“Yes,” I said, the giggle that followed undermining my serious tone. “It is.”
She glanced at me, and sympathy flickered across in her face. Perhaps she was beginning to realize my laughter wasn’t any more voluntary that whatever was going on with the court’s plants.
“The second floor has guest rooms,” I explained as we climbed the stairs. “My mother’s suite is here as well, though she maintains another residence in the eastern district. Most guests stay at the castle, so these rooms are rarely used.”
Another chuckle escaped as we continued upward. My throat was getting sore from fighting against the constant laughter.
“And this,” I said as we reached the third floor, “is the private suite for the king and queen of our court.”
I opened the door to reveal a large sitting area, comfortably furnished with a sofa, chairs, and a low table. A fire crackled in the fireplace, adding warmth and a rosy glow to the room. Two doors stood on opposite walls, one clearly leading to a bathing chamber, given the glimpse of marble and brass fixtures inside.
I led her toward the other door and opened it to a short hall beyond.
“Your room is there,” I said, pointing to the door on the left. “Mine is across the hall. We share the sitting area and bath, but you’ll have complete privacy in your own space.”
Sasha’s cheeks colored, and I found the blush utterly enchanting. For all her composure, she could still be caught off guard.
“Separate beds,” I added quickly, another giggle interrupting. “For now, I mean. Until—unless—I didn’t want to presume?—”
“Thank you. That’s very considerate of you.”
I urged her inside her room and showed her the walk-in closet where her gowns had already been unpacked and arranged, the rich fabrics creating a rainbow of color against the dark wood. “If you need anything else, the staffcan provide it. Or I can—” Chuckle. “—help you acquire whatever you need.”
She nodded, clearly still guarded but no longer appearing quite as distant as she’d been during the tour.
I wanted to ask about her vows, about the sincerity I’d heard in her voice when she’d spoken of partnership and alliance. Had she meant the words, or had they been as carefully crafted as everything else about her, a strategic approach to an arranged marriage?
I also wanted to speak my own vows I’d spent considerable time writing, but the last thing I needed to do was laugh my way through them.
Frustration built in my chest like a storm.
“I should let you settle in,” I said, stepping back toward the hall. “There’s a bell system here.” I indicated the pull cord near her door. “Please feel welcome to call the servants for anything you need. Or me.” My face grew hot. “That is, if you think I can help. If you’d like a meal brought up, just ring. The kitchen will prepare whatever you prefer.”
“Thank you.”
“And don’t worry,” I added, another chuckle escaping despite my best efforts. “Fae food isn’t actually enchanted, contrary to what the myths say. You won’t accidentally bind yourself to the court by eating our bread.”
She didn’t laugh, but she did nod. “I wasn’t afraid of that.”
Something in her steady, unintimidated tone made hope flare in my chest. She might be guarded, but she wasn’t fragile. She also didn’t seem to be the type to wilt under pressure or flee from challenges.
Savory lifted from Sasha’s shoulder, gliding across the room to settle on the back of a chair near the window. Theraven surveyed the space with those unsettling eyes, as if cataloging every detail.
“I’ll leave you to rest. If you need anything at all, please call out.”
“I’ll manage,” Sasha said, and thankfully, her tone wasn’t cold, just factual.
I closed the door behind me and leaned against it, finally allowing myself to acknowledge the full weight of this disaster. My wedding day, what should’ve been a ceremony of alliance and possibility, had turned into a humiliating farce. The mystery of the giggling, whatever the cause, had ruined everything.
And the plants. I couldn’t ignore the pattern anymore. The castle’s greenery was wilting and the magical flora that should be thriving was dying instead. Something was very wrong with the court’s magic, and I had no idea what.
A giggle escaped me, and I pressed my fist against my mouth, irritation burning through me.
I needed to figure this out. Both the giggling problem and the dying plants. Not just for the court’s sake, but for Sasha’s. I needed to prove I was more than the fool who’d laughed his way through his wedding vows. That beneath the kingly demeanor I wore like armor, there was someone worthy of the serious, strategic, strong witch I’d somehow been lucky enough to marry.
Even if she didn’t see that part of me yet.
Even if I’d given her every reason not to.
