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“Are you laughing at me?”

“A little, but what did you expect? You’ve always had a thing for Stone, even at a distance.”

Rosamunde dropped onto an ottoman, shoulders slumped. “You’re right and I’ve become this ridiculous, weak-kneed female that I hardly recognize.” She shifted her gaze to Vojalie’s. “He only has to look at me with those beautiful mossy-green eyes of his and I swear I starting melting into a puddle. Have you ever experienced a

nything like that in your life?”

Rosamunde didn’t miss the soft light that entered Vojalie’s eyes. “Oh, yes. With Davido. All the time. Still.”

Rosamunde found it very hard to believe. Davido was the ugliest troll she’d ever seen. How could Vojalie have what was obviously a full-on lust for the man?

On the other hand, Davido’s charisma was pretty much off the charts, so perhaps that was the reason he’d wooed and won the most beautiful fae in the Nine Realms.

Vojalie gave herself a shake and drew close. She even settled her hand on Rosamunde’s shoulder. “Stone has a severe bark and a quick temper. We both know that. Tell him the truth, tell him who you are. He’ll understand. Eventually.”

“He’ll take my head off. You know how much he despises this woman.” She waved a hand to encompass her long silk gown and the intricate braids she wore.

Vojalie’s lips quirked once more and her eyes danced. “That he does. But I must say, it’s only because you’ve done a very poor job at helping him to understand that you’ve single-handedly protected the entire Nine Realms against Margetta all these years.”

“He scoffed when I told him, I mean when ‘Aralynn’ told him. He basically said that ‘Rosamunde’ was indolent. Maybe I was … am … I don’t know. I’m very confused.”

“You’re halfway in love with him, is all. And sometimes it makes it hard to find the right words.”

At that, Rosamunde grew very still. “I’ve tried to tell him that ‘Rosamunde’ found it difficult to leave Ferrenden Peace because supporting the mist was that important. And it is, I know it is. I remember when I went to heal Lorelei in Walvashorr, I was so afraid Margetta would realize Ferrenden Peace was unguarded. I’m still afraid, even now, when I leave my kingdom to run missions with Stone.”

“You’re afraid, even though Davido and I are helping to support the mist?”

“Yes. Even then. But only because I know what Margetta is capable of.” She rose slowly to her feet and met Vojalie eye-to-eye. They were both tall women. “I love our land so much and our people. I haven’t begrudged the sacrifice of service I’ve had to endure, not even a little.”

“Or the loneliness?” Vojalie brushed her fingers over Rosamunde’s cheek. “Davido and I both have felt for your plight and we value so much what you’ve done for our world. Would you like me to talk to Stone? Ease the way?”

“Oh, no, please, no never. I must figure this out. I just don’t have your confidence that he’ll understand.”

Vojalie moved to sit down on the sofa. “So, did he kiss you last night?”

Rosamunde gasped, a long, odd sound. She even squeezed her eyes shut at the memory. “He wanted to and I wanted him to. We came so close, but I couldn’t go through with it.”

Vojalie giggled. “I feel very guilty about this because I’m enjoying your experience like a schoolgirl sharing secrets. So, do you think you’ll let him tonight?”

“No. I can’t. It would be very bad. He needs to know that Aralynn is Rosamunde.” She put a hand to her chest.

“Well, if you want my advice—”

“Always.”

Vojalie’s lips curved. “Personally, I think you’re being overly fastidious. Why not let the relationship with Stone, as Aralynn, take its course. I believe somewhere in there the situation will resolve itself in a very natural way. He’ll come to see you as the brave wolf with whom he runs dangerous missions and the woman who has for centuries kept Margetta away from the elf-lord power that resides in Ferrenden Peace.”

Rosamunde forced herself to relax and to consider Vojalie’s counsel. The truth was, she craved a physical relationship with Stone. At times, when she was near him in her wild wolf form, she didn’t know how she kept from jumping him.

What she really feared was that if he ever did kiss her, she wouldn’t be able to hold back, which was why, last night, she’d panicked. She was still embarrassed that she’d teleported away from him just before his lips touched hers.

Once again, the familiar power of her kingdom, built on elf-lord power, began to rumble. It was a sacred vibration she’d known for the past thousand years. This power, which Davido had once explained to her as the same source that gave rise to the infamous elf-lords, was what helped all three of them sustain the mist veil around Ferrenden Peace.

While both Davido and Vojalie seemed unaffected by using the power, the moment it touched Rosamunde, searing pain drove through her body. She simply didn’t have enough natural ability to bear the vibrations easily, not like her mother, Evelyn, when she’d been the queen.

Rosamunde had lived with this pain every night of her thousand years and there was nothing she could do about it, but let it flow. Until recent weeks, the elf-lord power had served a sole purpose in renewing her strength nightly to sustain the mist. Now, however, that she ran missions with Stone, the pulsing energy also delivered up the visions that allowed her to see where the Invictus wraith-pairs were harming realm-folk.

As she opened herself up, the power surged and every muscle in both legs cramped until the only way she could remain upright was to levitate. She focused her energy in her arms and shoulders in order to remain in a standing position.

Source: www.allfreenovel.com
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