“The blood isn’t what I’m referring to,” he answered, concern and apprehension shining in his warm brown eyes.
“I have it under control,” Cethin answered, and then he was gone, back in his rooms.
He placed the bottle of blood at the back of the icebox in their small kitchenette, planning to drink it later today. Returning to the bedchamber, Kailia had nestled back down in the covers, but she was awake.
Swirling amber eyes tracked his every movement as he removed his shoes and pulled his tunic over his head, tossing it aside. Then he rounded the bed, climbing back in. She shifted, rolling to her side.
“You came back,” she said softly.
“Always,” he answered, propping a hand behind his head.
“Why?”
But he didn’t answer, and eventually she rolled back over, a comfortable silence lulling them both to slumber.
He might not have answered her, but he knew the reason. It was fucked up and unsettling, yet here he was. He wasn’t worried about the blood. He’d drink that bottle, his power wouldbe restored, and he’d be fine to carry on. Everyone worried about the addiction Fae blood held for Avonleyans, and they weren’t wrong to be concerned.
He was just learning there were much stronger addictions out there, and he was tired of trying to resist them.
“Kailia? Are you ready?” he asked after knocking twice on the door.
People had been filing in for the last two hours in preparation for the Union Ceremony, members of their forces performing security duties. The smell of the various food delicacies being prepared had permeated the whole of the castle all day, and he was more than ready to eat. Throughout the next two weeks, more food would be prepared and delivered to various territories for those who weren’t in attendance tonight, with smaller celebrations taking place throughout the kingdom.
But right now, they were due to officially start the celebration in the next twenty minutes.
He knocked again. “Kailia?”
“Come in,” she called, and he pushed the door open to the lounge.
It was a small room off the great hall that was reserved for the king and queen. A door on the opposite side would lead out to a balcony that overlooked the hall with a set of stairs leading down into the room itself.
Kailia stood off to one side, Wren stepping back from smoothing down a spot on Kailia’s dress.
“This seems excessive,” Kailia murmured, lifting her hands and letting them fall back to her sides.
It was anything but excessive.
The black corset contained intricate detailing, while a combination of silk and lace draped down from her hips. A slit up the right side reached to the top of her thigh, and when she moved, he could see the small knife strapped there. The top of the corset was as sheer as the tights, running along her chest, collarbone, and over her shoulders, while the sleeves were the same silk and lace as the skirt. More sheer fabric layered over the skirts, flowing to the ground like a train, with a veil of the same pinned to her hair in the back. Small silver beads and black pearls were sewn strategically into the dress, giving the illusion of falling stars.
Or fluttering ashes.
Excessive was the last word on his mind as he stared at her.
“Why isn’t he saying anything?” Kailia asked Wren, looking down at herself and smoothing her hands along the corset that hugged her slim waist.
“It’s a good thing, Kailia,” Wren said with a knowing smile.
“Can you all give us a moment?” Cethin asked.
Wren adjusted another layer of the train before she left with Razik. Cethin had been so focused on Kailia, he hadn’t even noticed the male was in here.
When the door clicked shut, Kailia looked up at him, worrying her bottom lip. “They insisted that this is what I was to wear.”
“You look ethereal, wife,” he replied, still unable to move. Eyes still raking over her, trying to commit every bit of this moment to memory.
“It feels excessive,” she repeated.
“You’re a queen. There’s nothing excessive. In fact, you’re missing something,” he said, finally moving from where he’d been rooted in place the last several minutes.
