Page 42 of Queen of Ever

The reminder shot through my composure, deflating the bravado that was so buoyed by my good mood and my confidence that Imogen loved me and was going to choose me.It had been easy to forget for a while that we were facing problems much bigger than whether or not she wanted to be with me.Which also reminded me that I was doing exactly what she’d asked me not to do right now.With some difficulty, I forced myself to take a breath, take a step back, settle the icy burn of magic ready to rise back into calm.

‘Thank you,’ I managed to choke out, hating that I had to say it.Play nice.Best behaviour.‘For taking care of her when she ran.’Because at the end of the day, he had given her a refuge when she was afraid.Now that I was more sure of her, I could at least acknowledge that.

If Solas’ eyebrows could have shot straight off the top of his head, they likely would have.At least I’d surprised him.‘She’s my subject.She’s my responsibility.’

‘For now.’I left it at that, and he had the good sense to let me walk off without trying to follow this time.Maybe I’d already provided enough novelty to keep him occupied for a while.

The weather outside was surly, keeping most of the courtiers hemmed into the least drafty parts of the old castle, where they shivered around card tables and begged those with a fire affinity to coax the flames higher, and those who could move air to turn the cold away.The oath keeping everyone from physically harming each other was necessary on days like this, to stave off the temptation to fight amongst themselves just for the entertainment.It wasn’t a good idea to keep any delegation of High Fae confined and unoccupied for long; they were too easily bored and prone to devising creatively cruel amusements.

The Seelie delegation seemed to be keeping themselves to the west of the castle, nearest their lodgings, where there was a set of underground chambers that weren’t overly exposed to the weather.Their eyes flickered to me as I entered the space, whispers chasing my progress through one gold-draped cavern into another, where a few fae who must have been of Solas’ line were entertaining their friends with tricks of illusion, sending tiny dragons scampering across the walls chasing dragonflies that seemed formed of glittering gemstones.It was here that I found Princess Marietta.Her eyes widened when she saw me, but she approached before any of the others noticed an intruder among them.

‘Imogen?’I asked when she was near enough to keep our voices low.

‘You’re going to get her in trouble,’ she said, tracking who was glancing our way.

‘I can be discrete.’

‘This isn’t discrete.They’ll all be wondering what you’re doing here.’

‘Well right now they think I’m here to see you, so let’s keep this conversation short.Where is she?’

She hesitated, but not for long.‘In her room.It’s two doors down from Solas’, in the royal corridor.She said she wanted to be alone.’

‘Thank you.’

I left her, quickly extracting myself from that nest of gossipers and curious eyes, making for a staircase.Several flights of stairs later, I was knocking on what I hoped was her door.What Iknewwas her door, if I concentrated on the pull I felt towards whatever was on the other side of it.

The door opened to reveal some sort of sitting room, and I caught a glimpse of a crackling fire and a table presenting what looked like the remains of lunch.And there she was, standing before me in a powder-blue robe, her hair unbound, blinking up in surprise.Though I wasn’t sure why she would be surprised.She must have expected to see me.I’d told her I was coming for her.

‘You’re here,’ she said.

‘I’m here.’

‘I didn’t think—’ she began, but I cut off the end of her sentence when I swept her up in my arms, pulling her tight against me, kissing her like the previous night had just continued and the daylight and the hours we’d spent apart had dissolved into nothing.Because itwasnothing.The only thing that mattered was her.

I kicked the door shut behind us, but as I did she stiffened in my hold, breaking away with a gasp.I chased her lips, not caring for whatever had caught her attention.I would win it back.But then her hands were on my chest, pushing against me.

‘No,’ she said forcefully.My grasp slackened in surprise.She pulled out of my hands, stumbling backwards.I followed after a moment, provoked only to hunt what I wanted.She took a few more steps away, jabbing a finger at me.‘No, no, no, no, we arenotgoing to keep falling into bed together.’

‘Alright.No beds.’I pursued her, matching her step for step until there was stone at her back and she had nowhere else to go.Pressing a hand either side of her head, I caged her in my arms.‘How about a wall?’

She was flushed and wide-eyed, her breath an open-mouthed flutter.She bit her lip.Frowned.And ducked under my arm.I turned on her, but she was already out of reach, watching me with folded arms.

‘You are going to sit there.’She poked a finger at a nearby chair.I arched a brow at her as she darted only close enough to steal a second chair and drag it across the room, where she promptly sat down and crossed her legs.‘I am going to sit over here.And we are going to talk.’

‘All the way over there?’

‘Yes, all the way over here,’ she repeated, her cheeks glowing.

I supposed I should have been glad she didn’t trust herself around me, but it was hard to be glad of anything when she was so far away.‘A bed would be a much more comfortable place to talk.’

She didn’t crack a smile.‘Sit down, Tarian,’ she insisted, her voice firm.

I blew out a breath.Tried to cool my blood, waited for it to rush from places it seemed it was no longer needed.Did as I was told.‘Alright, I’m sitting.Satisfied?’

‘No.’

‘You know what would help—’

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