She lifted her chin. “I must see my fiancé at once.”
Arther released a long-suffering sigh and spoke with a practiced tone. “It wouldn’t be proper, Majesty. You must hold a formal audience and greet him before the court. You know this.”
She opened her mouth to argue, but he was right. Seven devils, she was loath to admit it, but now that she was queen, she was bound by rules of royal propriety before the public eye. And Ridine Castle was no longer as private as it used to be, especially with her fast-approaching wedding. Her coronation had been a private affair, a somber necessity after a great tragedy, which meant the royal wedding would mark the first public celebration the castle had hosted in years. As a result, eyes were everywhere.
Yet she didn’t have the patience to wait hours to see Teryn. She hadn’t seen him in seven months. Seven achingly long months with only letters between them. She was dying to see that he was well with her own eyes. To hear his voice. And to tell him all the things she never had the courage to convey by pen and paper.
Arther softened his tone. “Besides, Majesty, he’s likely sleeping by now. He asked to rest. We will move your audience with the king and queen to this evening after they arrive, so you may receive Prince Teryn shortly.”
Tension unraveled from her shoulders but not entirely. Shehadto see him. Maybe he was sleeping. Maybe they couldn’t have the heartfelt conversation she’d been planning for. She could at least rest her eyes upon his face and know he was well. Only then could she fully relax.
She released a calming breath and gathered her composure. Then, steeling her expression, she delivered her lie. “You’re right, Master Arther. I am so grateful for your counsel. I shall return to my quarters at once and ready myself for tonight’s audience with our royal guests.”
“That is the right choice, Majesty. I will clear the way through the great hall so you may reach the keep without further ado.” After a bow, he turned on his heel—but halted midstep. His eyes shot back to her, widening as they took in her ensemble. His nose wrinkled with clear distaste. “Please allow me to take your cloak.”
Heat flushed her cheeks. Right. She’d nearly forgotten about the dark cloak she was wearing. Having donned it for secrecy over fashion, it was hardly fit for a queen. And even though Arther would clear the way ahead, courtiers would still see her.
She gave him a thankful grin and undid the clasp at her neck. Underneath the cloak, she wore a mauve brocade gown with a ruffled square neck and an overskirt that parted at the center to reveal layers of ivory lace—a far more regal look. When she passed him a cloak, she added with contrived nonchalance, “Which guest room is my fiancé in?”
Arther’s eyes narrowed with suspicion, but he had no reason to hide such information from her. “The Cambron suite, Majesty.”
“Thank you, Master Arther.”
He bowed once more and strode ahead toward the great hall. Cora hid her smile behind his back.
* * *
Her heart was a racing,rioting mess by the time she entered her bedroom in the royal suite. She’d dismissed her lady’s maids, ordering them not to return to ready her for tonight’s audience for another hour. She probably didn’t need a full hour, considering Teryn was likely dozing by now, but it would ensure no one would enter her chambers and find her missing.
She stood before the mirror, checking her appearance. Turning her face to one side then the other, she studied her golden-tan skin, her dark eyes rimmed with kohl and powdered cosmetics, her black hair pinned in a coronet. As she patted the neat braid that encircled her head, a stray tendril sprang loose, falling onto her cheek. She was about to reach for a hairpin from her vanity but stopped herself. Teryn’s voice rang from memory.
I like when it’s a mess, he’d once said about her hair.
A giddy grin tugged her lips as she loosened another strand of hair, then another. With her hair properly mussed, she removed her gloves and brushed her tattooed palms over her skirts, smoothing wrinkles that weren’t there. Assessing herself once more, she gave her reflection an approving nod, though she wasn’t sure why she was going through all the trouble. Teryn probably wouldn’t be awake to see her. Still, on the off chance that he wasn’t sleeping, she wanted to look her best.
Anxious excitement flooded her heart, sending it thudding even faster. She needed to steady its raging pulse with at least a sliver of sobriety. While she was satisfied with her appearance, she needed to ready herself for the inevitable changes she’d find in him. He may look different from the man she’d fallen in love with. His hair had been sapped of color during his battle over his body and would likely be brittle and gray. He’d be thinner. Weaker. A far cry from the broad-shouldered man who’d once made her blush while dueling shirtless. It might break her heart to see how much he’d changed. How badly his body had been broken.
But she would love him just the same.
And if he was awake, she’d finally get to tell him that. Finally say the words neither had let past their lips despite feeling them pulse between them, despite almost hearing them in mumbled tones when Teryn was barely conscious, despite reading them between the lines of their letters.
She took a steadying breath, filling her lungs with air. Then, rooting her feet beneath her, she connected to the element of earth. Afternoon sunlight streamed through the open windows of her bedroom, linking her to the fire element. Then the emotions flooding her chest, nourishing her very soul, connected her to water.
Closing her eyes, she thought of Teryn. Felt his proximity, his nearness, his presence, just down the hall. She knew how close his room was. The Cambron suite was just two doors away. If she wanted to, she could sneak down the servants’ passage, using her magic to extend her senses, cloak herself in shadow, and evade passersby no matter how busy the secret halls had become. But she wouldn’t, for she had faster means. Easier means. Quieter means.
She could cross the distance between them in a single step.
Keeping her emotions fixated on Teryn, she pictured the bedroom in the Cambron suite, imagined him lying on the bed, safe beneath the smooth linen sheets and velvet blankets. She imagined the carpeted floors beneath her feet, the bedroom door behind her, the four-poster bed just ahead. Calm settled over her despite the excitement radiating from her chest. Then she took a single step.
She opened her eyes and found the new destination before her, exactly as she’d imagined it. A cream-and-violet patterned carpet cradled her feet while a mahogany bed stood before her.
But Teryn wasn’t on that bed.
He was standing mere feet away, half facing her.
Shirtless.
The top button of his trousers undone.
