Page 41 of Crown of Slumber

Her cheeks flushed, but she glared in response. “Really? You couldn’t restrain yourself for one night?”

“The journey here wasseveralnights, thank you very much, and I did restrain myself for the better part of the trip.”

She only rolled her eyes. “Regardless of your proclivities, they will still shelter us for the night. I know the owner.” She urged me forward.

I tugged on her elbow to stop her. “That’s what concerns me. Aurelia, we need to appear as if we are betrothed. If this owner knows you, he will likely share this information with others, and we need the news to spread quickly. Not only will it help our story, but it will also keep your kingdom protected if people are aware the Star Court has allied itself to you.”

She stilled, her eyes calculating as she considered my words. “And your court would be safer, too, I’d wager.”

“Well, yes. Not only that, but, I have… rather regrettably made a reputation for myself. If we truly want this lie to be believed, then we must share a room.”

She whirled to face me, her eyes blazing. “What? Absolutely not!”

“Aurelia,” I said.

“I am not sharing a roomora bed with you, you foul, twisted?—”

“Stars above, I do not want to bed you!” I snapped. “It’s only for appearances. I will sleep on the damn floor if I have to. But no one will believe that I am courting someone with chaste intentions.”

She shifted her weight. “Royals court like that all the time. It wouldn’t be proper, and people would know that.”

“Yes, but you and I cannot lie. If we declare we are sharing a room for the night, that will spread the rumor for us.” I paused, eyeing the cut that still bled freely on her forehead. “Not to mention it will give them something else to gossip about besides our horrifying state.”

She sighed. “Fine. But if you try anything tonight, I will gut you.”

I chuckled. “I don’t doubt it.”

Aurelia gripped my arm firmly, leading me toward the front door of the inn. Truth be told, it was a rather charming venue, the three-story cottage looking more like a secluded home in the woods than a place of business. Perhaps that was the appeal.

A row of neatly trimmed rose bushes lined the stone walkway. The windows were adorned with vines of ivy and jasmine, the smell tickling my nose. The cottage was built with thick, wooden slats and had a thatched roof on top. Had I been a commoner in the Summer Court, this would certainly have been my ideal profession: an innkeeper of a pleasant place such as this.

Aurelia pushed open the door and guided me through it. In the small foyer, a plump woman, her messy gray hair coming out of her bun, bustled behind a desk, muttering to herself. Her cheeks were pink as she glanced up at us, her face paling. “Burning suns, I knew it! I’ve already sent for the healer. Your Highness, what happened?” She hurried around the desk and helped us into the sitting room.

“No, no,” Aurelia said quickly. “We don’t want to leave blood on your beautiful furniture. We’ll just need a room for the night.”

“Your Highness, you both need medical attention. The healer should be here any moment.”

Aurelia nodded. “That would be helpful, thank you. But we doneed a room. We must change and clean up if we are to present ourselves to the Autumn Court in a few days.”

I shot an alarmed look at Aurelia before schooling my features into a neutral expression. The Autumn Court? We hadn’t discussed this. I knew we would be making a few stops in this kingdom, but I wasn’t aware we would be making a formal introduction to the royal court.

“I have your usual room prepared, Your Highness,” the woman said. “And I already have another room available upstairs for this gentleman as well.”

“No,” Aurelia said quickly. “He can share my room.”

The woman’s eyes grew wide as she glanced between us. Familiarity flickered in her expression as she gazed me up and down.

Oh, yes, she remembered me. I flashed her a dazzling smile and fixed an adoring look at Aurelia.

“One room?” the woman repeated. “For the two of you?”

Aurelia’s eyes sparkled with delight as she leaned closer to whisper, “We haven’t officially announced it yet.”

The woman uttered a shocked squeak before covering her mouth. “By the gods! It cannot be! You and the Midnight Prince?”

Aurelia arched an eyebrow in my direction, and I shrugged. Yes, I had made my presence—and my title—known during my stay here. There was nothing to be done about it now. If anything, my notoriety might help us spread the word.

“It is true,” Aurelia said, and the shy smile on her face looked so genuine it made my heart stutter. Her eyes shone, and the rosy glow in her cheeks made her look positively radiant. “Unfortunately, we were attacked by a clan of goblins along the way, but our injuries are minor and we should be fit to continue our journey after a healer tends to us.”

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