Page 97 of Beneath the Thorned Crown

But all I can focus on is her.

Her heartbeat.

Her warmth.

And suddenly, I can’t take it.

"Say something," I murmur, my grip on her tightening.

She blinks, looking up at me, searching my face like she’s trying to figure something out. Then—she smiles. And that’s when I realize. She’s not hesitating because she doesn’t want this. She’s hesitating because she already knows there’s no way out.

She chooses me.

She chose me the moment she didn’t take the ring off.

And fuck, I need to hear her say it.

I let out a slow breath, pressing my forehead against hers, closing my eyes for a second.

Then, I say the words I never thought I’d say to anyone.

"I love you."

The words feel strange, raw, unfiltered.

She pulls back slightly, her eyes widening.

At that, fear grips me.

Because what if she doesn’t say it back?

What if she can’t?

What if—

Then, she smiles.

A slow, soft, devastating smile.

Her hand comes up, her fingers threading through my hair, pulling me down to her. And when she speaks, it’s not hesitant. It’s not careful. It’s absolute.

"I love you too."

The words slam into me like a bullet to the chest.

I kiss her then, deep and slow, savoring the way she tastes, the way she lets herself be consumed by me. I could tear the ring from her finger, tell her it doesn’t matter. That love doesn’t matter, that it’s just a fucking weakness—

I pull back, just enough to see her face. Her fingers still rest against my chest, right over my heart, and I wonder if she feels it—the way it beats differently now. Not just for myself. For her.

A sharp gust of wind rolls in from the open balcony doors, carrying the distant sounds of the city—the heartbeat of an empire that’s never known peace.

I glance past her, my gaze settling on the skyline.

The war isn’t over.

I know it.

She knows it.

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