“Now your city as well.”
Yes, that was right.
A smile played on his lips, and his eyes sparkled with a mixture of amusement and affection. “I'm glad you think so, Wildfire. I'll do all I can to make you feel welcome here.”
His gaze remained on me while I studied the buildings, his expression softening as he reached out to tuck a stray lock of hair behind my ear. The intimate gesture sent a silent promise. Despite the guilt still gnawing at me, I couldn't deny the pull I felt toward Merrick. The spark between us couldn't be denied. It was different from the raw, consuming desire that had flared between Lore and I, yet similar enough to be its mirror image.
The warmth in Merrick's gaze skimmed across the surface of my soul, and I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. I should want my new husband to care for me, but should I want myself to feel more than friendship for him? I'd loved Kinart with a fierce, endless devotion, and his loss gutted me. I’d never expected anyone would fill that hollow place inside me again. Yet here was Merrick, a man of strength and kindness, offering me a future I hadn't dared dream of.
I could easily feel a lot for him. I suspected if he kept speaking with me, teasing me, I’d want him with an intensity that matched my grief, which was both a blessing and a curse. I was torn between the past and the present, between loyalty to my lost love and the teasing promise of a new beginning.
But as I looked up into Merrick's eyes, I knew that I had tomove forward. I had to embrace this new life and the responsibilities that came with it. I had to be a queen for Evergorne, a partner for the court’s king, and a leader for the people who would come to depend on me.
As for Lore . . .
I would deal with those feelings when or if I had to.
For now, I would focus on the man sitting beside me.
26
MERRICK
As the beast led us down the shore-front streets of Evergorne, a feeling of vulnerability crept through me. As always, the city was a patchwork of vibrant colors and content souls.
Something had changed within me.
As we passed, a few people paused to watch, smiles brightening their faces, especially when their gazes landed on Reyla. My heart raced at their cheers, and both excitement and embarrassment flooded me.
It had never hit me like this before, how odd it was to have people cheering me. The weight of my crown was a constant reminder of the burden I carried to benefit us all. Now Reyla—my wildfire—sat beside me, and everything felt new and different, as if I was seeing it through her eyes and not my own. The way she smiled and returned their gazes with a sweet charm made me realize how much more there was to her new role andthe one I'd taken on when I was ten. I saw myself as me, a male determined to do the best he could for those around him, but they saw me as a ruler, one who dispensed law and a smile with equal justice.
For the first time, I didn't feel like one of them but someone standing outside a circle, wishing he could step forward and fit in.
“Still find our city appealing, Wildfire?” I asked her. Usingthispet name for her was both a jab at Lorant and a gouge to myself. Swords cut with both edges.
I knew why I did it. I wanted to snatch some of what he’d found with her and claim it as my own. It was natural to feel possessive when I thought of the two of them speaking together, laughing together.
As we got closer to the central marketplace, we passed a few stalls filled with fruits and vegetables of every color imaginable. A woman hawked bunches of fresh flowers, and I stopped and climbed out of the carriage. I gave her a coin, and she offered a gorgeous bouquet to Reyla with a deep curtsy.
“Thank you,” she told the woman, not me, though I liked this about her as well. Yes, I'd purchased the flowers for my bride, but Reyla could see that this woman had used her talent to take simple blossoms of pink, white, and purple and weave them into true art.
As I signaled for the carriage to keep going, she held the flowers to her face and sucked in a breath of their perfume. “You're sweet to get these for me. I'll put them in a vase when we reach the castle.”
Someone would do that for her, plus everything else. They'dvie for the chance to fulfill her every whim in the hope it would help them rise through the ranks and gain more status. Should I tell Reyla to watch out for those who'd curry her favor with their own needs in mind or let her find out on her own? I hated to break the tender, naïve way she approached everything around her. Let her hold that for as long as she could. The fates knew I'd gouged out any tenderness I'd possessed before I turned three.
Children raced through the thickening crowd, either leaving the marketplace or heading toward it. Their shrieks of happiness mixed with the chatter of those bartering for goods. Clothing hung above the stalls on lines draped from one building to another, the fabric fluttering in the breeze like flags.
Ladies strolled, wearing gowns of rich, flowing material, their laughter bursting out as they chatted with friends and family. Others had chosen elegant tunics and pants, the fabrics woven with shimmering threads. Men wore everything from simple tunics and pants to more ornate clothing depending on their status or what they planned to do this day.
Warmth throbbed through me. This was my city, and I was its king. Yet my heart was tugged in two different directions. The pretty façade hid the unrest simmering beneath the surface, a tension coiled like a snake ready to strike.
As the beast carried us through the bustling streets of Evergorne, I took in the brightly painted buildings, the boxes overflowing with flowers below each window, and the flags rippling in the sea air. I was proud of this city that I'd done my best to grow and maintain. My father had done the same, and mygrandfather before him. So, too, would my son if the fates granted me one with Reyla.
The scent of flowers drifted through the air, and the smell of freshly baked bread and meat pies made my belly rumble. I hadn't eaten this morning, instead rushing to the deck, hoping to find my wildfire standing on the bow, waiting for me to join her.
Instead, I'd beaten her there and leaned against the side of the ship, soon realizing my presence made the crew uncomfortable. A few kept darting concerned looks my way and one or two scurried to the opposite side of the ship to avoid catching my attention.
They must know I wouldn't harm them unless they tried to hurt me or my own.
