“No, you’re not,” Roman grumbled. “Don’t be ridiculous.”
“I need to remember this forever,” she informed him. “I’m hanging it up.”
“I’m not sitting for a painting.” Roman stalked down the hall with a bobbing Babs in tow.
“We’ll see,” Violet taunted and scurried after him.
How is this my life?she wondered to herself.An attractive prince who loves me and saved an ornery chicken to keep as a pet?
Giggling quietly, she floated down the hall alongside her mate, loving every minute of how her life had turned out. Every ounce of heartbreak was worth it if it meant getting to this moment with the love of her life.
* * *
Roman sat in the chair beside his and Violet’s bed, watching his mate sleep. The sheer happiness he’d felt today overwhelmed him. Nightmares didn’t keep him awake tonight. Elation did. Like if he slept, he’d miss something great with her.
“Roman,”War said, breaking into Roman’s thoughts.
Roman sat up straight. War let him know when he was on his way to Roman and Violet’s home, but he’d never connected in the middle of the night.“What’s wrong?”
“Vivian is near the capital,”he replied gravely, sending Roman’s anger into overdrive.“I spotted her earlier and followed her.”
Roman was already moving to get dressed.“Is she with anyone?”He didn’t want to leave Violet alone, but no safer place existed than their small fortress. Even if someone killed the guards, the guards didn’t have a key. Roman or Violet were the only two with keys, and only they could let people, including War, inside, so long as they remembered to lock the gate when they came and went.
“No.”
Kissing the top of Violet’s head, Roman gathered his daggers and set off to find War.“Where are you?”
“Deep in the jungle. You won’t reach us before sunrise. I can try to corral her toward Saltu, but I fear that would include bloodshed.”
“Fuck.”Think, Roman.“Does she know you’re following her?”
“Hard to tell.”War paused.“You should be proud of your generals and her father. They trained her well.”
“Not the time,”Roman replied wryly.“Leave her and stay with Violet at all times when I’m not around. She’s following her sister, but if she thinks someone is on to her, she will retreat and regroup later.”Roman continued outside, locking the door behind him.“Meet me in the council chambers.”
* * *
War’s imposing presence lifted from the air. Vivian knew he wouldn’t hurt her, even if Roman told him to, unless she actively attacked someone.
The cut on her hand smarted, and she shook it out. One of the rebels’ swords had caught her across the knuckles at the border fight. He’d received a sword through the gut for his efforts.
If they got to Violet before Vivian, they’d kill her. Vivian hated Violet, and she hated herself for it. Resentment devoured affection, and watching people fawn over delicate little Violet while simultaneously expecting Vivian to be strong and controlled at all times had nurtured resentment like milk to a babe.
All Vivian had to do was get Violet alone, give her the sleeping tonic, and take her to the rebels herself. Then she’d be safe, and Vivian could reclaim her place on the throne before that bitch she’d once considered a friend could dig her claws into Roman.
A new enmity fueled by something more powerful than hate wound around Vivian’s veins like an ivy over a stone wall. Everything was Titus’ fault. How foolish she’d been falling for his act. For years. Every word out of his mouth since they were kids had been a lie.
The day he’d ran to her sister’s side when Vivian accidentally hit her with her wooden sword should have alerted her to his schemes, but she’d been a foolish kid. She’d believed he’d liked her. They’d grown from children to teenagers to adults together.
She’d watched his light hair turn dark, his eyes melt from hazel to brown, his gangly, boyish build grow strong. She thought they’d fallen in love together, but she was nothing but a pawn.
A foolish, pissed off pawn.
33
A tinkling noise tickled the back of Violet’s mind. She lingered in the floating space between sleep and consciousness until her brain registered the sound was real, coming from somewhere in their home.
Opening her heavy eyes, she reached over to find nothing but air and sat up. “Roman?”
