Page 37 of Calling of the Crown

“He gave us the day off!” I cheered. “Rune and I were just talking about what we should do. I think it would be fun to go swim and explore the sea.”

Dallas’s eyes brightened. “That sounds like a great idea. A beach day.”

“Do you guys want to join us?”

“Hell yeah!” Dallas threw her arms into the air. “I’d love a nice dip in the Morardian Sea.”

“Is the move-in crew back?” Rune asked. “If so, we can gather everyone and go together.”

“Yeah, I think they just got back,” Rance answered, hitching a thumb over his shoulder.

“Sweet,” I said. “If you see them, spread the word. Beach party commencing immediately. Let’s meet at the front shores in fifteen.”

“The front shores?” Dallas asked with a skeptical raised brow. “You do realize the back shore behind the palace is private, right? All the new arrivals will see you at the front.”

I shrugged. “If they see me, they see me. I may be their Princess, but I’m still a person who can have fun. Maybe they’ll join us, and that will give them a chance to see me and Land Fae for who we are as people.”

Dallas nibbled her lip nervously. “But—”

Shaking my head at her, I brushed off her worry and pulled Rune along after me as I continued down the hall. I called over my shoulder, “Front shore. Fifteen. Be there.”

Rune and I made it up to our room in record time, stopping only to tell Marlow, the twins, and Alvaro, who we passed on the way up. Once in our room, I practically skipped to my closet to look for something to wear. I didn’t have any bathing suits with me, but just knowing I was about to do something fun with my friends made me not care.

My leggings and t-shirt hugged my curves, and I wasn’t sure if that was the best thing to wear when out in public for my people to see. Grabbing a white sundress, I held it up for Rune to see and gestured between it and my current attire. “Which one says, ‘I’m just here to relax with everyone, but I’m still your Princess and have decorum?’”

Chuckling, Rune pointed at the dress. “That one.”

I shimmied out of my clothes and slipped on the dress, all while Rune watched from by the bed. Glancing over at him, I noticed him studying me. The humor had left his features, replaced with a worried crease to his brow.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Are you sure going out front where anyone can approach you is a good idea? What if someone who’s pissed at you for having Land Fae here tries to attack or—”

“Rune …” I finished pulling my hair out from the neck of the material of the dress and walked over to him. Placing my hands on his chest, I asked, “Weren’t you the one who said that just being myself will make the people like me?”

“Yes.”

“How are they supposed to see me and get to know me if they aren’t ever given chances to be around me? I want them to see me, to see us, so that they can see my heart with their own eyes. To see your heart, too.”

My hand traced his chest where his heart beat steadily. He covered my hand with his own and shook his head. “My heart is a tainted one. Probably don’t want people seeing inside me too deeply.”

Frowning, I argued, “You aren’t tainted. Darkness doesn’t paint your heart. Scars do, and we all have those. Everyone will love you if you let them get to know you.”

He tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, and his hand lingered to stroke softly along my jaw. “I don’t need them all to love me. So long as I have your love, my scarred heart doesn’t ache like it used to.”

Smiling softly, I leaned forward to press a kiss to his chest where my hand had previously been. “I love you, scars and all.”

Rune took a deep breath. “If you think being out where the people can approach you is a good idea, I’ll go along with it. But if someone threatens you in any way—”

“You’ll let me and my guards handle it,” I said, pointing a finger at him. “No attacking Water Fae.”

He gritted his teeth but reluctantly agreed. “Fine. Let’s get out there.”

Chapter Seventeen

RUNE AND I MADE OUR way to the beach, collecting Carlos and Bassel on our way. As we walked through the streets, Water Fae bowed and looked at me in awe. I made sure to smile, wave, and greet everyone we passed, though there was no missing the way many would watch Rune, Bassel, and Carlos with suspicion as the three walked down the streets in their Fae forms.

Dallas and Rance were already at the beach, spreading blankets out on the sand. It wasn’t much longer after we arrived that the rest of the gang showed up, including Jesiah, who walked right beside Akira.

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