Page 26 of Love Letters & Lemon Drops

He folds it into a square and slips it into his breast pocket. "I shall keep it safe with the others."

"The others?"

"Yes, the other letters you've sent to me over the years."

"You kept them?"

"Of course." The way he smiles at me makes my heart flutter.

"So did I." My gaze slips to the box containing his letters and his portrait.

The expression on his face is easy to read. If we were alone, I believe he would kiss me. But with my aunt in the room, that isn't possible at all. Instead, he takes my hand and lifts it to his lips, placing a lingering kiss there.

It's surprisingly intimate and makes something spring to life within me. No doubt it's the reminder of how his lips feel when they're on other parts of my body. His gaze meets mine, and the thoughts only intensify, before I remind myself that we have an audience.

"I look forward to seeing you later," he says.

"I do too." I'm unable to take my gaze away from him as he leaves the room.

"They are entirely too bold in Falhaven," my aunt mumbles.

"Bold how?" I ask, stumbling a little over switching back to Someilian for speaking. It's strange how comfortable using Falhavien has already become.

"He should not have been in your room alone," she points out.

"He will be my husband next week," I remind her. "It hardly feels as if it's much of a problem for us to be spending time with one another. Is it not a good thing for us to get to know one another?"

She huffs. "It is a strange kingdom. They do not care for what is proper, and Prince Arthur is not the Crown Prince."

"His sister is in line to inherit the throne," I point out. "With two other sisters in line between the two of them."

"As I said, a strange kingdom. Their girls can inherit over the boys."

"It isn't strange just because it's not the way we do things in Someil," I respond. "I quite like it this way.” Especially as it means I'll have more freedom married to the current fourth in line, rather than the first. It sounds like it could be exhausting.

"I still do not understand it here."

I take a deep breath. "I suppose it's not for us to decide what is right or wrong here," I say. "My parents want this marriage, as do the King and Queen of Falhaven. That means that we have to abide by their customs." I don't add that I like that, or that I think that the way Falhaven is approaching things is likely better than back home. I don't think she wants to hear it, especially when she seems annoyed about Arthur coming here.

"I suppose that is true," my aunt says.

"I was writing to Mamá," I say, gesturing to my desk and feeling grateful that I decided to give Arthur the letter. I doubt my aunt would approve of the contents at all. "Would you like to send something with me?"

"I will likely be back on Someilian soil before the letter arrives," she says. "I should have a rest before the banquet tonight, I don't wish to be tired."

I nod, a little frustrated that she hadn't done thatbefore,interrupting the two of us. If she'd done that, then we could be in my bedchamber now and I'd have some answers to questions spinning around my mind. But there's nothing I can do about that. I suppose the fact that Arthur now has what I wrote and knows what I'm thinking about can still be taken as a good outcome for today, but the truth of that remains to be seen.

Chapter 13

Attending my first banquet in Falhaven is something of a surprise, though I'm grateful to find I'm sitting between Arthur and his younger brother. Ernest isn't paying much attention to anyone and seems as bored as any ten-year-old is at these things. I don't remember finding them particularly interesting at his age either.

The nobles of Falhaven have been taking advantage of the hospitality of the Royal Family, and I'm uncertain precisely how much wine has been drunk, but I know that it's a lot.

"How long do these events usually last for?" I ask Arthur.

"It'll go on until dawn," he responds, shifting his chair closer.

"Dawn?"

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