Page 90 of A Cruel Kindness

Until Soren’s mother commented on it one day and my first thought was maybe she’ll offer marriage.

We’d ended up being bonded much more permanently than marriage.

As if he could sense the direction of my thoughts, Soren’s hand flexed over the tree trunk inked to my back. “I was with Bellamy, Mother. Did I miss something?”

Her eyes, the same color as Soren’s, narrowed. “We were meant to arrive as a family.”

“I arrive with Bellamy.” My cheeks felt hot at the possessiveness in his tone. Around people who didn’t understand the Bond, it felt all the more potent.

“Because you are paranimas?” His mother quipped.

“Yes.” His answer was hard, final.

Despite how much I liked it, I was ever the peacemaker. “My family instructed me to meet them there. Soren was offering me an escort so I wouldn’t arrive alone. I’m happy to do so if you consider it important for your family to arrive together.”

It gave his mother the option, but also made her seem rude if she took me up on it.

“We will see you inside,” she said, her voice thin.

“I’ll, uh, I’ll go see about your arrival,” Laura said quickly, scurrying off after Soren’s mother.

We followed slowly, these halls as familiar to us as our own face. I’d seen these same light gray walls, almost purple in undertone, covered in large ethereal paintings hanging in silver frames, with that same silver etched into the crown molding a million times.

It really was beautiful.

This had been my home. I’d do anything to protect it, especially if I was in a unique position to do something about it.

I looked up at Soren, spotting a note of wistfulness in his eyes. He missed this, even if he wouldn’t admit it. I wouldn’t press it either. There was no use increasing his pain.

Laura was standing by a set of towering wooden doors, speaking with a member of the guard rapidly, quickly preparing for our arrival.

“You ready?” Soren asked, placing the words close to my ear.

“I’d prefer it if we stayed close,” I said, nerves starting to set in.

“Always, baby.” I could feel his lips pulling into a smile against the shell of my ear and I damn near lost it right there.

I pulled back to find him smiling like the devil. Oh, he so planned that.

His plan came to fruition when the guard opened the doors, exposing us to the entire court, wrapped around each other.

“Princess Bellamy Edelstenne and Soren of House Rystrom,” my father’s voice boomed across the ballroom. Soren kept his hand pressed to my back as we walked down the steps. “Paranimas who are fighting our enemies to ensure that Vir remains healthy. A demonstration of our strength and the Goddess’s favor.”

And there was the real reason why we were here. Demonstrating the Empire’s strength to renew the conviction to fight this war.

It took a second for anyone to gain the courage to come up and speak to us, but once they did, the floodgates opened so fast we were swept away with the incoming swell of water, pulled into conversation.

House Edelstenne had made themselves known by announcing our arrival.

House Rystrom staked their claim through Soren.

House Astor was two seconds away from asking Soren to remove his shirt so they could compare our Marks.

House Sinclair, Deveraux, and Lystrange all tried to pick our brains about life on Muli, their fascination with war entirely based in the fact that they were so far removed from it

And finally, House Greene, with all the confidence of being the next family in line to the Empire, tried to snap up as much of our attention as possible.

When their son, Ambrose, approached, Soren tossed back his entire flute of champagne and swiped another one.