Page 108 of Rise of the Phoenix King (Crown and Crest 4)

In good humor, even the rest of the guests join the gnomes in raising a toast. “To Henrik!”

Lawrence returns to his chair at my side and gives me a wry look. “I saw this going differently.”

“Serves you right,” Clover says.

“Let me give you a real gift.” He rests his elbow on the table and angles toward me. “Make a request of me, and I shall fulfill it.”

I look at Clover. “I have everything I want.”

The king feigns revulsion and turns to Audra. “Newly married couples are obnoxious, aren’t they?”

She only smiles, not bothering to answer. It will be their turn soon enough.

Lawrence looks back. “But really—what gift can the crown bestow upon you?”

“You’ve already given me land, gold, a title, and made me an honorary member of your family,” I say. “What more could I ask for?”

He nods toward a nearby table, where Bartholomew sits with Brielle and several young female courtiers. The duke has become rather popular lately, having finally grown into his gangly arms and legs. Months of hard training have put muscle on his once-scrawny bones, and my sister isn’t the only one who’s noticed.

The girls giggle and laugh. Bartholomew is oblivious, but Brielle sits by his side, drumming her fingers on the table with an agitated look on her face.

“What about a good marriage for your sister?” Lawrence asks. “Wasn’t that your true life’s goal? The reason you worked so hard?”

I set my arm on the table and turn to the king, giving him my full attention. “What are you proposing?”

“With my father’s passing, I became Bartholomew’s male guardian, and therefore it’s within my power to arrange a betrothal for him.”

I look back at Brielle and Bartholomew, thinking hard. “With Brielle?”

Lawrence nods.

“Your sister couldn’t make a better match,” Audra says.

“And who wouldn’t want to marry a duke marshal?” Clover adds, teasing me with her eyes.

I think about it for a while longer, studying my sister. She likes Bartholomew—there’s no denying it. And not only is Bartholomew titled, but he also has a good heart. Audra’s right. Brielle couldn’t make a better match.

I watch as my squire leans close to Brielle and whispers something that makes her laugh, ignoring the other girls at the table. Content, I look back at Lawrence. “All right.”

Lawrence nods, satisfied. “We’ll draw up the paperwork tomorrow.”

* * *

The celebration lasts long into the night. When Clover and I finally retire, it’s nearly two in the morning.

“Was it everything you hoped?” I ask, pulling her into my arms just outside the door that leads into our suite of rooms.

“And more.” She smiles up at me. “But I’m afraid our adventure is over. Now all that’s left is a long, happy life.”

I drop a kiss to her lips. “That’s the true adventure—and it’s only just beginning.”

She snorts out a laugh. “That was horribly sappy, soldier.”

“It was, wasn’t it?”

I scoop her into my arms and tease my lips against hers as I open the door. When I carry her inside, she pulls back to look at me, smiling.

“What is it?”

---