Page 112 of Crown of Slumber

My heart seized with violent intensity as I tried to find a reason, an explanation for this lie. Because surely it was only part of our ruse. Surely he couldn’t mean?—

“Blazing stars, Fennick, you cannot be serious!” Queen Sonara bellowed, her voice ringing in the throne room. She stood from her perch, her magnificent gown sweeping behind her like a cape as she strode down the steps of the dais toward her son. “You are confused. You are wearied and wounded from your ordeal. I must insist you rest and put your mind at ease. There is no need for you to make such rash declarations when you are not of sound mind.”

“Iamof sound mind,” Fenn said, his emerald eyes burning as he stared his mother down. I willed him to look my way so I could read his expression to determine if he was being earnest or not. But his gaze on the queen never once faltered. “I am in love with her. She is strong and bold and the perfect candidate for our next queen. She will defend us to the very end. There is no one in the entire Realm of Valora that I would rather marry.”

My chest tightened, and a roaring sound filled my ears. Burning suns, I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t even process this declaration.

Oh gods. What was Fenn doing? He was about to ruin everything.

This was no longer a bargain for him. He had just announced that he wanted to marry me. It was a lie neither of us could have told during our ruse because it was not the truth.

Except… that had changed.

And worse—I could not reciprocate his words. I could not say,Yes, I love Fenn, too, and we will marry as two heart-struck lovers should!I could not say those words, as much as I longed to be able to, because I didn’t know what I felt. I had feelings for him, yes, but I hadn’t been able to examine them, to see how deeply they ran. I was so consumed by fear of my strange powers and concern for my family and my kingdom that I hadn’t had the time to inspect my feelings for the prince.

It certainly wasn’t love. Itcouldn’tbe. Could it?

My throat thickened, and I struggled to take my next breath, to remain composed. My mask cracked and faltered under the strain of this turn of events. I had to keep my royal persona in place. I could not crumble, not in front of the queen.

I stared at the reflection of the moon that gleamed on the marble floors, losing myself in the way the pearly glow illuminated that particular spot, the way the shadows parted around that sliver of light. As I kept my gaze pinned on this one section of the floor, I counted in my head to ten, ever so slowly, inhaling deeply and exhaling steadily.

I repeated this twice until my pulse evened out, until I could force myself to look at Fenn and the queen without losing my mind.

Fenn was speaking, and it took all my restraint not to grab him by the shoulders and shake him, to demand what the hell he was doing right now. Instead, I plastered a look of calm interest on my face and focused on his words.

“…you would not have me watch the woman I love marry another, would you? Would you deprive me of a happy marriage?”

“You were never intended to marry happily,” the queen argued. “You knew from the beginning that your marriage would be an arrangement for the good of the kingdom.”

“And it is. Can you not see the good that will come of this? We need dragons. And Aurelia?—”

“Aurelia has not providedproofof the dragons she will give us.”Queen Sonara fixed her steely gaze on me, her eyebrows lowering in accusation.

“Mother, she swore a blood bargain,” Fenn objected.

“I do not care!” the queen shouted. “You are my son.This ismy kingdom.And I am not taking chances on this girl and her duplicitous family, not after our history. I am sorry, Fennick, but I?—”

“What if I could give you proof?” I asked, the words bursting from my lips before I could think better of it.

Fenn went perfectly still, his gaze flicking to me at last. I tried to decipher the emotions in his eyes, but his own mask was in place, cutting me off.

The queen’s eyes narrowed. “I am listening.”

I stepped forward, encouraged by this response. “A dragon came here with me. A show of good faith, as you would put it. What if we could use his Dragonfire to resume your Nightfire fete tonight? It would be a sign to the people that this union can bring joy, that together, Fenn and I can make the kingdom safe.”

Queen Sonara’s eyes glittered with a savage hunger that made my stomach roil. In a flash, the look was gone, replaced by an expression of cold disinterest. But I couldn’t shake that look from my mind, the look of a smiling predator closing in on its prey… It was so unlike the warm gaze I was accustomed to from her son.

“You brought a dragon here with you?” Her voice was low and intense. I had the distinct impression that I was in danger. The hairs on my arms stood up from the lethal edge to her voice.

I swallowed hard. “He will only come when I call him. As you can imagine, he does not feel comfortable in this land.”

“Aurelia,” Fenn said quietly, his voice pained, but I ignored him.

“Is that proof enough for you?” I asked the queen. “I am earnest with my intentions with Fenn. I wish to bring safety and prosperity to your people and mine. Let me prove that to you tonight. Send a decree to your people that they shall prepare for a fete tonight. Let Fenn and me introduce ourselves as a couple to be wed, to end this centuries-long feud between our kingdoms. Let tonight be a time for joy amidst all the trials your people have faced.”

Fenn’s head reared back, his eyebrows lifting as he gave me an impressed smirk. I couldn’t resist smiling back at him, though itwas weak; I was still wracked with guilt and confusion over his confession.

Queen Sonara lifted her chin, her eyes calculating as she looked me over. I held my ground, meeting her gaze head-on, refusing to back down from my claims or from her scrutiny.

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