Page 9 of For the Love of the Gods

“Thanks for that, by the way,” I said. They knew I could handle myself where Dominic was concerned, but a little warning might have been nice.

“You had it handled,” Max said through a mouth full of food.

“That fact aside, I almost had a heart attack.”

Both their backs went straight.

“It won’t happen again,” Marcus replied, tone serious.

“It’s fine, really,” I said, waving a hand in dismissal. I meant it to be a joke, but the disagreement over my lack of staff was still a sore subject. They badgered me about once a week to hire more guards. Nothing had happened to warrant a higher level of protection. Yet.

“He wouldn’t have been so brazen if he thought you had a full guard,” Max argued. Here it was,again.

This conversation made my forearms itch. I popped up off the counter to start a pot of tea before I crawled out of my skin. “Yes, he would have.”

Max wasn’t satisfied. “You should still let us hire more guards.”

“I’m sure he can spare the extra staff, especially after we are married.”

“Not if they all quit,” Marcus countered. I tried not to flinch, but I could feel the muscles in my back constricting anyway. He meant no offense, just blunt and honest truth.

Most of my staff quit the moment I took the throne, and for good reason. Those who stayed did so out of loyalty or because they felt some duty to, and I had been okay with that. While there were rooms completely closed off because I couldn’t handle the upkeep, I didn’t want to force anyone to work for me.

Especially if it would only result in passive aggressive quips and muttered epithets like “murderer” at every corner.

“They won’t quit,” I said, twisting one of my rings around. “At least I hope not.”

“We will still be there,” Max offered through a soft smile.

“Thank you.” I was genuinely thankful. They had been some of my most supportive friends.

“What I do need you two for is an escort to Temple Orcus this evening.”

Marcus’s lips turned up in a rueful smile. “I bet Dominic got a priest and everything.”

I let out a sound that was half scoff, half laugh. “Oh, I’m sure he did.”

“Thea wanted to know if you wanted a dress.”

My head popped up so fast I almost spilled boiling water on my hand. “Um, no. I have one.”

Max laughed with their whole body, sending their short, tousled silver hair, the exact same shade as their brother’s, shaking. “Were youexpectingto get married today?”

“No, but I don’t want Thea ruining her fingers trying to finish one in five hours.”

Thea was an amazing seamstress, and often used me as a mannequin. If she had even the slightest inclination I wanted a dress she would track down every ounce of lace she could and whip something together.

“Alright, then,” Max responded. “Take a second, and we will meet you by the door at a quarter to seven.”

“Okay,” I said, forever thankful that Max and Marcus could read my emotions as well as they did.

I tried to enjoy the rest of the day as best I could. I used to spend so much time in a stagnant state, refusing to find enjoyment in anything out of guilt. Now, I was in a better place to deal with it, a stance that would surely be sent off-kilter by Dominic’s presence, but I refused to let my life wither away in the way it once had. It was still my instinct to enjoy my time as if my days were numbered.

I drank two cups of tea and read. Then I spent a good hour trying and failing to get around a Fated marriage—the thought still hadn’t settled well—and decided that not pissing off the Fates was priority one and finding a way to keep fulfilling favors was priority two. That stressed me out enough that I cooked a ridiculously elaborate lunch of fish and lemon pasta that took up most of midday. It calmed me down a little, and when Max, Marcus, and Thea sat down to eat with me, the easy conversation set me even more at ease.

That was until the clock struck six and I realized I needed to get ready or I’d be late. I did my hair and makeup as I always did, with the addition of a lipstick I knew would transfer all over Dominic if the priest made us seal the marriage with a kiss. A mix of sadness and guilt might have been the winning emotion that day, but my petty side was always there.

By the time I made it downstairs at ten till seven, Marcus and Max were waiting for me by the door.

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