Page 20 of The Curse of a Kingdom
She brought her hands to a specific gown. The color of sky blue reminded her of something she had a hard time placing. Her fingertips skimmed over it, and the knot in her throat grew thicker.
Why was she getting so emotional because of a dress, or the color of it? Nava picked it out of the closet and slipped it on, as if doing so would bring her closer to whatever was amiss. It fit like they’d made it for her, a modest high neck that covered the skin of her chest, hiding her soulmate mark under layers of sheer fabric and carefully stitched beads that formed a beautiful motif.
A knock on the door had her jumping in her spot, and she realized to her chagrin that she’d gotten little time to do anything with her hair, which still hung slightly damp against her bare back.
“One moment, please.” Taking in her reflection in the nearest mirror, she ran her fingers down her locks. It was silly for her stomach to dance with the spike of adrenaline. Arkimedes had seen her at her absolute worst, covered in grime, mud, and blood, and had still fallen in love with her.
He’d always liked her hair—even if he teased her about it.
She reached the door quickly and took a steadying breath to give herself some gumption as she opened it, but it all escaped her when she met Arkimedes’s gaze. “Oh, I didn’t expect you to come and get me,” she blurted.
His eyes quickly darted down her body. “I wanted to make sure you didn’t get into trouble on your way there.”
“What trouble was I supposed to get into?” She made her way out of the room, discreetly taking him in. He looked so handsome, wearing a black tunic and pants. His crown still rested over his head. He had brushed his hair back, making his cheekbones more prominent.
“Hard to know, but the guards were keen on monitoring you—and so was Devon.”
“I’m not complaining. I enjoy spending time with you,” she said boldly.
He turned to her sharply, his eyes narrowing as he took in her expression. “What does that mean?”
If destiny was going to hand her this crappy situation, she was going to make the most of it. There were some benefits in knowing you were irresistible to the person you loved. “That I’d like to get to know you better.”
He grabbed her wrist, stopping her mid-walk. “Do you make it a habit of bewitching people you don’t know?”
“I’m not sure I’m following.”
He stepped closer, towering over her. “You need to stop this nonsense. I’m not interested.”
Her skin heated at his words. “Still not following.”
“I’ve been dreaming of you for months.” The familiar scent of cedar and leather washed over her.
Months?
The soulmate dreams wouldn’t spare him if he’d been here for a while without her. Without all their memories from a year together, he was likely remembering part of their past while he slept. That gave her hope.
It also fed into the idea that the way time passed in this kingdom was different. This was the only explanation of why he’d been dreaming of her for months.
For her it had been a day, but their souls had been apart for much longer. No wonder she had deteriorated so quickly yesterday.
She grinned. “You lied to your king.”
“What?” He shook his head, taken aback.
“You told him you had never met me before, but you just said you met me in your dreams.”
He scowled. “Dreams don’t count. I have never met you in my life.”
“What dreams have you so worked up?” She refused to back away from whatever intimidation tactic he was trying to enforce.
He swallowed, and she rejoiced in the way his cheeks turned a bright shade of red. “Nothing important.”
“Well, then I guess I don’t see the problem.” She shrugged and stepped away.
He pulled her back, his body colliding with hers. “It is a problem. You are engaged to my brother—”
“I haven’t put a spell on you. I just arrived in your kingdom, and the entire time I’ve been here, I’ve been wearing this.” She lifted her hand and waved the bracelet in front of his face.
