Page 46 of Dueling the Suitors

Jasper.

Her heart lurched. What was he doing here?

Jasper wore the most unreadable expression Astoria had ever seen on him. He had his arms crossed over his chest, a part of his dark cloak draped over one arm.

Astoria’s mind raced with questions. How dare he show up for her parade after what he did to her?

As though he heard her thoughts, something shifted in Jasper’s expression. He looked wounded.

Astoria barely held back from commanding the driver to stop so she could stomp towards him and demand the reason for his wounded expression. It wasn’t likesheturned her back onhim.

He was the one who did it. He was the one who let her down.

Why on earth was he making wounded faces at her?

“I don’t like the way he’s looking at you.”

Astoria started and turned to Silas with a pasted-on smile for the onlookers. “Then stop looking, so you don’t have to see it.”

He brushed a lock of hair behind her ear and stared into her eyes.

Astoria stiffened. “What are you doing?”

“It’s my duty as your husband to make sure no one looks at you that way.”

“What way?” she asked, glancing over her shoulder at Jasper as the carriage moved past him. His facial expression shifted from wounded to fierce as he glared at the back of Silas’ head. When he met her gaze, she looked away.

Whatever was wrong with him?

Silas’ fingers brushed beneath her chin, making her look at him. She nearly snapped at him to stop being so familiar withher but lost track of her thoughts as her eyes locked with his suddenly intense ones. They bored into hers.

“The way I look at you,” he replied.

Astoria fought against the daze that threatened to overtake her senses and clenched her jaw. “And how do you look at me, may I ask?”

The onlookers—if they were dumb enough to assume their princess would fall for the man who defeated her in her duel and made her storm away—were probably thinking she and Silas were whispering sweet nothings to each other.

“With my eyes, I believe?” His lips twitched slightly at the corner.

Astoria freed her chin from his fingers without making it look so obvious. “Oh, so you are saying you cannot stand any man but yourself looking at me?”

“I am pleased to see you catching up, Little Dragon. Yes, I cannot stand that.”

The smugness in his voice grated on her. “You are absurd.”

“Factually, I am serious.”

“Serious as in locking me up for the rest of the journey?” She arched an eyebrow.

“If your brother wasn’t accompanying us, I really would have.”

“And I would’ve loved to see you try.” She snorted. “You heard my brother—Silas. You can only imagine what my brothers would do to you if they caught wind of you treating meunfairly.”

His eyes danced with amusement and something else. “You are something else entirely, Astoria Yovella Seraphina,” he said with a subtle shake of his head and turned to look at the crowd that vied for their attention.

Astoria stared at him, struck by his words, wondering what they meant.

The carriage moved too slowly for her liking. She could feel the heat of Jasper’s gaze burning a hole in the back of her head. She wanted to get out of the square and out of his sight as soon as possible. But alas, it was impossible to move any faster with the crowd trying to fight their way towards the royal couple. The guards on foot struggled to keep them in line.

---