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Whenever I’m finally able to claim her, I’d like it to be perfect for her.
I owe her that much.
“Goodnight, Irissa.”
Reaching for one of her tiny hands, I take it in mine and bring it to my lips in the purest act of chivalry I can muster. Then I head for the door before I say or do something that I’ll regret later, like ask to stay.
CHAPTEREIGHTEEN
Irissa
Ishould have asked him to stay.
As Lizette laces up the back of my dress, a floor-length lavender gown with a full skirt, it’s all I can think about. I shouldn’t have sent Nor away. I should have made him grovel harder before I accepted his apology. I should have made him beg. To make up for his horrible attitude, I should have let him take and worship my body like I’ve been imagining. Maybe then I wouldn’t be dealing with the steady throb between my thighs that reminds me just how much I want him.
Damn him.
“Irissa, are you all right?” Liz asks as she finishes with the back of the dress and moves on to my hair.
I check my reflection in the mirror, studying my face, but I look fine to me.
“Yeah.” I quirk my brow at her. “Why do you ask?”
She grabs a brush off the vanity and begins to carefully drag it through my hair, cautious of any knots that formed overnight.
“You’ve just been quiet this morning,” she says, brushing out my hair and separating it into equal parts for a braid. “I thought maybe something happened after I left last night.”
The way Lizette reads me like a book is equally impressive and terrifying, but I shouldn’t be surprised anymore. She spends so much time with me, she’s bound to pick up on any shift in my mood.
“It’s nothing,” I assure her, even though we both know I’m lying. There’s no point in trying to explain what’s bothering me. Emotions from the last few days have compounded, making my chest ache and my head hurt. There’s nothing for me to do but go with the flow and see what happens.
“You don’t have to tell me.” She finishes my braid, tying it off at the end, and moves to my makeup. “I just worry about you. Will you at least take some of the calming potion? Please.”
Reluctantly, I nod. It’s not that I don’t like taking the potions or how I feel afterwards, because they work well for their intended purpose. I just can’t stand the thought of using Lizette’s ingredients when we don’t have a way to replace them. I don’t want to waste what precious supplies we have left in case we need them for something more serious than my anxiety.
However, the tightness in my chest doesn’t seem to be going away today.
The entire royal family, excluding Zen, is seated for breakfast when I make it to the dining room, and they’re all in the same seats as the day before. My heels click across the floor and Nor’s head turns in my direction, his eyes catching mine. Immediately, the tension in my chest releases.
We’re already starting off on a better foot this morning.
With a simple hand gesture, he motions to the seat on his right and I hesitate briefly, taken aback by his forwardness. I hate that it took a painfully awkward morning and a fight to get here, but I’ll take it. Quietly, I slip into the seat and return the greetings offered to me.
“Good morning,” Nor says, soft enough that only I hear.
I glance in his direction as two servants slip into the room with food-laden trays, finding his eyes glued to me.
“That wasn’t so hard, was it?” I jest, fighting a smirk.
His features harden and I sense a snarky comeback coming my way, but a servant steps between us and fills our plates. Rather than arguing, Nor turns his attention to his food, and I do the same.
“Are you feeling better today, Princess Irissa?” Oryx asks, catching me off guard. Hearing my name is a relief, but it’ll take some getting used to.
“Yes, thank you.” I meet his gaze across the table.
When I first saw Oryx, I almost couldn’t tell him and Nor apart, but the more time I spend with them, the easier it is to point out the differences. Aside from his short stature and broader build, the angles of Oryx’s face are softer. Rather than amber, his eyes are dark brown, and they’re a little closer together. Even though he has the same low-drawn brow as Nor, his expression always feels softer, kinder.
“Well enough to accompany Liz and me to the library?”
