I looked to my left, noticing that the bedroom adjoined another two rooms. The blanket rustled against the carpet as I moved along the bed and entered the first room. I brought my fistful of grapes close to my mouth and chewed with widened eyes.
These rooms made Semuel’s room feel…tiny.
The sitting area consisted of two grand, velvety dark grey sofas that dominated the white room. They faced each other, white fur tossed all over them. Between the two was a rectangular coffee table made of hardwood. It stood on top of a furry wine-red carpet that strikingly contrasted the pearly floor.
A map of Lyrantheia, or rather a mural of the continent, occupied the whole of the opposite wall. I realised then that despite the constant fear of the unknown—the intrusive thoughts about so many things that I had no control over—looking at the map before me brought with it a sensation of bravery and freedom. A connection between me and myself. A moment of pride, even, to have dared cross the continent and survived the many obstacles that were thrown my way.
I shifted my gaze to my left and smiled. Next to the wall-mounted weaponry armoire, a floor-to-ceiling library stood—tall and tempting. To my right was a dark brown wooden double door that I assumed was the exit.
I went back into the bedroom and made my way towards the remaining unexplored room.
My jaw dropped. The ceilings were impossibly high, and the thick glass at its centre made the room appear partially roofless. White marble with light grey veins covered every inch of the walls, including two twin colossal columns at the back of it. They stood proud and tall as if the foundation of the whole castle depended on them. Between the twin columns was a uniform line of marbled spouts forming delicate streams of water that fell silently onto a slanting marbled slate, carrying it into a horizontal opening in the floor.
I took a few small steps, noticing that the centre of the floor was made entirely of ice. I took another two and realised that it was not an icy floor I was staring at, but a pool-sized bath, frozen through its core, something dark curled in its centre.
I moved closer.
The sound of ice cracking and snapping filled the room, and I was fairly certain that the icy earth beneath me shook. In the blink of an eye, Aegir stood at the pool’s centre. His chest heaved. My eyes fell to his side, lingered on the discoloured scar tissue, a reminder of what he had done for me.
We’ve been through this before.
But this time—this time, it was different.
This time,I did not freeze and stumble the opposite way. No, this time my steps were directed his way. And this time, it was not the melted ice spear that splashed and tumbled into water, but it was Lord Aegir Hailin, dropping to his knees.
“Please, I—I can explain myself, I swear.” His voice was so damned broken.
I kept my pace until I reached the landing, then dipped my right foot. I wasn’t sure why I was surprised to find that the water was not cold at all. The swift change in temperature thanks to Aegir’s powers, of course.
I took it as an invitation.
And as soon as I lifted my face, our eyes met and we both decided not to leave each other’s gaze. He stilled at my approach, giving me a look that made me question his hope. I clenched my hands around the blanket—one at the front of my chest, the other at my lower belly—and descended each step until I stood before him. The water reached just below my navel.
He lifted those gorgeous, glassy green eyes from beneath his thick lashes and said, “I swear to you, Cordelia, Princess Maryam was already with child when I made the bargain with King Belzari. The father is Sendor, the Sand Wielder who saved our lives. I hoped that we could spare the honour of the princess and her child, for Sendor. And in turn, we would ally with Ramel, because believe me, we need this alliance, we need the Sand Wielders on our side. I thought since it was common practice in Ramel, that it wouldn’t bring shame upon you. I swear, Cordelia, every night, while Maryam slept soundly next to Sendor, I stayed in the farthest bedroom of the tall house, wishing that you were with me. Instead, I spent my nights uneasy, lying awake in bed thinking about no one else but you. I hated myself. You left me and I couldn’t be any more useless. The only Fae in godsdamned Lyrantheia that could not track the scent of his own woman, because you smelled too much of me. I—I don’t know what I can do to make you believe me, but I swear it to Boreas on my mother’s soul.”
“Hush, you do not have to swear it, anddo notswear like that. I heard you, Aegir. I heard every word you said, and I believe you. I believe you, because I know it is the truth.” He did not manage to hide his shivering sigh, or perhaps he did not try to.
“Aegir, when I heard you say her name, the whole world stopped. My heart stopped. The voice in the back of my head told me it was obvious that you would choose a princess over a servant, and when the Seer told me—”
“The Seer? You spoke to the Seer!?”
“Yes, but that’s not important. What she said—she made me believe that you were meant to be with her, that our paths were not the same. And when I saw the ring, I just—”
“Well, the Seer is wrong. She’s wrong!” Aegir bellowed, his fist tapping against his chest. “I know it in my heart, in my soul, that we share the same path.” Still on his knees, Aegir moved his hands to my hips. “The ring was meant for you. I wantyou. I don’t care if you are the servant of the lowest servants or the empress of the universe, you are mine, and I very badly want to be yours.”
My eyes flickered as they searched for his own. He continued, and I did hear what he was saying, but I didn’t fully listen. I just stared at him, blank-eyed, my mind still not done with his earlier words.His own woman. I know it in my soul. You are mine.
My soulbound, he had claimed—gods, the way it pulled me back to life…it unchained me.
His next words came muffled, distant, as they fell on distracted ears.“Your eyes, they—they’re blue. They’re as blue as the sea. And your scent, I can finally scent you—you truly smell like flowers by the sea, just as I had imagined, better. And you—”
“You’re mine.” It came out of my mouth so assertively, it sounded more like a demand than anything else.
CHAPTER 70
Aegir stiffened.
His whole body stilled—frozen, just as I had been—and I swore that not even one hair of his moved. I carefully leaned onto him, soon finding myself with my arms wrapped around his neck, my thighs around his waist. The blanket, now drowning somewhere behind me.
