I shrugged. “Somewhere. I can’t remember.” In a dream? Must be.
“I appreciate that you’re giving this a chance. Mother won’t thank you, but I do. If you want, I’ll cast a spell that will . . .” Grinning, he shook his head. “I’d better not. My mother isn’t without her own power, and she’s not above smacking me with magic as if I’m still a misbehaving child.”
Lord Briscalar cleared his throat.
“You need to go,” Merrick said. “I’ll see you soon?”
“I can’t wait.” I dipped into a curtsy and from the gleam in his eyes, he'd caught my unspoken message. The flames licking between us were growing into a blaze only being together completely would extinguish.
Surrounded by my guard, and with his gaze heavy on my spine, I left the throne room and made my way back to my suite, the weight of the upcoming coronation dragging on my shoulders. Dinner with Erisandra would feel easy when compared to what I’d go through tomorrow. I'd be glad when the events were over. Then, I could relax in the ballroom and dance with my king—my masked king, that is.
Inside my suite, I went through the final arrangements with Lord Briscalar.
He leaned back afterward, a pleased smile on his face. “I can’t see where anything can go wrong tomorrow.”
A chill scraped across my skin, and I got up and shut the open window, blocking out the wind.
“Is there anything we haven’t thought of?” I asked, returning to take my seat.
He shook his head. “I’ll keep reviewing my notes.” He tapped his open journal with the magical pen lying across it. “I’ll reach out if I discover anything.”
“Thank you.” I leaned forward and hugged him.
He coughed and awkwardly patted my back. “You don’t need to thank me. It’s my position here within the castle.”
I settled back in my chair with a touch of disappointment slicing through me. “Yes, your position.”
He frowned and shook his finger between us. “Now, none of that. You’re so much more than a job to me.”
“Your family has served ours for many generations, maybe longer than they’d like.” A discreet way of hinting that, if he wasn’t happy, he could do something else.
“I can’t imagine serving anywhere but within this court. Please don’t suggest otherwise.” He stood and magicked away his journal, probably to his own suite on the floor below mine. “I love working with you. You’ve brought joy to this court, to the king, and to everyone who interacts with you, including myself. Never doubt that.”
Smiling, I nodded. “I appreciate everything you do for me.”
He braced my shoulders, staring down at me, and for thefirst time, I felt like I had a father—or someone who’d taken on that guiding role I’d missed all my life. “Keep challenging this court. It’s good for us all.”
“I will.”
With a smile, he left.
My ladies bustled over, fluttering around me with Farris yapping, his energy high.
“I’ll take this fine fellow for a long walk, shall I?” Faelith asked with a smile.High Lady Faelith, that is.
“I know he’d love that.” I turned to Calista and Moira. “I’m dining with the king and his mother tonight, and I need to decide what I should wear. Can you make me look good?”
“Good?” Moira scoffed. “We can do much better than that. We’ll make you look fantastic.”
Primpedand coiffed and adorned with a rich blue gown, I carefully sat on the sofa, waiting until it was time to leave for dinner. The sun slipped below the horizon before someone knocked on my door.
Surren ducked his head in through the opening. “It’s time to leave for dinner, my queen.”
“Great.” I rose and sedately walked over to the door that my guard swept wide.
Lore stood in the hall, dressed in a deep blue tunic with only a hint of silver braid on his shoulders. The wind had caught his hair and tousled it, giving him too much appeal.
I looked down the hall, finding it empty other than my guards and this man I’d hoped to avoid.
