Page 45 of The King's Bodyguard
Landis drew in a breath and then whispered, barely heard, “C-Corrin?”
He leaped forward, raced across the round clearing, dove between two guards standing by the closest menhirs, and threw himself at me. Landis’s arms closed around my neck as he drew me into a crushing hug. I gasped a little and then allowed myself to lean on him a little. Between the two of us, I was hopeful that we’d remain upright somehow.
“You came, you came!” He repeated over and over. “I was so—you came!”
Then his scent hit me—a hint of elandarin and wood and strawberries and sunshine. His warmth felt so good, surrounding me and giving me strength. My heart raced as I rested my head against his.
“I had to come, Landis. If only to tell you, once and for all, clearly, in front of witnesses, not-not hiding in the shadows, the truth. To tell you how I feel.”
I pulled back to give him a sober look.
“To properly say that… I love you.”
Landis choked back a sob, and he pulled me into another embrace.
“I love you too, Corrin! I want us to be together. Say that you’ll stay!”
I wanted to. Goddess Meryn, forgive me, but I wished I could. There was the problem of Landis’s nuptials. Were they not going to happen? I didn’t quite understand what was going on, but I was beginning to have a suspicion. After a moment, I reluctantly pulled away.
“Where’s the princess?” I asked.
“She’s—she’s gone,” Landis said. “She did what I couldn’t do. She ran away.”
“You’re making it sound heroic.”
“Well, it was,” Landis said. “She wrote me a letter and everything. She loves someone else too! All this time! So she eloped, and she took Sanson, and she’s probably too far off to catch now.”
“What about the peace treaty?”
I ought to be more alarmed, more worried, but for some reason, I didn’t care. Rilla had given up Landis. She too had been burdened by the expectations of her people, but she had decided to choose another path. The hellion in the end had saved us all.
“It’s all in the letter,” Landis said. “She said she’d talk—oh, never mind that. I guess pursuing peace comes after following your heart. She offered me an out, and I wouldn’t take it. So, I suppose she felt like she had to take extreme measures.”
“Landis’s virtue drove her crazy, in a nutshell,” Hugh said, scratching his head and sighing.
“It will be alright,” Landis asserted firmly.
I stared at Landis, surprised by his sudden optimism. Then I realized—truly realized—what this meant. Landis wasn’t going to be married. He wasn’t going to be expected to fulfill his marital duties. He was a free tom.
For now, I reminded myself.They’ll rustle someone up for him somewhere. Or maybe ask one of the other princesses of Esteria to marry him.
“Rilla will speak for us,” Landis continued. “And I know that King Norran will see reason. He has to since Rilla was the one who bolted and not me. To save face, we will find some kind of alliance with Esteria. But I’m not overly concerned. It is not as though we truly need them.”
“We don’t?” Gareth and Lord Elthorne’s voices clashed in confusion.
“We have our brothers and sisters,” Landis said, taking my hand. “All along we had the answer in our Munni kin. We justhad to be humble and ask. If we work together, who knows what Sumarene will become? Right, Corrin?”
My heart swelled. I dragged him into my arms and whirled him about laughing. Landis pulled himself up a bit higher and kissed me right there in front of everyone. Around us, the noble court was gasping with shock. A few fainted. Several cheered. All of the Munni hollered.
“Go get’em, Corrin!” Someone shouted from the back.
Neither Landis nor I paid them any heed. It was as if the world had fallen silent about us as our lips locked in a deep kiss. Landis’s feet settled on the ground, but I shifted forward, eager to feel his touch once again. The feel of his soft lips beneath mine had electric shocks running from the tip of my head down to my groin. My tail curled around to brush against his sensuously.
“Well, someone is going to be happy tonight at least,” Hugh noted.
Landis and I reluctantly parted. Landis’s cheeks had regained their color and were now inflamed with a healthy pink blush. His blue eyes danced with relief and glee. Behind him, Lord Elthorne was talking with Lady Hartford. Would the feast go on? What was going to happen now? Gareth asked Landis what he wished to do. Landis grinned.
“We shall feast, of course,” he said. “There wasn’t a wedding, but I feel like celebrating nonetheless. For the sake of love and our new relationship with the Munni.”
