Page 114 of The Princess's Chosen

"Bryony sleeps heavily after traveling, so we pass her around a bit at night," Cosmo said, grunting as I elbowed his side. "What? Like you haven't noticed falling asleep in one spot and waking up in another. We Chosen all deserve a little cuddle, don't you think?"

"I did wonder how you all managed it," Daniel said before I could answer.

I eyed Cosmo gratefully, and his smile stretched a little wider. "Oh, we handle most of the negotiations while she's distracted. And if Owen offers to arm wrestle you for the privilege, don't agree."

I laughed, bright and giddy, and my Chosen stepped in closer, their arms looping around my waist as they escorted me up to my bed.

Epilogue

Iscreeched and flailed as two arms hauled me up into the air and tossed me over a broad shoulder, air rushing out of me with a greatoofof breath.

A hand clapped against my behind, muffled through the heavy layer of skirts and petticoats, and then my captor hauled me away, my breath fogging in the air and my ribs jostling against the muscle beneath me.

"Gentler, Owen," Cosmo called, but his warning was broken by his laughter, and I looked up and shot him a grin as Owen carted me off behind the trees into enemy territory. At his side, Aric, my betrayer and I suspected the one responsible for swatting my ass, was bent over with his obnoxious rowdy laughter.

Owen darted behind a great oak and then hauled me down from his shoulder, my boots sinking into a snowdrift as he pressed me between the tree trunk and his warm, solid frame.

"And here I thought I'd earned such loyalty from you all," I said, grinning and catching my breath.

Owen wedged his knees between my thighs, bending enough so that our noses were level and our misty breath mingled. "I think you've just been teaching a very strange collection of men how to cooperate, really," he said.

Which was very astute of Owen and deserved a reward. We both moaned as I took his mouth in a messy, hungry kiss, our bodies arching into one another and rubbing pleasantly together through all the layers of fabric.

"Here they are. Owen's converting her to our cause, I think," Daniel said, stomping through the snow with Thao at his side, the pair of them grinning wolfishly at me as I pulled away from Owen's lips.

There were snowflakes dressing Thao's hair, and he looked almost twice as broad and fluffy, decked in so many layers, I was surprised he could move about. "They'll come for her soon enough, but I say we grab Wen next. He'll be easily swayed to our side."

"Mm, it's Aric we'll have to worry about. He'll cheat and use magic," Owen agreed, standing straight again.

Capture the princess was the winter sport of the day, but I was working on a plot to declare myself an independent party and let them all be losers.

"Ah, is that a white flag? No doubt a trap," Thao said, glaring through the trees.

I twisted and peeked around the side of the oak to where Wendell, Aric, and Cosmo were facing away from us. And striding toward them was Cresswell with…

"It's a letter," I said, nudging Owen away gently.

He scooped me up with his hands around my waist and pulled me out of the drift, the three of them following at my back as I jogged back toward the palace.

"Is it from my grandmother?" I called.

Aric had the letter now, frowning at the seal and then up at me. "The queen."

I stalled, just for a moment, Owen bumping gently into my side. My mother didn't write to me, not more than a note added to my grandmother's letters, or her statement of confidence. I hurried to the group and Aric passed me the letter, my men crowding around me, even Cresswell remaining close when he'd been avoiding me for over a week.

I tore the seal and read the page, my stomach growing heavy and woozy, my heart aching.

"Bryony, love, what is it?" Wendell asked.

Owen's hand stroked my back, Thao's hand cupping my hip, all of their eyes focused on my face as I read the words and over and over again, wishing they might rearrange their order or disappear altogether.

"The dowager queen is ill," I said, voice too whispery and thin. But no one else was speaking, barely even breathing. "Gravely so."

Your grandmother is dying, dear heart. Please come home, I can't bear it.

The letters wobbled and there were a few puckers and smears of tears, my mother's open temperament brought to tears as she'd written. That same ache choked my throat now, but it was more than that too. My grandmother was ill, and I was full of the bitter edge of dread at what this would mean for me.

"I have to go back to the south," I said, looking up from the page, feeling the parchment twist in my tight grip. "I…please, I need you all to come with me, my Chosen."

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