My heart stuttered to a stop as I registered what he’d said. My biggest fear was losing my ice fae to his kingdom. I’d never wanted to hold him back from what he was destined to do, but my heart ached at the thought of what becoming king entailed. To hear that his brother was actually becoming king dropped a bucket of relief on my head.
“What?” I croaked.
“My father has relieved me of the duty to become king,” he clarified, his blue eyes twinkling with something deeper as love and appreciation flooded the bond.
“Thorn… that's—that’s amazing.” I gasped, the towel dropping as I flung myself at him.
His arms came around my waist and pulled me flat against him. “Itisamazing. So amazing, Kit. I don’t have to be apart from you.”
“Oh, Fates, I love you so much. I thought that—that—” I choked up, pulling back and planting my palms against his cheeks before crashing my lips to his.
Thorn’s chuckle vibrated between us as I pulled back. “I love you.”
“This is great news,” Kian said, his dimples showing as he smiled. “We had all been so worried about the outcome.”
“When is he getting crowned?”
“Right now.”
“But… I don't have anything to wear.” Panic bubbled up inside me at the news of such a big event being held with such short notice.
“I’ve got that covered.” Thorn lifted his hand.
Threads of ice and plant fibers stitched over to drape a stunning gown over my body.
It was similar to the one he’d made before, with a sweetheart neckline and a beautiful icy blue color that glittered when the light hit just right. But it had long sleeves that swirled with designs down the arms.
“Stunning,” Kian murmured in awe.
“You look like a queen,” Thorn said.
“But I won't become queen,” I quipped, amusement flickering through our bond.
“No, but you are a part of the royal family.” He smirked.
I shook my head, blinking away the tears that formed in my eyes.
The relief from his news was immediate. I had worried constantly about the possibility of losing my mate to the fae realm.
“I just found out too,” he murmured. “I guess my mother had talked to my father about it. I found out when Birch did. They wanted to crown both Birch and Adele together as King and Queen of the Ice and Fire Kingdom.
My pulse spiked at that. There had been so much talk of the war between the Fire Kingdom and the Ice Kingdom. Knowing that the two kingdoms were going to be united by a ruling King and Queen was incredible. Not only was it a blessing for us, but it was a blessing for the fae realm. What better way to destroy the disconnect between kingdoms due to the war than uniting them in a mating?
My feet raised off the ground as Thorn crafted permafrost ice heels like last time. A gasp left my lips as my magic whipped and whirled around the room. It had to be a goofy smile spreading across my face.
Thorn gripped my hand and turned me around to face Kian, who snapped his fingers again. In moments, my hair was in the same updo as Thorn’s with the ornament from their family in my hair.
I glided my hands over it softly. “How did you do that?”
Kian smiled. “I want to be able to help you every way I can, sweetheart. I asked Thorn to teach me how he puts his hair up with the ornament so I could do it for you when you needed it. It might sound silly, but I want to be useful to you in even the simplest acts.”
“You're more than useful, Kian. I love you.” The heels clicked against the tile as I walked over to him and pressed a kiss to his wet lips. “You should get dressed and dry too.”
A strained chuckle left his throat. “I had forgotten about me.”
“I didn't.” I dragged my gaze down the length of him as he stood with a towel wrapped around his waist.
“You never do.” His entire body flushed pink.
