Page 125 of A Court Bright and Broken

No, I could not marry Raewyn. I’d still have to take an Elven bride. And I already knew she had no interest in being a member of any sort of retinue. But therewassomething I could offer her.

Hopefully it would be appealing enough to make her want to stay.

Armed with a new plan, I returned to my chambers later that evening with a bit more energy in my step.

Thanks to Mareth’s suggestions, I’d come up with several inspired ideas to warm Raewyn up for my proposition.

First, I carried with me what I hoped was the perfect gift. I’d promised one of our most talented artisans anything he wanted if he’d drop everything and craft it for me—today.

It had taken him many hours, but he’d done a masterful job. Raewyn was going to love it. If she didn’t, I had a few more gift ideas up my sleeve.

Plus, I’d scheduled a surprise for her tonight that she wassureto like.

When I entered the suite, she was, thankfully, not already ensconced behind the bed curtains but still awake and dressed, reading in a chair by the open windows.

“Good evening,” I said. “I trust you enjoyed the food I had sent up to the sitting room earlier today.”

She looked up at me then darted her eyes away quickly, gluing them to her book.

“It was fine,” she said in a monotone.

Well, that wasn’t good.

Soldiering on, I approached her, holding out the small box resting atop my palm.

“I brought you something.”

Raewyn looked up again, her eyes moving from the box to my face. “I don’t need any presents from you, Stellon. I’ve told you, the only thing I want is to go home.”

I sighed. “Yes, I know. And you won’t have to wait much longer. But in the meantime, I’d like for you to open this.”

She frowned at the box as if it might contain a poisonous snake or something. “What is it?”

“Open it and find out,” I urged. “I’ve gone to a lot of trouble to have it made for you.”

After a long hesitation, she reached for it and set the box on her lap to open its flaps.

As soon as she did so, the nest of tissue paper inside rustled, and up rose a tiny clockwork hummingbird, flapping its miniature golden wings so quickly they were a blur before my eyes.

I heard Raewyn’s gasp as the shiny metallic creature began to fly about the room, lighting for a second atop a lamp before taking off again. Her wide eyes followed its journey, and her mouth remained open in amazement.

Though Raewyn hadn’t said anything, I was more than pleased by her reaction.

“I know how much you like hummingbirds. I’ve seen you many times watching them from the window,” I said.

The miniature creatures had always fascinated me as well as they fed from the nectar-rich blooms of the Bougainvillea vines that climbed the castle walls and surrounded the bedroom windows.

“I thought you might like to have one of your own,” I said. “Call to it. It’ll come to you.”

Raewyn gave a short whistle, and the mechanical bird flew to her, perching atop her outstretched finger. She brought it close and studied it, wonder clear on her face.

“This is incredible,” she said.

Not only was my sister a genius, so was I. My smile was so big it hurt my cheeks.

“I’m glad you like it.”

My smile fell at her next words.

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