Galen’s charming grin faltered, but he righted it at once. “My carriages travel quickly, but it appears gossip travels even faster. It’s good to see you, Rhys.”
Lord Rhys Penworth’s simplehmmwas the most judgmental sound I’d ever heard. “Likewise, Your Majesty. It’s been long enough.” He looked at me out of the corner of his eye. “So, this is her?”
The sneer in his tone grated on my nerves, and it seemed I wasn’t the only one. A large shadow appeared at my side. I glanced up to see the thick, strained jawline of Thorne glaring back at Lord Penworth with a look that would make even myself back away. I reached behind me to discreetly place a hand on his, warning him against doing something stupid.
“Idohope you don’t plan to bring that kind of scandal toourterritory, Your Majesties,” Lady Penworth said, eyes flitting between Galen and me.
I bit down on the inside of my cheek so hard, I tasted blood. Whether she spoke of the multiple assassination attempts or the display at the festival, I wasn’t sure. But either way, she acted as if we had asked for those things to happen. As if I hadn’t spentdaysin the trenches with the people of this kingdom, doing what I could to give them back their healthy land.
My fingers curled at my sides, the ghostly imprint of my claws scraping against my palms. If I had to deal with these pompous pricks for the next five days, I was going to lose my mind.
I inclined my head toward her. “It was never our intention to upset anyone, Your Grace. I assure you, this visit will be nothing but respectful. We just want to get to know the people of your territory better and see how we can best serve them.”
Her pale lips thinned. “We’ll see.”
“For the love of the Fates, Mother. Give it a rest. Nobody’s scared of you,” an unfamiliar voice said from behind the Penworths as the massive black doors opened. The speaker was a young woman leaning against the doorframe with a smirk. Her chestnut-brown hair came to her chin on one side of her face, and was shorn close to the scalp on the other. Silver piercings glittered along the edges of both ears, with one long silver bar through her eyebrow as well. She was only a year or two younger than me, if that.
Lady Penworth rolled her eyes, and the strange woman shot me a wink.
I liked this girl immediately.
“Ah, Taryn,” Lady Penworth said on a heavy exhale. “I was wondering when you’d show up.”
“Couldn’t miss the fun,” Taryn said, uncrossing her arms and jumping from the threshold to the landing below.
“Taryn?” Galen asked, giving her a bewildered look. “You’re finally back?”
“Hey there, Gale. Nice to see you too,” she said with agrin, and I quirked an eyebrow at the nickname. She held out a hand to me. “And nice to meetyou, Empress Aris. My name is Taryn Penworth, and I have something you may want to see.”
34
Clarissa
Ifollowed Taryn into the mansion, barely noticing the pain in my leg with my mounting curiosity. I took in the gray stone walls, brown baseboards, and dark floral paintings decorating the long corridors. She stopped before a pair of large double doors. I exchanged a wary look with Galen before he, Mother, and Thorne followed me inside the drawing room.
Where I let out an ear-piercing squeal. “Rose?Leo? Emperor’s tits, what are youdoinghere?”
My brother beamed back at me, that loose curl of dark hair I knew so well hanging haphazardly across his forehead. When he held out his arms, I barreled into them. Mother let out a laugh of surprise before she wrapped her arms around Leo and me.
“Oh, Leo, we’ve missed you.” She rubbed both of our arms as she backed off to let us breathe, and my heart felt lighter than it had in weeks. Months, even.
“Come here, Rose,” I said with a sniff. I squeezed my friend tight. Memories of last fall flooded me, when she’d fallen into the lap of the Sentinels and helped us with our mission to take down Emperor Gayl. Late nights at the Drakin’s Lair, dress shopping for the capital’s masquerade ball, plotting and planning in between drinks as we slowly peeled back her tough layers.
I pulled away and gripped her forearms. “How have you been? How are youhere? When did you finish curing everyone in the provinces?” She and Leo had left Veridia City shortly after Gayl died to travel across the six provinces and wake those who had fallen to the sleeping curse. We’d exchanged some letters and kept up-to-date on important matters, but I hadn’t seen them in almost eight months.
“One question at a time, sister. It’s been a long trip,” Leo said with a chuckle as he slipped an arm around Rose and kissed her forehead. She leaned into his touch, her bright green eyes sparkling when they met his.
A fist clenched around my heart. I loved seeing them like this, so at ease with one another. So safe and comfortable. Something my brother never really had before her.
SomethingIwould never really have.
The drawing room doors shut with a loud click. I looked back to find Taryn leaning against the wall with Galen and Thorne standing next to her.
“Fates, I’m sorry, I wasn’t thinking. Rose, Leo, I’d like to introduce you to Lord Thorne Reaux and His Majesty, King Galen Grimaldi.” I motioned to the two men as they stepped forward. “Thorne, Galen, this is my brother, Leo, and our friend Rose Wolff.”
“Your Majesty,” Rose said, dipping her head in a bow.
Leo, on the other hand, sized Galen up with a hint of that scowl I missed so much. “You’re the one my sister has agreed to marry, I take it?”
