Total pages in book: 197
Estimated words: 186911 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 935(@200wpm)___ 748(@250wpm)___ 623(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 186911 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 935(@200wpm)___ 748(@250wpm)___ 623(@300wpm)
I was cursed and Alisdair just brought me closer to freedom. Now all he needed to do was say so to my true self and make it so by declaring my true name.
But... what is my true name? I frowned, searching the depths of my mind. I think it starts with a D— Oh, no, an O. O-r-a... Or is it O-e-a—?
“What is it?” Alisdair smoothed down my frown lines. “What’s upset my queen?”
My smile returned. “Not a thing. How can I be upset on such a perfect morning?” I chewed my lip. “Actually, I was just thinking. If you truly love me, I was hoping you’d do something for me.”
He shrugged. “If you insist.” His hand traveled between my cheeks.
“Behave yourself, beast,” I cried, swatting his arm.
Alisdair laughed unrepentantly.
“What I was going to say was that I want us to get married again. Properly this time.”
“Huh,” he voiced, cocking his head. “You mean a marriage ceremony that doesn’t end with me getting stabbed through the chest, or you fleeing into the night? That would be quite an accomplishment for us.”
I giggled. “I think we can manage it, don’t you?”
“We’ll find out in a week’s time.” He kissed my fingertips. “At the ball celebrating our marriage.”
Squealing happily, I tackled Alisdair and kissed him soundly. In typical fashion, he flipped me back over and had his way with me—making me very glad I had a pussy and a mouth.
All too soon, Alisdair and I headed back to the village with me enjoying the journey much more on foot. He listened to me chatter about wedding plans, stopping only once to pick a starflower and tuck it behind my ear without a word—just a smile. I swear I fell deeper in love with him on the spot.
Walking into town, my stream of chatter was interrupted a few times by a strange sight. Every villager we passed was stopped in the middle of their day—standing frozen in the square, on the side of the road, outside their homes, or beside the fountain.
They weren’t moving. They weren’t talking. They were just staring at something Alisdair and I couldn’t see.
Cautiously we passed through and stepped onto the castle bridge. Eadaoin stood in front of the entrance, staring straight up.
“Eadaoin? Eadaoin,” I called. “Are you okay? What’s going on?”
“The ice...” she whispered.
“The ice? What about it?”
She pointed up, her finger shaking. At that moment, the icicle shed a tear, dripping its gift on her fingertip.
“It’s melting.”
Chapter Fifteen
“Isaid red roses, not coral, not scarlet, not carmine, not cerise, and not cherry. Red!” The offending roses were promptly thrown out the window. “Now!”
“Yes, ma’am,” the servant cried, taking off running.
Another problem dared enter the room. The man carrying in the ice sculpture pulled up short when a swirling thundercloud of stress bore down on him.
“No, no, no. This is an elegant affair. Think swans, peacocks, and butterflies. Not dragons!” She sliced the rearing ice creature’s head off without blinking. “Take it away!”
Eadaoin made a harsh noise in her throat. “You’d think she was the one getting married.”
All I could do was nod in agreement, watching Aeris flit about the ballroom—making everything perfection, and tearing to shreds anything that wasn’t.
Everyone was excited when we announced we were getting married for the third time, but no one was as excited as Aeris. She immediately took over the wedding planning—finding little need for my input. I simply sat back and left her to it.
It was safer that way.
“Take note, Bradach.” I winked at him. “This is your future.”
His smile shone upon Aeris. He didn’t mind that at all.
The three of us walked the length of the ballroom, watching the wedding prep come together, but staying out of Aeris’s way.
“I never imagined anyone could love my lord so much, they’d marry him three times.” Bradach eyed me. “Are you certain you weren’t also struck by that love spell? Or is this more of your stunted sickness?”
“Quite certain, and no,” I returned, voice flat. “I love him. I want to marry him for real. A true ceremony where neither of us is being tricked, blackmailed, or plotting to kill the other.” I eyed him right back. “Bradach, can I ask you something?”
“Yes?”
“Why do you call Alisdair ‘my lord’ instead of ‘my brother’? Actually, why didn’t you tell me from the beginning that he was your brother?”
The ever-present, affable smile evaporated, shocking me so much that I came to a halt. Bradach didn’t.
“I lost the right to call him my brother a long time ago. When he needed his brother, I was... lost,” Bradach replied. “I will live with that shame for the rest of my days.” Then, he was gone. Bradach walked out the side door and didn’t come back.
Eadaoin whistled. “Complicated history there, and that’s the most I’ve ever heard him speak about it.”