“No,” Zane replied. “Remy has avoided entanglements with the ladies at court.”
“Have you?”
“I first saw you in a vision a year ago. There’s been no one since then.”
A year. He’d been waiting for me for ayear. My throat tightened. What kind of man stayed faithful to someone he’d only seen in visions? Someone he wasn’t even sure was real?
I looked at him—really looked at him. The golden eyes that saw the future. The smile I was fairly certain few people saw. The reverence in his touch. Zane had chosen me long before we met.
“Thank you,” I said softly, the words inadequate for what I felt.
His eyes met mine, and something warm passed between us.
“You’re mine, Haven.” He glanced at Remy. “Ours. We’ll keep you safe.”
I cleared my throat, needing to move past the emotion tightening my chest. “So it’s not a jealous woman. Who else would want to kill me?”
The gold in Zane’s eyes flashed. “Someone who doesn’t want to see Legacia fall.”
I couldn’t help but think there was more to it than that. “If that’s true, you have a spy.”
“Just as we have spies in the Legacian court.” Remy claimed my elbow. “We should go. The sooner you meet my mother, the sooner we can move to a safer location.”
“I need someone to button my dress.”
“Only if you promise to let me unbutton it later.” Zane’s teasing made me smile. Did he want my promise, or was he trying to lighten the dark mood?
Either way, my answer was yes.
Chapter
Sixty-Four
HAVEN
Remy and Zane escorted me to a space so massive that the throne against the far wall looked tiny. Snowy-white granite pillars stood like sentries along the hall’s length, their surfaces etched with wintry designs. Between them, braziers flickered merrily, casting a golden glow on walls hung with banners in Rymarian red.
Outside, the wind blew and snowflakes danced, both held at bay by the walls of stained-glass windows that lined the throne room.
The room was nearly full, and every single person in it was staring at me. I lifted my chin and smoothed my skirts, trying to calm the flutter in my stomach. This wasn’t about meeting a queen—I’d faced monsters and rebels and assassins without flinching. This was about meeting Remy’s mother. What if she decided I wasn’t good enough for her son?
My boots clicked on the carnelian floor, and I grimaced. Would she think I was unrefined? How did Remy and Zane, who walked next to me, move so silently? I took a calming breath. The queen would not dislike me because I walked tooloudly. No, if she was going to find fault, it would be because I came from the worst neighborhood in Altos and had six bondeds, one of whom was her son, four of whom were arguably enemies of the Rymarian state. I swallowed my nerves and forced my chin higher.
After what seemed like an eternity, we reached the throne. Carved from white marble and dotted with rubies and gold, it looked impressive (and uncomfortable).
“You’ve got this,” Remy whispered.
I smiled—grateful for his presence. Only days ago, I would have thought that impossible. Yet I wanted Remy with me. Not because he was a prince; I’d never aspired to a crown. I wanted him for his crooked smile and the devilment in his blue eyes. For his kindness. For his clever tongue. My cheeks warmed at the memory.
“Haven Ford, welcome to Rymar.” The queen rose from her throne and looked down upon me.
The heat drained from my cheeks. “Thank you, Your Majesty.” I dropped a perfectly executed curtsy and silently thanked my dance tutor.
“Rise.”
I stood and looked at Remy’s mother. He looked like her—they had the same up-to-trouble twinkle in their eyes.
“We’ve known of your coming for many months now. How do you find your new home?”
