“You have no idea.”
To distract himself, Sven started pointing out landmarks and giving her stories about various places they passed. He stood close to her and couldn’t help but notice how well their bodies fit together.
Our mating is going to be amazing.
The thought ran through his head more than once and he had to keep distracting himself.
“This is an area that I really want to explore.”
He looked from her to the landscape and froze. As if she had thrown a bucket of ice water down his pants, all the heat and passion disappeared.
“You must never come here.”
“The Frostfen Deep? Why not?”
He turned her to face him. “It is a place of immense evil. That’s why nothing grows there. There are hidden dangers that I couldn’t even begin to explain. It’s best to just stick with staying away from there. I can’t protect you if you get into trouble in the deep.”
He could see the curiosity in her eyes. “Please. Promise me that you’ll stay away.”
“Well, unless I can figure out how to make the train stop, I have no way of finding it anyhow. If you feel that strongly about it, I’ll avoid it.”
“Thank you, and I do feel that strongly. You are welcome to explore anywhere else within the Iskara territory. The nearbytowns Onyxheim and Eldvik are just over the mountains. Each has their own individual appeal with their uniqueness.”
“Are you the king in those towns, too?”
“No,” he answered with a shake of his head. “They are their own provinces with their own king. They are good friends of mine though.”
“But all royal families.”
He nodded and pointed out a waterfall in the distance.
They spent the rest of the train ride exchanging details about each other. Simple things like birthdays and favorite foods. By the time they reached the station, Sven felt like he had learned quite a bit about Bryn. It wasn’t lost on him that he really wanted to know about her, unlike his other chosen mates. He had never learned much about them except their names.
He felt guilty that he hadn’t fully explained the ritual to her, especially the part about him being a dragon. He didn’t know how and he certainly didn’t know how she was going to react.
When they reached the castle, he walked Bryn to her room. “The party tonight is going to be one for the books. Even my grandmother is going.”
“Will she need help getting ready?”
“My mother will take care of her. This night is for you, so I just want you to focus on yourself.”
“I don’t have anything appropriate to wear.”
He pointed to her door. “Oh, I think you’ll find something waiting for you.”
He started to walk away. “I have to get ready myself. I’ll see you in a couple hours.”
A grin stretched across his face as he heard her open the door and almost shout.
“Oh. My. God.”
Chapter Fifteen
Bryn
Bryn stepped into her room and froze. “Oh. My. God.”
A huge rack had been wheeled into her room. On it hung gowns of every color and hue under the rainbow. She ran her hand along the dresses. Some of the fabrics were so luxurious that her fingers almost couldn’t feel the softness. She flicked on the overhead light and some of the materials shimmered and sparkled. Satin and velvet, lace and embroidery. Tiny buttons and dainty pearls. The choices were all there.
