Adalia shrugged and smiled at her white-haired friend. “No one has ever made me feel the way he does.”
“Are you happy?” Shiloh asked.
“Terribly . . . and it terrifies me,” Adalia whispered her reply.
“What scares you about it?”
“That it’s not real. That he’s not real. That one day I will wake to find it all a dream and my heart shattered on the floor in a million pieces.”
“Has he given you any doubt to believe he is not sincere?” Shiloh asked as she sipped her cocktail.
Adalia shook her head gently. “No, I guess not. It’s my own securities that are getting in the way.”
“You have every right to be cautious and to take things slowly, but don’t let it ruin what might be,” Shiloh said.
Adalia sipped her drink.
Shiloh smiled sweetly as she chewed on some dried orange. “Have you kissed him yet?”
Adalia felt the heat rise in her cheeks as she recalled all the times she’d kissed the prince. In the woods, in her home, in her bed, in the courtyard up against the wall, on the daybed just yesterday. “I may have.”
Shiloh threw her head back in laughter, her white curls bouncing in the breeze. “You forget that I have known you for over ten years and you’re not very good at hiding anything from me.”
“Okay, fine, we have kissed a few times.” Adalia grinned as she rolled her eyes.
“Yes, that’s what I thought. How could you not kiss that face? I’d be climbing him like a tree if I were you,” Shiloh teased.
“Shiloh!” Adalia squealed in response.
“What! You can’t tell me you don’t want to be all over him. If you don’t, there is something seriously wrong with you,” Shiloh crooned.
Adalia picked up a grape and threw it at her friend. “Well, let’s just say there’s nothing wrong with me then,” she said primly, straightening her napkin
Shiloh laughed. “You’re blushing so much right now.”
The girls laughed the rest of the afternoon away under the branches of the blossom trees, drinking their strawberry margaritas and teasing one another, but thoughts of Matthias and his return never wandered far from Adalia’s mind.
Two days.
Matthias had been gone for two days now without a word. Adalia was growing restless in his absence. How had his father taken to his son’s return a second time? Was Matthias okay? Thoughts ran at her like a bull trying to escape the confines of its pen, causing an unnecessary headache.
She rubbed her forehead as she sat at her desk. The office was her place of residence for the day. Sighing, she stacked more papers and filed more reports. There had been no sightings of Thorns for weeks, which was relieving and concerning all at once. Patrols had eased, but Adalia and the rest of the majors and generals remained on high alert.
A small knock sounded at the door, and Adalia motioned for River to enter. “Sorry to bother you, Adalia, but the king has requested your presence at the palace as soon as possible.”
“Oh, is everything okay?” Adalia questioned as she rose from the chair.
“I’m not sure, Major. I’m just the messenger,” River replied, shifting from one foot to the other.
“Thank you, River.” Adalia politely dismissed him.
Her mind scrambled for what the king would need to talk about; they’d already had their weekly meeting a few days ago. Adalia quickly packed her bag and neatened her desk before leaving the room and shutting the door behind her.
Once she was on the compound grounds, she shot into the sky with force. It would only take her a few minutes to reach the palace.
Adalia landed in the castle gardens moments later and headed through the huge white and gold front doors. The king would most likely be in his private counsel room, so she walked straight there.
He answered as soon as she knocked.
