Total pages in book: 208
Estimated words: 209645 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1048(@200wpm)___ 839(@250wpm)___ 699(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 209645 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1048(@200wpm)___ 839(@250wpm)___ 699(@300wpm)
He sounded certain.
I was not.
“Do you think?”
“I think this is one concern you shouldn’t worry yourself with for I couldn’t care less what they think. You will be my wife. I will be proud to have a wife as beautiful and kind-hearted as you. And that’s all that matters.”
His hand at my jaw slid into my hair so he could press my cheek to his shoulder then glide his fingers through my hair.
He did this and continued speaking.
“But before, we will have time on our own. We’ll leave the others behind. Take my men and a few additional guards, and I’ll show you my home.”
“Your home isn’t Birchlire Castle?”
I felt him nod again. “Of a sort. I have rooms there. But my home is all of Wodell, and when you see it, Farah,” his fingers curled around the back of my neck and gave me a squeeze, “you will understand why I claim it.”
I saw the wisdom in this plan and not only because, how he described it, I wished to see his home.
But because we would be away from the others.
Mars and Silence, the latter of whom was his cousin and he worried about her, and from what I had seen, there was something to worry about.
Cassius and Elena, the latter of whom he was in love with. And although True never showed it to me, I knew it was hard for him to see the two of them together. They were not an easy match, but the sparks that flew between them were easy to interpret.
Also, his parents, both frustrating to him for his father was weak-minded and weak-willed and his mother calculating and remote. The former tried his patience, while the latter tried his temper.
We would be only amongst people who loved and respected him, his men (and, it was coming to be true in all ways it could be, me), traversing a land he adored.
“Shall we leave tomorrow?” I asked his chest and felt him shift before I felt his lips against my hair.
Incidentally, that kind of kiss was very nice.
But it didn’t count.
He settled back and answered, “Yes.”
“As we’ll be traveling your realm, and there are customs here that most adhere to, and many will surely know who you are, perhaps we should find a second tent for me or if we stay at inns, I should have my own room so that—”
“Farah?”
“Yes?”
“Not another word, darling. All right?”
I closed my mouth.
True.
So protective.
So patient.
So generous.
So everything.
“Now, roll to blow out the lamp, and come back to me,” he murmured.
I did as told, casting the tent into darkness. And when I rolled back, he wrapped both arms around me and held tight.
I sighed and snuggled closer.
I was coming close to sleep when True’s voice rumbled softly under my cheek and into the tent.
“It was the assault on the palace.”
My eyes opened.
“They fade,” he went on. “I face battle, they return.” He pulled me closer. “They’ll fade again, Farah. Do not worry about me.”
He was talking about his dreams.
“True—”
“Do not worry about me.”
“But you said, you’ll be strong when I need—”
“Farah,” a jostle from his arms, “do not worry about me.”
I nestled closer, grousing, “You can’t order me not to worry.”
“I’m sorry?” he asked. “Were you not listening but seconds ago?”
“I was.”
“So you know I did just that.”
“It’s ludicrous.”
“I’m a prince and a general, people do what I tell them to do.”
“Well they shouldn’t, if it’s ludicrous.”
“A royal can be as ludicrous as they want. Have you not paid any attention to my father?”
I stilled, right before I burst out laughing.
The moment I saw my mother on that bed covered in asps…
No, the moment, years ago, when I’d been told King Ares had been assassinated, even before knowing my father was the one who’d done it, I had not laughed like that or ever thought I would again.
But right then, I was, and I kept doing it when I heard True’s deep chuckles accompanying me.
I lifted my head and said a shaking, “I think you just spoke treason.”
“It’ll be our secret.”
“I hate to share this with you, my True, but I don’t think you’re keeping it much of a secret.”
I watched his head come up and then I felt his lips press tight to mine. So tight, and he kept them to mine so long, I felt their softness that mingled with firmness and all I smelled was True.
I stilled.
Now that…
Oh my.
That was a kiss.
He lifted up farther and kissed my nose.
I stayed unmoving.
He lifted up even farther and slid a hand up my neck to cup the back of my head so he could kiss my forehead.
I remained immobile.
He fell back to the bed and pressed my cheek again to his chest.
“Now sleep, darling,” he murmured. “For when we break camp and strike out on our own, we will not force our horses to walk slower than a wee babe would crawl.”