Page 36 of The Heir's Bargain

"Oh, but the accessories! We haven't talked about those," Lorallye said.

Fynn flicked a hand in the air, already nearing the doors. "Get whatever you want, Dani. Just be quick about it. I'll send Jorian in for the payment. I am sure he is getting antsy by now."

With my mouth hanging open, I stared at the back of Fynn’s head as he pulled the door open and the nighttime breeze swept inside the small boutique.

"What do you think about this, Miss Ferrios?" Lorrallye asked, calling my attention back to her. She held up a simple silver necklace with a brilliant amethyst hanging from it. Her eyes widened. "Oh, I have just the heels to go with them, too! They are absolutely stunning. They have matching amethysts on the heels!"

"Sounds lovely," I said, my previous smile fading.

It didn't matter how many of Pontia's gemstones embellished the ensemble. A hundred amethysts would not change anything.

Wisps of pink and orange painted the sky as the sun dipped into the sea. My heels snapped against the cobblestone as we made our way up the stairs of the theater hall. The steps to the theater were clear of any other guests, which only meant one thing: we were late.

Panic surged through my body, from the beautiful heels to my brows.

Fynn and I walked silently as Jorian and his two guards strolled several paces behind us. Each step we took up the staircase only raised another question and concern.

No one would believe that we were courting. The entire kingdom knew that we had grown up together. Why would our feelings for each other change now?

Suddenly, it was as if we were about to head into a battle before gathering the necessary intel.

How many people stood on the enemy's side?

What was our plan of attack?

Were we going to use the element of surprise and sneak into the enemy's camp in the middle of the night, or would we dive headfirst into the mezzanine?

When the enemy was your own kingdom, your own family, what was the proper strategy to implement?

My feet hit the platform, and I stared at the doors, the air stuck in my lungs. We had reached the top of the staircase, but we hadn't even gotten our story straight.

I grabbed Fynn's arm and tugged him to the side.

Immediately, he signaled the men behind us to hold on. Turning to me, he gripped my shoulders. "Relax, Dani. There's nothing to worry about."

"Nothing? You mean everything," I spat. "We haven't even talked about how this whole thing started. Your mother and brother are going to be inside. They know us too well. They're not going to believe it. They're going to see right through our act."

Fynn brushed a hand through his hair, tugging at the strands. "Look, you're right. Everyone will question this; that's to be expected. But have you somehow forgotten that I can read minds? If people start questioning it, I'll do some damage control and fix it." He squeezed my shoulder. "Stop worrying so much."

His words were meant to comfort me, but they only increased my rising anxiety. I didn't go into things without a plan. Yet somehow, I ended up here in front of Fynn without any concrete plan.

I shoved a finger at his chest. "This is not just your reputation on the line here, Fynneares. If your laissez-faire attitude ruins this?—"

Fynn grabbed my wrist and tugged it down. "It'll be fine. Just follow my lead."

"Easier said than done," I mumbled.

I was not a follower and never had been. I didn't like relying on others to do the legwork for me. How could my soldiers trust me as a leader if I wasn't willing to run into the fire first? I trusted the soldiers in my company to have my back because I had proven to them over the years that I had theirs.

Fynn though? He was another story.

I had known him since I was three years old, which meant I knew the tricks he often played. During our lessons as children, he would constantly throw crumpled-up paper balls at the back of my head. When we were teenagers, he purposely told the son of a prominent Pontian lord that I had a crush on him to get me to blush and run out of the room. If he had the opportunity to make me appear a fool, he usually took it.

But what other choice did I have?

"Fine, but what's our story? If this is going to work, we need to be on the same page. And unlike you, I can't read your mind."

Fynn released an exasperated sigh. "Our relationship is new. After the crowning ceremony, one drink led to another, and things escalated from?—"

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