“Even when I was giggling through our wedding vows?”
“Especially then.” My smile came out shaky. “I saw past the giggling to who you really are. You’re a man who handles impossible choices with compassion.”
His eyes searched mine. “You really see me?”
“I do, and what I see is extraordinary.”
He kissed me, his touch tender.
When we pulled apart, he rested his forehead against mine.
We stood in the quiet kitchen while dawn painted the world gold.
Sometimes the bravest thing wasn’t solving a mystery or making a hard choice.
Sometimes it was simply allowing yourself to be comforted by someone who saw you clearly and chose you anyway.
Outside the kitchen window, I noticed something that made me pause. The ornamental vines along the wall were straightening, their leaves unfurling with new life. A cluster of emotion-responsive flowers had begun to bloom, their petals opening to greet the morning.
The plants appeared to be responding to us. Ouremotional resonance was feeding them, bringing them back to life.
If we could revive these plants with authentic feeling, maybe we could solve the second mystery of what or who was draining the court’s precious magic.
But that revelation could wait.
For now, Dominic needed comfort. And I needed to hold him.
Everything else would still be there when we were ready to face it.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
DOMINIC
Iwoke before dawn with the weight of yesterday pressing on my chest. My mother. The exile. The betrayal that still felt raw despite understanding why I had to do it.
I stared at the ceiling, watching shadows shift as early light crept through the curtains. The memory of my mother’s face when I’d sent her away kept replaying. The tears she’d tried to hide. The dignity she’d maintained even as her world crumbled. She’d tried to help. In her twisted, misguided way, she’d genuinely believed she was protecting me.
That didn’t make it hurt less.
I rolled out of bed and made my way to the bathing chamber, letting hot water wash over me while my mind churned through everything. Betrayal mixed with guilt for banishing her. Anger at the manipulation. But underneath it all, a strange sense of relief that at least one mystery was solved.
The water couldn’t wash away the complicated mess of feelings, but it helped clear my head enough to face the day.
I dried off and wrapped myself in a robe, then strode back to my room. As I shut the door, Sasha’s opened and closed. She headed toward the bathing chamber.
Knowing she was here made the pain in my chest loosen. At least I wasn’t facing this alone.
I dressed quickly, choosing comfortable clothes rather than formal court robes. We had investigating to do today, and I wanted to move freely through the castle and grounds.
When I stepped into our shared sitting room, I found Sasha there, dressed in a deep blue gown. She stood by the side table, her fingers hovering over a small potted fern that had been wilting for weeks.
Savory perched on the windowsill, her head tilting as she watched Sasha work.
I stayed quiet, watching as her hands moved above the plants. I sensed she was finally trusting the magic flowing through her.
The fern’s fronds began to uncurl. Not in a huge way, but enough to show life returning.
She wasn’t just solving problems. She was healing things. The thought made my throat tighten with joy.
