I place a small kiss at the tip of his beak, and cozy into our mountain of pillows. The room is a far cry from our small cabin bedroom. Heck, our whole house could probably fit in this room. There’s an arched stain glass window opposite the bed, its peak nearly reaching the tall ceilings. A dark blue tufted bench sits below it, decorated with flowers. The walls are light, with white wallpaper that reminds me of floating feathers after a pillow fight.
It’s one of the dozens of guest rooms in the castle. Moth had little interest in his original room being restored. Considering the state of it, I’m sure it would take well over a week to fix. The servants brought up trays of snacks, similar to the charcuterie boards Moth makes at home. How many traces of this place live inside him, and neither of us even realized it?
“We have a dog now, so that’s cool.” As if on cue, Sprout’s tail happily thuds against the mattress. “You think they’ll let us takehim home?”
“They will not havea choice.”
I grin, imagining Sprout sprawled out across the faux fur rug in our living room.
“We’re going to need to get a bigger bed.” I stretch out my arms and bask in the sheer size of this bed. Moth coils an arm around my waist, holding me tightly in place on top of him. I relax, encompassed by his warmth and the cozy bedding.
“My flame…” I can tell from the measure of his voice that he’s not buying how easygoing I’m being about all this, but how can you be upset in a bedthis soft?
“And we were talking about wanting to do a little getaway, I guess?” I force a laugh, letting myself melt into his feathers. “It’s all no big.”
“It does not always have to beno big.”
“I know.”
But the way his claws graze up my back gives me pause. “It has been nearly a year since that night,” he begins.
I cringe as my antennae poke into two sharp points at the top of my head. I’m not going to think about this—not here, not now. “Time has really beenflying by—”
“—and we have yet to discuss everything that led to this moment.” Even in this form, I can tell he’s frowning. His beak is doing this downturned thing that would be ridiculously cute if it didn’t look so sad. I’m fine. We’re fine. I’m not sure why Moth is bringing thisup again.
“There’s nothing really to talk about. I look cute as hell with wings, have the best boyfriend in the world, and we’re in a gorgeous room in an even more gorgeous castle. There’s a bed you don’t have to squeeze into, and a bathtub that could double as a swimming pool. I think life is going just fine. And like really, if we’re going to be here for a week, we might as well turn it into a little staycation.”
“I worry about what they will expect of me.” He sighs, letting his head fall back onto the pillows.
Oh.
Moth is a prince who returned home after decades away. I’m sure they won’t expect him to slip right into his old role. Queen Plume and Holly seem excited just to have him back at all.
“A week is plenty of time to take things slow, settle in, and have time with your family.”Even though one of them is amurderer.
I haven’t gotten around to sharing that tidbit of information with him Technically, she didn’t confess anything, but still—no secrets. I’ve been holding tight to that promise and am not about to let it go. But considering Moth still appears to be buffering from all the newness of today, I’ll wait. One more piece of information might make his head explode.
“They have not given us much of a choice.” His owlish red eyes blink at me slowly before he finally nods. “But my origins have been a source of wonder for a long time. I suppose I would like some time toexplore.”
“How about this? We spend the morning with family tomorrow, and when it gets overwhelming, we can escape for a little picnic lunch. There’s got to be a garden around here somewhere, right?”
“You are making all of thisbearable.”
“I loveyou too.”
When we decided to have a “casual picnic” for lunch. I didn’t expect a catered meal with blankets already laid out and an eager staff clustered nearby, waiting for Moth’s next command.
“This is … a lot.” I sigh, trying to cast my gaze away from our curious audience to the landscape. The same white marble columns inside the castle arch over this space, making it feel like each section of the garden is its own room. Overflowing pots with pink and purple blooms decorate the space while climbing blossoms and ivy hang over our heads. Despite the flourishing plant life, nothing is overgrown or messy, unlike the wildflower field we frequentback home.
The gazebo in the distance looks like the perfect place to sneak away from the ballroom and steal a kiss underthe stars.
“You are dismissed.” Moth waves his hand and the group of servants scatter. Heaving a breath, he lies back onto the grass, pulling me downwith him.
“A lot does not seem to cover it.” Pinching the bridge of his nose, Moth squints his eyes tight. “You had much toacceptabout me before this. I hope itdoes not…”
“Change things?” I roll over so that I’m practically on top of him, brushing dark hair away from those ruby eyes I fell in love with. Moth is my person, and I accept everything that comes along with that—mystical fairy realm included. When will he realize there’s nothing that’s going to scare me away?
“Yes.”
