Page 71 of Beguiled
“She will not hold to her end of the agreement. She has never been trustworthy.”
The hard set of his jaw told me he’d learned that lesson all too well the day of the feast when she’d locked us both away. “She may be a hypocrite and full of lies. But we do not have to follow that path, and I pray we can have honesty between us henceforth.”
I nodded. He was referring to my veil. “I am heartily sorry for any untruths in the past and vow I shall be honest from this day forward.”
“And do you vow never to rush off without me again? That whatever peril or challenges the future may bring, we will face adversity together, side by side?”
“I vow it.”
Though he winced at the brush of his cloak against the wounds on his back, he held himself with the bearing of royalty, his back straight, his chin lifted, his lips firm with determination, reminding me of how he’d looked that day he’d run the gauntlet on the island. He was a strong man, one who only made me stronger in return.
I pressed my hand to his scruffy cheek. Overwhelming love for him swelled inside. “I didn’t mean what I said at the feast. I do love you.”
His lips curved into a smile, and he pulled me into his arms. “I know you do.”
“You do?”
“You have loved me since the first day we met.”
I swatted him but couldn’t contain a smile of my own. “You think too highly of yourself.”
“I am right, am I not?”
“No—”
“I admit to starting to fall in love with you the first day we met.”
After the months of wearing the veil, I’d felt strangely bare the past few days and was self-conscious as his attention lingered on my face. “And I admit I am relieved to know you care more for who I am than what I look like.”
“I have learned that what lies beneath the surface is much more important than appearances.” He brushed a finger down my cheek to my jaw, sending tingles over my skin. “But I cannot deny I am just as beguiled by your outer beauty as I am with who you are on the inside.”
I leaned in to his touch. “Shall I go back to wearing a veil so I do not beguile you, my lord?”
“Don’t even think about it. For then I shall not be able to do this.” He angled in and captured my lips in a kiss, one that took away every coherent thought.
“Aw, come on now.” Irontooth’s call broke through our kiss. “I said you can kiss later.”
“It is later,” Mikkel murmured through another kiss. “It will always be one moment later.”
I leaned away from him, my smile widening. “Does that mean you will always be kissing me?”
“Yes, always and forever.” As he pressed his lips to mine again, I lifted up on my toes to kiss him back, showing him I would accept those kisses and love him always and forever too.
Chapter
26
Queen Margery
I caressed thegolden box, tracing the intricate ancient engravings that covered it. The white stone inside was shaped and sized like a young maiden’s heart. The candelabra on the chapel altar made the stone glow, revealing all of its beauty. Though as clear as a diamond, it contained hues of precious gems and was woven with intricate threads of gold.
Little had I known during my early years of searching to uncover its mysteries that many clues were deep in the stone itself, clues I’d discovered through too many failed experiments and trials.
As much as the beautiful stone beckoned to me, I didn’t dare touch it. I’d witnessed the power it had over the servants we’d used in our experiments. In every single instance without fail, anyone who came into contact with the stone itself always fell into a deep sleep of unconsciousness and eventually died.
The stone had a life and will of its own. Though many kings and queens before me had claimed it was cursed, they’d comprehended that the cost for its destruction was too high.
I’d learned the cost for its fulfillment was also high. But over the years, I’d determined to pay the price so that I might earn the distinction of being the first to make gold.
