Page 93 of The Prince and the Ice King

“And oh, what luck!”

Reardon and Barclay picked up the tale by singing in harmony,“No greater love—than the first to fall!”

Laughing outright then, Zephyr was clearly smitten, despite the embarrassed color growing in his cheeks.

“The spy was happy to be such to twist his foes about, now free but caged by skeptic’s scorn that love would e’er be found. So, scoundrel came to grace his eye and maddened him for years, but madness takes so many forms and ended here in tears.”

Nigel spun once more and hopped down from the table, speaking right to Zephyr as the music swelled.

“Without a captive crowd to con, the scoundrel had no call, and spy took pity with his touch to soothe him by his thrall.

“And oh… what luck.” He softened, and Reardon and Barclay sang softer too.

“No greater love—than the first to fall.”

Nigel slowed his progression toward Zephyr. “One night of passion only, the spy swore to the scoundrel, but now he’d known the taste of love and heeded not his counsel. The scoundrel sought the spy for days and weeks to come, declaring love at every turn at nightandin the sun.

“He said it till his love believed that what they had was true—” The music stilled as Nigel took Zephyr’s hands in his own. “—and to this day he loves him still—‘I love you, dear, I do.’

“And oh… what… luck.” He kissed Zephyr to a pause of silence—and then a roar of applause.

Zephyr pulled away with a sputter at all the attention. He was used to being mostly invisible all day and slipping around unseen, now made the center of attention. Yet he laughed and didn’t draw back from Nigel’s touch, that went from his hands to cradling his face.

“No greater love,”Nigel sang, not usually able to hold a tune, but this much he could manage,“than the first to fall,”and he kissed Zephyr again.

Not many loves got to survive beyond a single lifetime, but though doubts may ebb and flow, Reardon truly believed, even before the display he was witnessing, that true love was constant and unconditional.

“Now,” Nigel said, louder to those watching, “if you’ll excuse us, as my love said, he’s not hungry yet, so I think we’ll spend our time elsewhere.”

Zephyr was still blushing, easy enough on his pale complexion, and several snickers and hollers arose as Nigel dragged him away, just as he’d dragged him in. They seemed blissfully young and happy and giggly, like they truly were the age they looked instead of centuries old.

Reardon turned to Barclay and Josie, but they were sharing a kiss now too. Wynn came over from the harpsichord to pat Reardon’s shoulder. He knew that it was Reardon’s turn to weave a tale, though his stage would be smaller.

“Have a good evening.” Reardon patted Wynn’s arm in turn, glancing once more at Barclay and Josie, at Shayla and Liam not much farther down the table, and at Caitlin and Branwen, less obvious but still entranced with each other, before he took his leave.

No greater love….

He just hoped the last to fall would be as magical.

Jack

Reardon had said he’d be late again but that he would indeed darken Jack’s door before the night stretched on. Each day that passed, Jack knew their time grew shorter, because Reardon and the others were close to solving the recipe for that awful potion that had killed the Emerald Queen and Caitlin’s husband.

Perhaps Reardon would be able to use it to find justice, but changing the hearts of his people would require a miracle—like the breaking of a curse—and as warm as Reardon made Jack feel, he didn’t believe that was possible.

The knock at his door and the sight of Reardon on the other side, blindfolded as always, for the briefest of moments, still made Jack wonder….

“Majesty,” Reardon said when Jack led him inside, “I would like to request something tonight.”

“Oh?”

The prince was often a bundle of contradictions, equally self-assured or bashful depending on the circumstance. He was nervous tonight. Jack could feel it in the tremble of his fingers and the way he bit his lower lip. Still, he didn’t let that defeat him. “I would like to lead, if you would set the stage.”

“Then lead, little prince. What do you want of me?”

“Bring us to the bed, undress, position me at the foot of the bed facing it, and then lie back.”

“Does the no-longer-virgin prince wish totakehis king?” Jack smirked, already complying as he pulled Reardon into the bedchamber.

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