Chapter 33
We walked intothe mountain forest. My wedding slippers, delicate creations meant for dancing on polished floors, caught on countless roots and stones. The elaborate dress now felt as burdensome as plate-mail.
More than an hour had passed since we stole away from the wedding, putting plenty of distance between us and the merriment, but still we pressed on, guided by lantern and a trail of glowing willemite. The stones pulsed with unnatural light, like breadcrumbs leading to something ancient and unsettling.
My insides somersaulted. Florence was vague about the details, but the implication was clear: tonight, the Lord of Night would bless my womb. Tomorrow, I’d wake with child. In between, I would lie with the prince.
“What if the trail never ends?” I jested, wincing at the dull ache in my toes. “Or what if it’s just a big circle?”
“Tired?” Nicolas replied, setting the lantern down atop a stump. He grinned. “Perhaps I should carry you.”
“Perhaps you should—eek!”
Nicolas hoisted me into his arms, adjusting the hold until he was comfortable, then managed to secure the lantern below me. I looked up at him, eyes wide, and held an arm around his neck.
Florence had planted the glowing stones along a path to a secret meeting spot, according to the prince; somewhere far from anyone who might hear or see what came next.
“May I say something?” asked Nicolas.
I nodded, burying my face in his jacket. His heart drummed against my cheek, too fast for simple exertion.
“I’ve come to accept what I feel for you.”
A mild breeze rustled the canopy overhead. I tilted my chin to look at him, expecting more distance than he was giving. His eyes locked onto mine, shining with immense fondness.
“At first, it was strategic; I thought myself bewitched, and was merely taking advantage of the weakness you exploited. I couldn’t bear the thought of someone having so much control over me.”
He shifted my weight, arms tightening beneath me, and navigated carefully around the roots of an ancient oak. The willemite painted his face in ethereal green.
“Then I started to trust you,” he went on, the redness in his cheeks visible even in the moonlight. “You weren’t frightened away, not even by the attempted abduction. You fought back. You learned to navigate court when you’d never spent a moment outside of that little cottage. You were remarkable, and what I felt for you became so much more than a fabrication.”
He stopped walking as we came near a clearing. Firelight blinked between the silhouettes of the woods. Before he took another step, Nicolas set me down.
“They call it ‘falling in love’. I wonder why; it feels more like I’m drowning in it. It’s slower than a fall, deeper.” His voice roughened. “And yet it also feels like floating. This goes beyond magic. I love you. I need you to know that.”
I lifted my chin, searching his face in the dark. A few steps further and we wouldn’t be alone. I had to speak now, while the trees were our only witness.
“I hated you,” I whispered. The words visibly wounded him, but I recovered, caressing his face. “Taking me from my home, trapping me with you in that hornet’s nest you called a palace, demanding I poison and scheme to survive… At first, I thought you might just be another snake to step around.”
Nicolas’ arms tightened around me, but he didn’t interrupt.
“When you danced with me…that was the first time I really knew you. Then you kissed me, and you were vulnerable, gentle… restrained, even though you are a prince and you could have used me as you saw fit. You struggled through signing lessons where you might have expected others to translate for you, even though I was ignoring you at the time. You opened up to me, let me see what lay beneath your crown. And I care for you. Today I saw in your eyes that you would let me go if I wished, but I chose to stay.” I paused to laugh, brief and embarrassed. Nicolas watched me with breathless wonder. “Despite how afraid I am, I choose this. I choose us.”
Nicolas’ lips quivered. He looked between my eyes, then pressed a kiss to my cheek.
“Come,wife.” He smiled tenderly. “Let’s see what terror awaits us.”
He took me by the hand and led me into the clearing. A circle of painted stones lay before us, the runes atop them somehow painful to behold, as if I was staring directly at the sun. Outside the circle stood Florence and a stranger in sorceress’ robes. I swallowed, unwittingly squeezing my husband’s hand.
Florence’s eyes went down to our connection. She smirked. “I believe congratulations are in order.”
“Thank you,” I replied. Nicolas let go, caressing my arm.
Florence nodded. “All right. The moon is high, and we have much to do. Princess, please follow me; Prince, remain here with my assistant.”
I regarded Nicolas one last time, then disappeared down a candlelit trail with Florence. Once they were out of sight, the sorceress turned to me.
“You’ll need to undress. Do you need help?”
