Page 61 of Dueling the Suitors

She stopped herself from giggling. “A what?”

“Don’t act like you don’t know. I should’ve realized when you wished me to dream of flowers last night that you were up to something!”

“Are flowers that bad?” She tried to keep the amusement out of her voice and failed.

“Are you going to open the door or not? I can show you how bad they are.”

Astoria propped herself on her elbow and exchanged an incredulous look over her shoulder with Skylar. His furry shoulders rolled in a shrug. What was Cyrus’ grudge against flowers? Was there a reason there wasn’t a garden on the palace grounds and not a single flower in sight?

Astoria made sure she was well-covered before calling out, “I’m not planning to get out of bed until the sun is fully up. Why don’t you open it yourself?”

Cyrus grunted something, and the door flung open. He was in his nightshirt and pants, his hair disheveled, his face representing a storm. But the moment his eyes landed on her, he froze, the stormy expression switching to something else, as though he didn’t know what he would see when he entered her room at the first light of dawn.

He stared at her with an unreadable look in his eyes, his gaze trailing down her form from head to toe and back to her face. His stare lingered on her hair, which she had let down to sleep this time.

Astoria swallowed hard at the intensity of his gaze, suddenly feeling exposed, her wits and courage lost. She pulled the blanket higher towards her throat and narrowed her eyes at him. “It’s not gentlemanly of you to stare at a lady when she is in bed.”

Her words seemed to pull him out of whatever daze had befallen him. He narrowed his eyes back. “Not if said lady is my wife,” he snapped. “What are you playing at, Astoria?”

“What happened to calling meAstra?” she blurted out, and her eyes widened in embarrassment. She rushed to add, “Don’t answer that!”

He raised an eyebrow in surprise, the sharp look fading from his eyes. “How about this question, then? What happened to calling me by my name? You had no problem with my fake one. Is it because you realized I amtheCyrus?”

Astoria scoffed loudly. “Oh, please, I told you, you are not my Emperor. How lame of you to assume such a thing just because I refuse to call you by your name anymore.” She sat up and ran a hand through her hair to make sure it wasn’t a mess.

Cyrus’ eyes followed the motion.

“Can I know the reason you are interrupting my sleep?”

He snapped his gaze to her face, the scowl from earlier taking over, and threw the door wide open. “Do you mind explaining this?” He jerked a hand towards his room.

From where she sat, Astoria didn’t have a complete view into his room other than the walls and one of the windows. But she didn’t need to, since she was the cause of the flowers sprouting from the floor in his room, taking over every available surface, including his bed.

She flashed him a sweet smile. “That, my dear husband, is my punishment for your poor treatment of me.”

Disbelief claimed his face for a moment, and then the dark expression returned. “You dare think you can punish me?”

“Actually, I did. You deserve more than just flowers sprouting all over your room. Why didn’t I think of thorns instead?”

“I command you to get rid of them. Now,” he said slowly, threateningly.

Astoria couldn’t help her teasing smile. “Why, you cannot do that yourself?”

“You know only the caster can undo it!”

“Well, I suppose, you will have to asknicely.” She shot him a smug grin and lay back on her bed, turning her face to the white canopy above.

“Don’t play with me, Astoria…” he warned.

Her grin only widened. She might be treading a dangerous line, but getting under his skin was actually fun. Moreover, something told her that he wouldn’t harm her despite his warning tone. She didn’twantto count on his word, but she did, almost without realizing it.

“Why not?Youcan play with me all you like, andIcan’t? You are the one who deceived me, kidnapped me, and is holding me in your gilded cage. I have every right to do what I am doing.” She placed a hand on her chest dramatically and turned her gaze to him. “Oh, goodness, don’t tell me you are allergic to flowers! Is that why there’s not a single bloom here?”

“Last warning…”

She snorted sarcastically. “Or what? You will kill me? Lock me up in a—”

“I will move into your room, and you will have to share your bed with me—again.”

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