Total pages in book: 208
Estimated words: 209645 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1048(@200wpm)___ 839(@250wpm)___ 699(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 209645 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1048(@200wpm)___ 839(@250wpm)___ 699(@300wpm)
“There will never be a time when you don’t have power. I was not free to leave my rooms today, because you bid it.”
“For your safety.”
“I was not free to see to my husband because you did not wish it.”
“And I regret that.”
“I am not free.”
Aramus’s entire frame jerked.
“No. You will never understand,” she declared.
“And do you wish for me to set you free, wife?” he asked cautiously, disturbingly, for if she wished that, and to win her, he’d need to give her that, how would he keep her safe as she made her way back to him?
For he couldn’t think of an option that did not include him again going about earning her love.
She had to come back to him, for she was earning his.
“I would wish that would be the last thing on your mind, especially if you’re hurting.”
She’d wanted to comfort him.
She had been comforting him.
Since the attack was over, she had not left his side.
He was such a bloody fool.
“Ha-Lah,” he murmured, again burying his face into her hair.
“I was torn from my home to be your queen. I did not make you earn anything from me. I wanted nothing but your respect. And then you disrespected me. And I cannot say, in your anger, no matter the regret you feel now, that the words you spoke, you did not speak true, from the heart, what you are feeling. Now, here we are. And here I’m afraid is where we will stay.”
“Because you cannot forgive me.”
“Because I have no worth to you.”
“You cannot possibly think that’s true.”
“He will not be burdened with a queen the likes of you,” she quoted, and he ground his teeth at hearing the words that had come out of his own mouth. “I cannot possibly think it is not.”
They were getting nowhere.
“Perhaps we should talk about this in the morning,” he suggested.
“As you wish,” she replied.
He didn’t like the way she said that, but he’d learned, not easily, to keep his mouth shut in matters such as that. At least until he’d found the right words to say.
She lay in the curve of his arm, no less tense, but he did not leave her be.
She was his wife.
He was her husband.
They would disagree. They would fight. They might even wound each other (again).
But from then on, at the end of the night, they would fall asleep in each other’s arms.
Or, in this case, she would fall asleep in his.
“It is odd, do you not think, that this destiny before us would bring me a crusader?” he asked.
“I do not wish to prolong our discussion, but I feel I must warn you that flattery isn’t effective with me.”
“I am not flattering you, my queen. I’m pondering. I’m sure another man would very much wish to have a beautiful, kind, lively, amusing wife. But I need a warrior. I need a wife who would stand strong and refuse to admit defeat. Even if she’s defending herself.”
That made her entire frame jerk.
Finally, he was getting somewhere.
“I regret what I said,” he carried on. “I am not a man of words. I am a man of deeds. So I do not have the skill to express how deeply I regret wounding you. But I did not speak true, Ha-Lah. Mar-el got the queen it needed. Triton did. This planet did. And I did. And if you do not believe that to be in my heart, I will simply have to prove it to you.”
“May I sleep, my king?” she asked.
“As you wish,” he answered.
At that, he felt her body twitch.
Then she sighed.
He did not smile even if he felt his point had been made and he had eventually found a way to heal some of the damage he’d inflicted on his wife.
Or at least give her something to think about.
But Catedrais was dead.
The palace had been besieged last night.
A plot to assassinate Farah, and thus foil the prophecy, killed Sofia. And this came from magic.
Not to mention, the quake they’d experienced was by far the worst and he did not like to think not only what that meant, but what kind of tidal that forced on his realm.
And his wife was more distant to him than she’d ever been.
Therefore, there was naught to smile about.
But they would leave tomorrow.
They would ride like there was a siren on their heels.
And he would take his wife to the sea.
They would meet the others in Wodell.
Now, he had to see to his queen.
Princess Elena
Guest Suite, Second Floor, East Corridor, Catrame Palace, Fire City
FIRENZE
I blew out the lamps in my dressing room after I’d changed into my nightgown.
As I wandered into the bathing area on my way to bed, I wished Dora was with me.
Or I was with Dora.
It wasn’t safe in the palace, so she was with my sisters at the camp.