So much, it dribbled out of me when he pulled out with a wet sound.
“Feck, Strawberry…” Tadhg breathed, his voice filled with admiration, as if I’d done all the work.
I could only tremble in response—aftershocks from that shocking act still pulsing through me.
I felt, rather than saw, Tadhg climb out of bed as I collapsed onto my stomach.
He returned with the now-familiar bath mitt and towel combination.
But I shivered again when he cleaned me. I was sensitive there now. A bundle of raw, sparking nerves.
“I didn’t mean to lose control like that.” He ran a hand down my back. “Did I hurt ye, Strawberry?”
I wasn’t sure my no-longer-virgin hole would ever recover. But…
“Good sore,” I assured him. “Very good sore.”
Another departure. Longer this time. I suspected a shower.
That guess was confirmed when he came back smelling like only himself again. Pie crust fresh out of the oven.
Without a word, he pulled me into his arms, settling in beside me to sleep.
That wasn’t unexpected. Or new.
Since the first—and only—nightmare, either the Shadow King or Tadhg had always slept beside me after I was trained on something new. Quietly providing a first line of defense against the mother who haunted my dreams.
But whatwasnew was waking up to him still there. Along with the smell of lemons.
He and the Shadow King always returned to their rooms after I was deep into sleep.
But when I opened my eyes the next morning, I didn’t find a double serving of brunch waiting.
Instead, I found Tadhg and the Shadow King—on either side of me—sitting up and watching.
Watching me.
Their expressions were rapt, as if they’d been there for hours.
Waiting for me to wake up.
What in the world?
I opened my mouth to ask the question aloud—But then I saw the sign the Shadow King held:The High King is ready to give you his YEA or NAY.
Yea or Nay
Everything happened fast after that.
We’d trained so much. In bed. But I realized in that moment, we’d never practiced for the actual ceremony.
“What do I say? What do I do?” I asked them, my heart pounding in my chest.Fear or anticipation?I couldn’t tell.
No, I knew. It was both. It was so, so both.
The Shadow and Mountain Kings had become familiar. But I didn’t know the High King from Adam. The only thing I knew about him was that I’d spent an inordinate amount of time wanting him to like me without ever knowing if he did.
As if in answer to my question, the room announced,“Mountain Princess Brigid Ryan approaching on foot.”
