she thinks wedding vows are supposed to sound like. There’s a lot about promising not to steal each other’s seed stores.”
“And here I thought the furry wonder could do all.”
Sabine humors the mouse with a serious nod, then whispers to me, “I’ll fill in her gaps.” She straightens, clearing her voice. “Do you, Basten Valvere, heir to the Astagnonian throne, take me as your wife?”
“With every fucking piece of me.”
Sabine gently nudges my arm, but there’s a smile on her lips for my grumpiness. “And do I, Sabine Rachillon, princess of Volkany, take you as my husband?” She pauses for dramatic effect, seeming to revel in the torturous pause, before leaning in and purring, “With everyfuckingpiece of me, too.”
I moan to hear the delicious filth on her lips. “Good gods, little violet.”
But Sabine listens to the mouse again, her face brightening. “Oh, here’s one part the mouse got right. She says now is the time when should kis?—”
She hasn’t even gotten the word out before I sweep her up in my arms, crushing her to me, my lips on hers. I wrap my palm around her back, anchoring her to me. We’re bonded, now. Tiedtogether forever. And, gods, I could stay like this until the end of time. With her sweet lips moving under mine.
All around us, birds flap their wings, squirrels chitter, and deer bow their antlers.
It really is a gods-damn fairy tale, I think to myself without a trace of sarcasm.Every day with Sabine is.
I finally set her down, still kissing the hell out of her, wanting every last taste of my wife’s sweetness. Fuck, mywife. I could say that a million times over and it will never not make me marvel.
I let her go only enough to slide the ring on her finger.
She gazes down at it, such a perfect fit, like it was made for her. When she looks back up at me, there are tears in her eyes.
“I’m…a little scared, Basten. That this is a dream. That the moment we leave this clearing, it will be with a storm at our backs, walking into fire.”
“Then let’s stay here a little longer,” I murmur, sweeping an arm around her shoulders, holding her head tightly to my chest. I lean down to kiss her hair, fighting the urge to hold her so hard she can’t breathe, wanting to never let her go.
She exhales like she’s been holding that breath for years, melting into me with all the weight of someone who’s finally safe. My other hand finds hers, fingers weaving together so that I can’t tell where mine end and hers begin.
