Page 126 of The King’s Queen

If I were in my cat form, my hair would have puffed up. “Of course!” I said. “I said I’min lovewith you! I renewed our bond, and I’m actively trying to figure out how I can return it!”

Noctus relaxed, his shoulders losing their tenseness and his hazel eyes finally softening. “You really are my Amalourne.”

There’s my nickname again, but let’s put a pin in it for a minute. I have to make sure we have closure on this issue, or it’s going to fester in him.

“So you get it, then?” I asked. “You accept that I’m not going to judge you about your family and I’m thankful you made that kind of sacrifice?”

Noctus paused, tilting his head. “I can see what you’re saying, and I’m gratified you can view it that way. And…”

“And?” I prodded when he trailed off.

“And perhaps you are partially right about wild magic,” Noctus said.

“That it loves you more than you think?” I asked.

“Yes.” A slight smile tugged at Noctus’s lips as he leaned over so he could rest his forehead against mine. “Because ever since you’ve returned, it’s been singing in joy, just like my own magic.”

I started to laugh, until Noctus’s lips brushed mine.

“Woah. Hi.” I gulped.

“Did you have any more questions?” Noctus asked, his lips brushing my cheek when he spoke.

“Just one.” I could feel my thoughts melting like butter, but I had to stay focused! This was something I needed to know! “What does Amalourne mean?”

Noctus abruptly straightened, surprise flickering across his face. “You don’t have any more questions about what happened with my family?”

I reviewed our conversation, then squinted up at him. “No?”

“That’s really all you wanted to know?”

“No, I also want to know what Amalourne means,” I said.

“But nothing more about my family?”

“No.”

Noctus stared at me, furrowing his eyebrows so much a line on the bridge of his nose appeared.

“So.” I let go of his neck and rested my hands on my shoulders for my own comfort. “What does it mean?”

Noctus settled his hands on my waist, and while he smiled there was something about his expression. He wasn’t pulling back, but he also wasn’t turning on the charm. “Ama—as I assume you heard from your time as my pet—is the elvish word for sweet. It references sweet as in sugary things and baked goods. It is a mildly affectionate term.”

Something seemed to ignite in Noctus’s eyes as he watched me, taking in every move I made. “Amalourne is different as it’s not a term of endearment, but rather a statement about living. The direct translation is ‘the sweetness of life,’ although its meaning is slightly more complicated. It’s used to refer to things like the laughter of a child, the bloom of a flower, the first snowfall of winter, the smile of a loved one—all the small things of beauty that make life worth living.”

I was quiet as the significance of the name sank in.

“Amalourne isn’t used to label one specific thing,” Noctus continued. “My friendships with Charon, Ker, and Aristide—though I will deny it if you ever tell him—are also Amalourne. But elves privately treasure such things, and we don’t publicly label it because they can be so fleeting, and it gives others power in knowing what’s important to us.”

That’s why everyone was so shocked whenever Noctus called me Amalourne in front of others. Because in naming me Amalourne, he had openly been deeming his pet cat as a great joy in life.

“No wonder you were bitter when you realized I was a shadow,” I said. “I thought you’d be angry, but you seemed…disappointed. I get it now. The cat you’d decided to let past your defenses wasn’t what you thought.”

“No,” Noctus agreed. “But you became my Amalourne in a different way. I felt peaceful and warm while holding you when I believed you were my pet. But each time you reach for me, every shy smile you give me, every time you blush from me, is so much better and richer.” His voice wasn’t teasing—he was being genuine.

“So.” Noctus let go of me and picked up my right hand, which he bowed over—like a knight swearing his allegiance. “Will you continue to be my Amalourne, Chloe Anderson?”

I was so overwhelmed by emotion that, for a heartbeat, my answer was clogged in my throat. “Yes. Of course.”

---