Page 96 of Acedia

Astrid spluttered. “No, that definitely doesn’t sound right. That sounds like the kind of thing that would get you a restraining order in the human realm.”

“What an unromantic place,” I observed seriously, wanting to see how red Astrid’s face could go. Obviously, I fully intended to respect Iris’s choices—that was never a question in my mind.

But if there were other requirements she wanted fulfilled prior to marriage, then I would work my way down the list until I’d met them all.

And I fully intended each proposal to be better than the last. Fortunately, that required very little work this time around since my first attempt had been so dire.

This time, I would give Iris the proposal that I should have given her the first time around.

Just in case she was ready to say yes.

Only my brother, Ophelia, and their small retinue were waiting for us outside the portal. Allerick quickly scanned each of us, checking that everyone who’d left had returned.

“Any problems?” he asked, scrutinizing Andrus and Galen particularly closely. They were both clearly content and well-fed, which I hoped would put his mind at ease.

“None,” Soren replied, launching into a detailed description of everything that had happened. I walked right past them, heading for the palace steps. I guessed everyone had been sent inside—would Iris be in her room? I’d check there first.

“Where are you going?” Allerick called out.

“Soren will explain!” I yelled over my shoulder, picking up the pace.

Iris was in her room, sitting in the center of her bed and brushing her hair idly with her fingers.

“You’re back,” she said, exhaling with relief. “How was it?”

“Perfectly dull—the way it should be. Are you ready to go?” I asked, letting myself into her room.

Iris chewed on her lower lip, twisting her fingers nervously. I hadn’t picked on it right away because the doors were open for Tilly, but her scent was definitely unsettled.

“Iris, what is it?”

“I want to ask you something,” she said, her voice shaky. “But I’m scared.”

I crossed the room, immediately grabbing her trembling hands and giving them a squeeze. “You can ask me anything, Iris.”

“I already disappointed you once before,” she whispered.

“You haven’t disappointed me once since I met you.”

She lightly squeezed my fingers back, sniffling lightly. “But I said no when you asked me to marry you. And I regret itsomuch. If I could go back—”

“You don’t have to go back.”

“Damen, I shouldn’t have said no—”

“Can we go for a walk first? And then we’ll talk more?”

“Oh. Um. Okay. If you’d prefer that,” Iris replied uncertainly. “Should Tilly stay here?”

“If you’re comfortable with that.”

Iris nodded. “I’m comfortable with you. Stay, Tilly.”

Fortunately, it was a short walk through the palace and a private drawing room to the small courtyard I’d set up for the occasion. Iris’s nose twitched the moment we stepped outside.

“What is that smell?” Iris asked. “It’s so nice.”

“We’re in one of the private courtyards. Some of the night-blooming flowers have been brought in—they’re arranged in pots around the edge of the circular area we’re standing in.There’s a string of glowing orbs above us, though as few as I could manage—just enough to illuminate the space. There’s also a fire in a stone pit here, would you like to move closer so you can feel the warmth?”

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