Page 71 of Of Storm and Emerald
But despite all of that, he still hadn’t decided whether or not he was going to invite her to spend solstice with him in Kalmeera.
Early morning light filtered through the crack beneath his bedchamber door, signaling that it was time to rise and start the day. He was exhausted. He’d been up late, scouring over the treaty between his kingdom and hers, looking for loopholes and concessions.
Just in case, he’d told himself, just in case thisthingbetween them turned into more than just letters.
And he’d found one.
One.
One of them would have to abdicate their claim to their throne. One of them would have to give up the thing that their whole life was built around.
And that one thing, was something that he knew she would never do.
Daemon sat on the edge of his bed. Elbows resting on his knees, head in his hands, and let out a deep sigh.
He looked up, glaring at the miniature figure of the Goddess Narissa that sat on the table next to his bed. “You just had to tie my soul to someone I couldn’t readily have, didn’t you? Couldn’t have made it easier on both of us? Picked someoneaccessible?”
He shook his head.I’m talking to a fucking statue.
Just as he rose to head toward his bathroom, there was a knock on the door to his suite. Lounge pants slung low on his hips, he stalked out of his room and toward the offending noise.
As he reached for the knob, the person on the opposite side whined. “Come on, D! Open up!”
Daemon sighed and shook his head.Yvaine.
“I have coffee,” she trilled from the other side of the door.
“You better have food too,” he quipped back, opening the door for his sister. Blocking her path until he saw that she did, indeed, come bearing food as well.
“Can I come in now? And good goddess, baby brother, put a shirt on. I don’t want to stare at your abs over breakfast.”
Yvaine was two years his senior and had the Sapphire Isles followed the same line of succession as Emerald did, she would have been crowned heir instead of Daemon. But the moment air entered his lungs outside of the womb, that future had been stripped from her grasp–as were all the responsibilities that came with it.
Of which she took full advantage.
When she wasn’t preoccupied by her duties, she traveled all over Ixora, simply for the pleasure of traveling. Whereas Daemon traveled for the betterment of his kingdom, and to keep contracts and treaties between courts current.
She slept in and stayed up late, hanging out with friends instead of schmoozing stuffy lords who only wanted to push their own agendas.
For as long as he could remember, he’d accepted his role with pride and grace. Fully taking on all of the responsibilities that came with being not only a prince, but with being the one who would one day take the throne.
He made a point to spend as much time with his people as possible. From getting his hands dirty with work out in the cities when they needed a helping hand, to being the mediator for issues–both large and small. He’d dedicated hours upon hours learning everything he could about the histories of every court within Ixora. Especially since the Isles had trade agreements with the majority of them. He never once doubted his role.
Never once begrudged his sister for passing that role onto him–not that she actually had a say in the matter.
He had been happy with the way his future had been laid out. Never once questioned it.
That was untilher.
Now his mind was full of questions that made both his head and his heart ache. Thoughts that made him second guess his future within the monarchy of the Sapphire Isles. But those were thoughts that he was determined to keep to himself.
At least for the time being.
At least until he knew better where they stood with one another, and if this could indeed be something real. Tangible.
Permanent.
Daemon let his sister into his space, watching as she placed the tray of food and coffee on the table in the sitting area of his study. Then, as requested, he padded to his room to pull on a shirt.
