“Yes,” I answered, my voice coming steadier than I felt.
He glanced down at me, the corner of his mouth ticking in something that wasn’t quite a smile.
We rounded a corner into one of the inner courtyards, the air cooler here, scented with night flowers that Solas had pointed out on our travels. I knew coming through here would be stunning once the sun set and the moonlight made the flowers bloom.
Riven walked past us and sat on the low stone wall by a pond, picking up pebbles to flick into the water. Cerilla’s skirts swishing angrily as she rounded her brother.
“That was a disaster!” she chastised.
“Oh, I thought it went well,” Riven drawled, eyeing the crown on my head, then the blood still speckling the Commander’s forearms.
“Quiet,Mortal,” Cerilla hissed, though her eyes were soft when they landed on me. She hurried forward, gripping my hands. “Are you all right, darling?”
I exhaled slowly, my heart warming at her kindness. “I think so.”
“She is gettingmarried,” Riven said, smirking. “I would say she is more thanfine.” He threw the next stone a little too hard, and it splashed over Cerilla’s skirts. They started to bicker, but I blocked it out and turned towards the Commander.
“Do you regret capturing me?” I said, unable to push down the fear of this not being real.
The Commander brushed a kiss to my cheek, lips lingering a heartbeat longer than propriety allowed. “The only thing I regret is not taking you from that castle the moment I felt you.”
My smile faltered.Castle.Notbarracks.His shoulders locked tight, as though bracing for a blow. Fear surged from him, raw and unguarded.
Before I could correct him, Cerilla looped her armthrough mine and with graceful force, pushed the Commander away from me.
“Enough,” she scolded, dragging me away from him. “You two are not to see each other until the ceremony. How you expect to pull off a royal wedding infivehours is infuriating beyond belief.”
She dragged me down the corridor and Riven trailed after us with his hands in his pockets.
Behind him, the Commander stood rooted where we had left him, his gaze fastened to me as if tearing it away might kill him.
Ronaldo was already pacing when Cerilla dragged me back into my chambers, rings glittering on his hands with every frantic movement.
The maids from earlier, Leena, Seli, and Tamsin, stood tensely behind him, each holding jewels, pins, and shoes.
“There she is!” Ronaldo shrieked, clapping a hand to his chest like he’d just survived a battlefield. “Gods save us. We havehours, ladies.Hours!Move!”
The maids scattered instantly, swarming towards me.
“Wait!” Cerilla yelled and they all flinched. “Bathe first,” she said, lowering her voice. “You reek of bloodshed, sex, and my brother.” Her nose wrinkled in distaste and embarrassment flooded my cheeks. She lifted a hand, and a glittering stream of magic slipped from her fingers, wafting beneath the bathroom door.
Floral-scented steam curled into my face as I stepped into the bathroom and closed the door. The bath chamber was warm and dimly lit by lanterns that blazed to life. Steam curled lazily through the air. The tub itself, if one could call it that, was carved directly into the black stone floor, large enough to swim in, its edges lined with silver inlay that glowed faintly when touched. A waterfall ofwarm water spilled continuously from a carved serpent’s mouth, filling the rippling pool of water. Pale blue and white tiles spiralled across the walls, reminding me of waves reflecting soft light. Along the far end, shelves held oils and soaps infused with moonflowers, obsidian petals, and some kind of sweet berry I couldn’t name.
I undressed quickly, stepping out of the beautiful gown and lowering myself into the water with a sigh. The heat sank into my muscles, pulling at the tension as my hair floated like a silver halo around me.
My mind jumped back to the Commander’s words. Surely, he had accidentally said castle instead of barracks. Mortal was not his first language, but why had he feltfrightened?
Someone knocked, a single, soft rap.
“Come in,” I called, assuming it was Cerilla.
Riven stepped inside the bathroom, closing the door with a quiet click. He stood side-on with his eyes fixed on the ground, shoulders slumped as if weighed down. His brown waves fell into his eyes, and for once, there was no easy smirk. His grey button-down was open at the collar, as if he had undone them to loosen whatever troubled him.
“You shouldn’t be in here,” I said, not bothering to cover my skin. The barracks had made us comfortable with each other’s nudity.
“I know,” he said, his voice low and gravelly. “But I needed to check on you.”
“Areyouokay?” I asked instead. The absence of his usual ease made something ache in my chest.
