Page 29 of Frozen Hearts and Death Magic

He tilted his head, as if examining her, and ran his hand over her face. “You could be so much more, you know?”

“More than what?”

He snorted. “At the ball tonight, I’m not sure you noticed it, but all the women looked the same, as if they had all come from the same mold. Same hair, same dress, same style. And yet you stood out like a queen.”

Exaggerated compliments like that were extremely suspicious. “And?”

“I’ll confess; I was angry. I felt betrayed. I thought maybe you tricked me into kissing you knowing it would hurt me, and I wasn’t sure what to do about it.”

“What?”

“I did.” He looked down, then back at her, his voice even softer. “I see now that I was wrong. But also time… passes differently for us when we’re… not here.” He was so close, smelling like rain and water, and fresh dew, and yet like something else, so magical, so his.

“Where were you?”

He shrugged. “In the hollow, then the underworld.”

Naia stepped back, remembering where she’d seen him tonight. “Until you somehow joined the Ironhold delegation. I’m pretty sure it didn’t take a day.”

“A month, in your time.” He raised a finger. “But that is a mission. I didn’t know I was going to see you here. I should have known, of course…” He took a deep breath. “I have a proposal for you.”

She rolled her eyes. “You said it already: go home. Since when is that a proposal, River?”

“It isn’t. I mean, it could be. You haven’t heard my side of the bargain, but I have a better one.”

“I’m listening.”

“Marry me.”

She choked in a breath. No, that had to be a mistake. His words made no sense. “What?”

“I’m asking you to marry me.”

He was breathtaking. The proposal should make her heart speed up, but not out of nowhere like that. It didn’t even make sense. “Why?”

“What kind of question is why? I have to ask, you know. I can’t just abduct you. I mean, fine, I could, but that’s not how we do things.”

She moved away from him and sat on the bed. “River, people who get married usually like each other.”

He sat by her. “You haven’t seen many royals, then.”

Naia laughed. “But then it’s different, it’s an alliance.”

“Got a better alliance than humans and Ancients?”

“Right.” She rolled her eyes. “As you’ve noticed, all the humans bow to me.”

“Well, they should. Now, marry me and I’ll make sure you’re safe. And you’ll go to the underworld with me.” He paused, then added, “I can ask whoever we see to bow to you. And… I can do my best to keep your brother safe.”

She’d been looking down, but the mention of her brother got her attention. “Safe from what?”

He shrugged. “From whatever comes.”

“River, you know something and you’re not telling me. I can’t marry someone I don’t trust.”

He frowned and tilted his head. “You haven’t seen many married couples, have you? Wait.” He paused. “You’ve never seen a married couple up close, Naia.”

“Of course I have. There are married people in the village near my house, and some guards are married. And it’s in poor taste to mock me because my mother died, you know?”

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