He sat beside her, and put his hand over the top of her arm, her hand.
His skin against hers electrified her.
And for the first time, she felt something that was truly like fear.
What was this?
But she didn’t have time to question herself, because then the light on the camera turned on. He began to speak in Icelandic, and she did not know the language. She was suddenly verynervous, because they hadn’t discussed what she was supposed to do.
They spoke English to one another, the common language between them, and that was going to have to be okay now. She imagined it was more likely that the people in this country would understand that, rather than her native Spanish.
She did her best to smile and to respond when she felt like it was appropriate.
“My fiancée will address you in English.”
She felt a sweep of relief that he answered the question.
“Yes,” she said, looking into the blank, dead eye of the camera. She was so aware of him touching her. And then he moved his thumb across her knuckles, and her heart leaped up high in her throat.
“Yes. I just wished to address all of you and say I am honored to be here. And to be part of this nation, and its new future. I have been working with the king for three years now, easing diplomatic ties between his country and mine. Over that time, he and I began to develop feelings for each other. So though this feels quick, I know, it is actually just a visible bloom on a seed that has been growing for a very long time.”
“Our wedding will be this afternoon,” he said, still speaking English. “We will wed on the large terrace at the front of the palace, and whoever wishes to attend may come and watch. This will usher in a new time. A new era. As we continue to work for the betterment of all people in our country. And with Queen Fern by my side I know that I am assured of this future.”
The light on the camera went off, whoever was monitoring the broadcast clearly right on cue.
“Perfectly done.”
“You don’t believe in giving anyone much time to prepare.”
“Nothing about you has suggested to me that you need extra time to prepare for anything.”
She felt warmth, pleasure, spreading in her chest and she looked away. “Are you talking about the fact that I almost got away from you yesterday?”
“You didn’t. But you tried. And then you skillfully renegotiated the terms of this arrangement. Somehow I knew that you would manage to do so again.”
“That’s a lot of confidence in a woman you only just met.”
“When I was putting together my army—such as it was—to reclaim the country, I had to become an excellent judge of character. I couldn’t afford to trust the wrong people. If the wrong word went into the wrong ear, the revolution would have been over before it began.”
“So you’re saying you’re an excellent judge of character, and you have judged me to be excellent?”
“In a sense.”
His hand was still resting on hers; she drew it back. And without thinking, brushed her fingers over his knuckles.
Those blue eyes met hers, and she felt something spark low inside of her.
Of all the things.
She had been immune to men all this time. Mainly because they had been adversaries to her.
She didn’t respect them, didn’t like them, so how could she ever want one?
Like marriage, romance had felt very much like it didn’t fit into her life in a conventional way.
She wasn’t certain that what she was feeling for him now was romance. No. It felt like something altogether more…earthy.
“The wedding will be in three hours,” he said.
