I touch his jaw, a smile blooming on my face. “I’m so happy, Kel.”
“As am I.”
He guides my lips up to his. The soft press of his mouth washes over me like a tempest, and I am lost in the flurry of this moment.
I stand on my tiptoes, wrapping my arms around his neck, deepening the kiss. His hand is strong on my waist as he dips me back, my hair spilling over my shoulders and almost touching the ground.
Distantly, as if through a haze, I hear the cheers of the crowd, the delighted laughs and hollers of my mates, but I have descended into a Winter storm and have no desire to leave.
Keldarion draws me up, lifting me into his arms, and all at once, I am every bit a piece of him as he is of me—I’m the frost on the awning, the snowflakes fluttering in the wind, the blizzard brewing high in the sky.
We break apart, gasping for air, but he keeps me close, still determined to have this moment just between us. The broadest smile I’ve ever seen spreads across his face.
“I love you, Rosalina, Princess of Winter.”
“I love you too, Keldarion, Prince of Castletree.”
We turn to the crowd, all of them on their feet, cheering and tossing glittering snowballs into the air.
Even if I only get my happily ever after for one night, I will cherish every moment.
90
Dayton
Idon’t think I’ve ever seen Keep Wolfhelm so lively. Theballroom is splendid with glowing purple and blue lights floating near the ceiling, music flits through the air, an ice fountain bubbles with cranberry wine, and the frosted dance floor is filled with fae. The party is so large it spills from the ballroom and into the halls. All of Frostfang was invited to this celebration.
Stars, I could even mistake this for a party in the Summer Realm if I wasn’t freezing my balls off.
Ezryn comes up beside me, carrying a plate overflowing with lefse drizzled with honeyed frostberries and dusted with shimmering powdered sugar alongside a warm root vegetable stew topped with a dollop of spiced cream. “Block me for a second. I’ve been starving all afternoon.”
I chuckle and we move to the corner of the room, where I make a grand show of spreading my cloak while Ezryn ducks behind me and lifts the bottom of his helm to scarf down a few bites.
He straightens, and I brush a few crumbs from his shining gold breastplate. It feels so right seeing him like this again. In away, I didn’t realize how wrong it felt, looking at him without his helm for all to see. “The stew is?—”
“Amazing, right? Who would have thought cream on stew would taste so good?” I finish, and we both laugh.
The music slows into a soft swaying melody.
“Please welcome to the floor for their first dance,” Eldor calls, “the High Prince and Princess of Winter!”
Keldarion and Rosalina stride hand in hand into the ballroom. My heart stutters. She’s a vision, white dress shimmering. But it’s her smile that captures me, as always. She looks sohappy.
I was worried Keldarion would be grumpy all day, given what will happen tonight, but he’s got the broadest grin on his face.
The crowd parts, and Rosalina and Keldarion take the dance floor. I step forward to get a better look. It’s something beautiful. I didn’t realize falling for Rosalina would bring me so much joy in so many ways. Witnessing her happiness on this day, watching Kel go from an icy bastard to a, well, slightlylessicy bastard. Her love is a gift.
She and Keldarion twirl as if they’re moving through water, spinning and spinning in a wondrous whirl. The first time I saw him take her to this very dance floor, something shifted, and now they’re both changed.
Though my gaze can’t help but keep drifting to the stairs, expecting to see a dark-haired man standing at the top landing, waiting with a witty word and joking that he’s fine now, thank you very much, because of course he broke out of the Green Flame’s grip.
A shiver courses through me.Don’t think about that now.
Darkness flickers along my vision. An image flashes through my mind: me, charging Ezryn, my body and mind lost to me.
“Dayton, are you alright?” Ezryn grips my shoulder, turning to face me.
My eyes focus in on his armor, looking for any weakness. A place to stab my triton.Kill the metal one.That had been my command. I could have murdered my brother.
