Page 28 of A Fate In Moonstone

The whole ride back, Tor’s gaze would wander my way and he’d smile.

All the tension in my body relaxed the closer to the palace we got. Everything was okay, I told myself over and over.

It would be. Maybe I’d talk with Tor about the future after dinner with my parents.

Chapter Sixteen

I wanted to be anywhere but at this wooden table with my parents, Tor, and his brother.

Tor’s eyebrows flew up when we stepped into the dining hall to see his brother sitting on the right side of the king, sipping wine at the end of the rectangular wood table.

My mother’s pink lips lifted as we sat in the empty seats. Tor sat across from his brother, and I on my mother’s left side.

Her hip length hair was braided to the side, and the crystal spikes on top of her head were gone. I take it this dinner wasn’t supposed to be a formal one like I’d assumed.

“You look beautiful. How was your ride along the river?” she asked while my father clapped for the servants to bring in the food now that we were all here.

“It was lovely. We saw a herd of unicorns grazing and watched them for a while.”

The day was perfect if you took away the thoughts bouncing around my head between wanting this life with Tor or running away like the wild unicorns from domestication.

“Unicorns. Feisty creatures, just the way I like them.” Father winked at his wife from across the table.

“Your kingdom is very diverse. The landscapes, the people, the creatures. It’s an honor to witness such—”

My father waved his hand at Tor, interrupting him, and scoffed. “While true young prince, you can stop kissing the ring. We’ve already approved the engagement whenever you two lovebirds decide to make it official.”

A blast of heat warmed my cheeks before I felt the ground rumble. Rune wasn’t looking at me, but his jaw clenched. I glanced around and no one seemed to notice the ground vibrated.

King Lachan pushed his straight hair behind his ear and tilted his head toward Rune. “Now, where were we? Yes. Prince Rune. Word of your training and power are spreading throughout the kingdom. You’re quite the indomitable warrior.”

The male grunted but didn’t say anything else. I sipped the blue wine from the glass, gaze darting between my father’s and the warrior.

“He’s a legend in our land,” Tor said between bites of a sausage.

The king looked at the two brothers with a curious eye. It wasn’t a look I saw often, and I wondered what he was up to. You could practically see the wheels turning in his head.

“Perhaps since your father does not want you, once the alliance is set in stone, you will stick around. We value an ally with such gifts in our kingdom,” he mused, while Rune eyed the food, listening to the words dripping from the king’s mouth but not giving his full attention.

My father watched Rune. I wonder if the smile growing on his lips was from anger or the thrill of someone to conquer.

“Warriors like yourself are hard to come by, perhaps I should have given my daugh—”

“Prince Tor. My daughter tells me you are an excellent hunter with a bow.” My mother interrupted her husband with a polite grin. She was too late. Father was about to say he should have given me over to Rune instead of Tor and the whole room felt heavier.

Everyone kept their attention elsewhere while Mother sent metaphorical daggers toward the king. Rune stared at his plate. Tor was biting his lip, and I was seconds away from running out the door.

Tor lifted his glass and looked all of us in the eye. “Nice to know my family isn’t the only one keeping things interesting. You royals are making Crysia feel more and more like home in the best ways. We’ve got something really great here.”

I stared at my future fiancé with wide eyes.

Then the laughter came. First from me, then my mother, and father. Rune didn’t laugh, but the right corner of his lips lifted the tiniest bit.

Tor tossed water on the situation, and I admired him for it.

“Nicely done, my boy. You’ve got the makings of a great king,” Father complimented and the rest of dinner was of a lower temperature.

Mother was thinking of taking a trip out to Crystoria soon depending on the engagement timeline. Father claimed he had business in another kingdom to the north to handle. I shot him a look and he lifted his hands, promising he’d be safe near the badland’s portal where King Verin, the only man who tried to conquer Crysia, resided.