Page 29 of Ties of Starlight

She knew what to do anytime she’d wanted Olaug to leave something alone, which wasn’t hard, given he’d been very content to let things lie. His focus always flitting to something new. He wasn’t someone who really sought out conflict or went looking for problems. That’s why she’d learned how to wall off her emotions in the first place, so Olaug wouldn’t notice or be disturbed by her.

She didn’t know Nyrunn inside and out the way she did Olaug. This was all uncharted territory. For a girl who’d lived this life more times than anyone ever should have, that was terrifying.

And yet, there was something thrilling about it as well.

But mostly terrifying.

She woke up to Nyrunn not having returned to his usual spot either by the exit or in the chair—instead he had fallen asleep on the ground beside the bed. Her new husband… She still couldn’t quite make the measure of him. He’d gotten angry, but there’d been some restraint in him. Surprising, given his relations weren’t known for it, and her previous life had more than seen her fair share of it.

Maybe his cruelty was more one of words than of blows. She could at least be grateful for that.

In this life and her last, Hrorr’s reputation had been more than enough to cause Idonea to never want to be the object of his displeasure. Bror…

She may not know Nyrunn the way she knew Olaug, but she had known Bror, and so far she saw more similarities between them than differences. The same stern countenance. The sharp little digs. The commanding air. Not to mention the physical resemblance. Whether Nyrunn was worse or not remained to be seen; she hadn’t been married to Bror.

She shuddered to think of her fate if that catastrophe had occurred.

She made quick work of getting ready and escaped the tent before Nyrunn stirred. She hovered outside the tent, watching as the nobles got ready to depart as well. Lady Katla shot her a look—Idonea’s tears the night before had been sparked by Lady Katla saying Olaug had probably run off after seeing her in the dress she’d worn to the banquet before the wedding and how not even the skirts could hide just how much there was of her.

Idonea ignored her as best she could, but even after so many lifetimes of hearing these remarks, she still hadn’tquite gotten her skin thick enough for them not to pierce her. She did, however, have bigger concerns, especially since she still couldn’t shake the feeling of water plunging into her mouth and ripping the air out of her lungs. Not her most recent death, but a fairly traumatic one. She and Olaug had been kidnapped the night before they were to be submerged in the Constellation Pool. The humans they’d been at war with at the time had thought it quite ironic to drown them in that very water. Expected from a kingdom of alchemists; they loved that sort of thing.

Unfortunately for them, they hadn’t realized the comet was just visible enough in the sky that it had completed the ceremony and benefitted their people even if they’d killed the couple in the process.

The next time Idonea had come back, they had peace with the alchemists of Chymes.

She always missed a lot in the years between her lives.

Of course, Idonea did not enjoy reliving any of her memories, but she managed them. The problem was she now had to manage them without arousing Nyrunn’s suspicion. She didn’t know him. She couldn’t predict him. He’d reacted poorly to even just her concern for Olaug’s well-being. If he discovered that she’d lived other lives where she’d been married to him…

He may not be happy about being stuck with her, but he clearly considered her to be his even if he didn’t want her, unsurprising for Bror’s nephew. As king, of course, he couldn’t afford for his wife to be the subject of gossip regarding another man or to be made a laughingstock himself.

The truth that there had been six lives where she had been Olaug’s wife… He was not likely to take that well. She didn’t want to test his restraint that far. Worse, if he discovered she was the same girl that had been part of the last Cometa Couple—there was no telling what he might do to her.

He could very well be more like his uncle than he so claimed.

The problem was her nightmares were only going to get worse. They weren’t far from the ruins at Heava.

Idonea hoped that would be the worst of it, and if she could get past that, then she could make it through everything else, finish the rituals, and then figure out what she was going to do with the rest of this life until she got her next chance to do it right.

“Idonea!”

She whipped around to see Nyrunn exiting the tent, carrying her bag. Her heart jolted. She hadn’t grabbed it because she’d been in such a rush to get away from him and he’d been between her and the bag containing her darkest secrets. “I figured you’d want this.”

She quickly scrambled to take it from him, slinging it over her shoulder and pushing the bulk of it behind her. “You didn’t have to do that, Your Majesty. I was coming back for it.”

“Maybe it was just my excuse to try again to get you to use my name,” he said, giving her a pointed look.

He was putting on a good act. This Nyrunn seemed very little like the one from the night before. Or maybe she just wasn’t used to him being in a good mood over the last year. Although, he had no reason to be in a good mood at the moment either.

“Is it necessary?”

“To use my name? Well, I’m asking you nicely to and not ordering you around like you seem to think I exclusively do.”

Was his soft, playful grin just an act to try to get her to lower her guard?

“Then, if it won’t interfere with the ritual, I’ll stick to the respect your position entails, Your Majesty.” Part of her was curious to see how quickly it would take him to crack at her defiance, but instead of any of the annoyance or anger she’d expected, he just stepped back with a shrug, soft smile never faltering.

“If you insist,” Nyrunn said. He then gestured to the horse being led over to them, Idonea’s steed. Before she could figure out where he was going with that, the horse came to a stop and she was being lifted into the air. A startled yelp ripped out of her throat as he set her on the saddle. Lately she’d been making do with a boost from the servant who brought her horse to her.

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