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Amica smiled. “Indeed, you are.”
I flicked my gaze up to see the crowded ballroom parting down the center as Miles made his way towards the dais, carrying Stella playfully on his back.
He looked shocked for a few seconds. His eyes widened in disbelief that I actually followed through with the bet, but then his eyes softened. He beamed with pride at the sight of me on the throne, making me feel more loved and special than any title ever could.
He set Stella on her feet beside him and said, “Well, well, well, it looks like you’re enjoying this bet more than you thought.”
“You look like a queen!” Stella said with a huge smile plastered to her face.
“Well, thank you Stella, but I doubt a real queen could get away with wearing this little clothing.” I turned to give Miles an annoyed look and he threw his hands up in defense.
“Hey now, the queen can wear whatever she wants.”
“She can also pull off anything she wants,” Amica said with a wink.
My face reddened at the kind words from my friends. I didn’t deserve them; I never would.
“Stop being shy and start getting comfortable,” Miles said. “Soak it all in, Queen Rhiannon. I’m going to take Stella to find her dad and brother. I’ll be back later, okay?”
“You’re leaving me here alone?!” I exclaimed.
“I’m not! Amica will stay here with you.”
Amica had a guilty look on her face. “Well. . .” She gave a sheepish smile. “Mendex actually asked me to walk in the gardens tonight, and I’m supposed to have met him there already. . .”
My stomach dropped at the thought of just being left here alone, but a bet was a bet, and I wasn’t going to make Amica stay purely for my benefit. “Well, don’t let me stop you! Go and have fun, you deserve it.” I gave her a reassuring smile and she came up and hugged me gratefully.
“I’ll tell you all the details later,” she whispered in my ear.
I squeezed her extra tight and then waved her off as she headed to the gardens for her date with Mendex.
Miles walked up the dais steps to stand beside me. “I already let the kitchen staff know to bring food up to you here, including some almond cocoa and your favorite lemon loaf.”
I put my hand over my heart and said dramatically, “What did I do to deserve your kindness?”
He chuckled. “I’ll see you later tonight. Make sure you follow the bet all the way through, or you know the rules.”
The rules for betting in our friend group were simple. If you lose the bet, you must follow through with whatever was originally negotiated. If not, you owe that person a favor, of any kind, to be called upon at any time. Considering the favor could be literally anything, I’d always followed through on my end of the bargains. Plus, I didn’t like being in debt to anyone.
I gave him a soft smile. “I promise.”
He gently grabbed my hand, bending down to kiss the top of it. “I bid thee farewell, Queen Rhiannon.” He gave me an amused look and I rolled my eyes before he walked down the steps and grabbed Stella’s hand.
“Bye, Queen Rhia!” Stella said cheerfully as she followed Miles to find her family.
I sat there with a smile glued to my face, just wondering how I got so lucky to be blessed abundantly with such amazing friends. The longer I waited on the throne alone, the more comfortable I became. It really wasn’t all that bad. I had the occasional glance and whisper directed my way every now and then, but that was pretty normal in this castle.
I wondered if Miles did actually do this in favor of me. Not in the way Ancilla had insinuated, but in a way to show me how to be comfortable in my own skin and to learn that although I was never intended for a throne, I was still worthy of one. I smiled at the thought and my newfound confidence. I was always confident and proud as the assassin, but when I came back to the castle and was simply a healer again, that part of me went away. The badass part of me who could accomplish anything and wasn’t afraid of failure because she knew she would always succeed. I liked that part of me, I wanted her to stay. I was learning how to be both the assassin and the healer, because, really, we were both the same, I just made them two different people. I was growing and understanding what it meant to be Rhia, to accept both halves of me and to be proud of it.
I began to relax on the throne and was actually having fun people watching. A few of my friends from the guard came over to say hi, making wolf whistle sounds and asking when I would go out to the taverns with them again. I told them sometime soon because I hadn’t been in a couple months or so and was dying to get out of the castle.
One of the servants brought food to me like Miles had promised. A plate with heaping piles of roast beef and sauteed beets, along with my favorite lemon loaf and warm almond cocoa. Sometimes I’d drink it cold, and it was good that way too, but there was something comforting about the heat on my lips.
I enjoyed my food in a comfortable silence, listening to the many different conversations happening around the room. The roast beef was juicy and had hints of rosemary and thyme while the sauteed carrots were glazed in honey with just the right amount of sweetness. The kitchen never failed. I needed to thank them more often. When I was finished with my plate, a servant came and took it from me, leaving me to sip on my almond cocoa.
My foot started to tap from little waves of anxiety.
Where is Miles?
