There was so much to say and yet I was too tired to explain any of it, even if I wanted to. “I'm exhausted.”
“Of course. Let me bring you to your chambers. I’ll draw a bath and you can eat.”
Renna, the Master of Hunt, spoke with Gideon. Upon seeing me, Gideon quickly rushed over. His hair was no longer in a tight ponytail, and blood splattered the front of his clothes.
“Are you alright?” I asked.
He bowed. “I'm fine, Your Majesty. And are you well?”
I nodded.
“Very good. I'm sorry. That should never have happened.” He gave me an assessing look while quietly whispering, “I’m glad we at least spoke today,” reminding me about his plans to search the queen mother’s chambers.
“Yes,” I said. “I have much to think about tonight. Thank you.”
He tried to hide the smile on his face, but I could see it in his eyes and the way they sparkled. He bowed and went back to Renna who eyed me… another fae with pointy teeth who would probably kill me if she could.
Even though I still didn’t trust Kane, it was clear he would protect me from his court and any other threat. Could it be that my life was no longer in danger? And if so, what did that mean?
By the time we had reached my chambers, every muscle ached, and I could barely keep my eyes open.
“I’ll run you a bath,” Liora said, heading to the washroom.
Rubbing my eyes, I noticed a strange vase on one of my night tables. As I got closer, the beautiful sight became clearer and I gasped.
A blue rose sat inside a dome-shaped case. The flower twinkled and levitated within the glass. Tiny glittering dust covered the flower, making it sparkle with magic.
I reached for the glass dome. It thrummed faintly beneath my fingertips, the levitating bloom inside glowing softly.
Next to the flower sat a silver tray with a napkin draped over it, a folded note on top.
Carefully, I opened the note.
Little Thorn,
You are queen now.
Try to stay out of trouble.
Kane
I traced the wordqueen.
Had he accepted the truth of our union? Did he finally see me ashisqueen?
It was difficult to tell if he was teasing, being serious, or something else.
If only I had read that before I went to the village. When did he leave this?
Grabbing the napkin, I peeked under it, finding a plate of the lavender shortbread cookies.
The water stopped running and I grabbed a cookie, heading toward the bath. “Liora, do you know when this arrived?”
Drying her hands off on a cloth, she moved closer to inspect the magical rose. “It must have been after we left. That’s an eternal rose.”
“It’s beautiful. How does it float like that?”
“Pixie dust.”
