Magnus found himself wanting to go to her. To tell her it would be all right, that she didn't need to be afraid. But he stayed where he was, watching as she approached with her chin lifted and her shoulders straight despite the fear he could see in her eyes.
When she reached him, she looked up. Met his gaze directly.
"Ready?" he asked quietly.
"Nay," she whispered back. "But I dinnae think that matters."
Despite everything, Magnus felt his mouth twitch. "Nay. It daesnae."
Father Domnall began the ceremony. The words washed over Magnus—ancient vows in Latin and Gaelic, promises of fidelityand honor and obedience. He spoke his responses when required, his voice steady and clear.
Ada's voice shook slightly on her vows, but she didn't falter. Didn't look away.
"And now," Father Domnall said, "ye may seal yer union with a kiss."
Magnus turned to face Ada fully. Her eyes were wide, her lips parted slightly. He could see her pulse beating rapidly at the base of her throat.
He remembered the festival. The way she'd grabbed his tunic and pulled him down, desperate and terrified. The way her lips had tasted of honey mead and fear.
This was different. This was a promise. A binding.
This was forever.
Magnus cupped her face gently in his hands. Gave her time to pull away if she wanted to.
She didn't.
He kissed her.
It started chaste, just a press of lips, simple and formal. The kind of kiss expected at a wedding ceremony.
But then Ada made a small sound in the back of her throat. Her hands came up to rest against his chest. And something shifted.
Magnus deepened the kiss without thinking, one hand sliding to the back of her neck to hold her closer. Ada responded immediately, her lips parting under his, her fingers curling into his tunic.
Heat flooded through him. Want. Need. Something deeper than simple desire.
The hall erupted in cheers and applause, breaking the moment.
Magnus pulled back, his heart hammering. Ada stared up at him, her cheeks flushed, her eyes dazed.
"That—" she started.
"I ken." Magnus's voice came out rougher than intended. "We should start the feast."
"Aye." Ada touched her lips with trembling fingers. "That wasnae—I mean, it wasnae like normal."
"It wasnae our first kiss," Magnus said quietly. "So ye've nay need tae be embarrassed."
Ada's flush deepened. "I remember."
"Good." Magnus offered his arm. "Come on. Let's get through the rest of this."
The feast was interminable.
Course after course, toasts from the jarls, bawdy jokes that made Ada blush furiously. Magnus sat beside her at the high table, acutely aware of every movement she made, every breath she took.
That kiss had changed something. Had cracked open a door he'd thought sealed shut.
