Page 35 of The Cursed Crown

The boy nodded tightly and started to step away, before hesitation stilled his progress. "I'd like to reiterate my offer to accompany you on your journey, Your Grace. The seelie queen ought to be escorted by lords of her own courts," he pointed out with some force.

Rissa chewed on her lip.

Teoran was right. Rydekar barely ever went anywhere alone. He fully expected Rissa to reject his offer, stubborn as she was, and for once, he was glad for her stubbornness.

"Propriety demands it," the seelie prince insisted. "If you'd like to pick another warrior, we can—"

"No, it's fine. You can come. I plan to leave at dawn, after a rest, if that's suitable for you."

He grinned, and nodded.

She'd said yes.

Jaw tight, he started to carry her down the hall, and up the tower.

She said yes. To that boy. Rydekar was dumbfounded. He was entirely used to her rejecting sense, kicking and screaming.

"Who knew all it took for you to be compliant is a few drops of poison." Beneath his casual tone, his voice was ice.

Rissa sighed. "I don't know Denarhelm as well as I should. The Autumn Court is in the east, south of the Wilderness. Teoran's company will be useful—and I can leave him behind when we reach his home."

If she believed that enamored boy would let her go to the Wilderness alone, she was kidding herself.

"Hm."Rydekar hadn't failed to notice the child's interest, though he couldn't tell whether Teoran fancied himself in love with Rissa or with the crown that belonged to her.

He steered them back to the most pressing matter. "The poison. What was it?"

"Elvenbane."

Rydekar cursed under his breath. No wonder she was enfeebled. He'd seen men collapse after a slight drop.

Never mind what this drink might have done tohim. The mortal blood in his veins was unpredictable.

"A woman of sense would have knocked it over, not drunk it."

"A woman of sense would have let you drink it," she rejoined.

He grinned. If she was well enough to snub him, she'd be fine.

When they reached the last floor, he walked past her room, and Queen Mab's. "Where are you going?"

Rydekar kicked Ovleron's doors open. In the fortnight since they'd settled here, he'd done little to make the room his own, but it suited him well enough. The floor and walls were smooth black marble, supported by bloodred columns. Overhead, the ceiling was magicked to reflect the open sky.

A bed that could fit a dozen lovers presided over the room from the center. He laid her down, head on his pillow. Rissa immediately sat up, bringing the covers to her chin.

Rydekar sighed. "Do you have to make everything hard? Lie down. Rest."

"Rest?" She made it sound like she'd never heard the word before. "Unlikely, here, with you."

Could she have rested with the boy? Probably.

"Someone ought to look after you. Elvenbane won't kill you, but it may make you hallucinate, lose sense of where you are, or throw up in your throat."

These were only some of its delightful side effects.

"Don't you have anything better to do?"

He did, and the very thought of having set his duties aside for this was enough to pique him.

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