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“Technically, I didn’t infiltrate the castle. Master Arther greeted me and—” His voice cut off and his expression turned serious. “I was willing to do whatever it took. I told you, Cora. I wasn’t going to let anything come between us again.”
Us.
The word sent her pulse thundering.
She shifted her gaze ahead and saw the trees thinning, opening to a familiar sight. One she hadn’t seen since she was a child. She picked up her pace, pouring all her focus into her destination to distract herself from Teryn.
From the way he’d saidus.
Teryn kept pace at her side while the sound of the guards’ footsteps lagged farther behind. Finally, they reached a small clearing at the edge of a low, grassy cliff. Beneath it spread a wide meadow dotted with wildflowers in every shade imaginable. A smile stretched Cora’s lips. It was even more beautiful than she’d remembered.
She halted a few feet before the cliff’s edge and breathed in the fresh summer air. A shadow crossed the sun as Berol descended and landed in a nearby tree.
Teryn came up beside Cora. His knuckles caressed hers again, making her breath catch. He made no move to pull his hand away, only let their fingers brush once more before he said, “It’s beautiful.”
She angled her body to the side, sliding her hand out of reach. “I used to come here with my brother when I was a child. It was our secret place.”
He met her eyes, sunlight catching his emerald irises. His mouth lifted at both corners. “Thank you for bringing me here.”
Her shoulders tensed as a sudden wave of self-consciousness swept over her. She hadn’t considered the implications of bringing him to a special place to have their private chat. To be honest, she hadn’t thought of where to take them until they were several minutes into their forest stroll. It was the only place she could think of that was close enough for the guards not to make a fuss but far enough away to give her the time she needed to mentally prepare for the matter at hand.
Teryn faced her fully. His throat bobbed once. Twice.
She held her breath, knowing what he was preparing to say…
“Why didn’t you meet me in the garden at Verlot Palace that night?”
She blinked a few times. Those weren’t quite the words she’d expected, but they filled her with no small amount of anxiety. She opened her mouth to answer, but her eyes darted to the side, taking in the bored postures of the two guards who stood several feet away.
Teryn released an aggravated grumble and addressed them. “Can youpleasegive us some damn privacy?”
The guards exchanged a glance but begrudgingly obeyed, taking a dozen or so paces out of the clearing to flank the forest path instead.
Teryn returned to face Cora, brow raised in question.
It seemed he wasn’t going to let her off that easy.
She resisted the urge to fidget and hid her hands in the folds of her skirt. Only then did she realize she still wore her apron and her dress was embarrassingly plain. She’d had to borrow it from a servant just to have something comfortable enough to work in. She was likely covered in salt, herbs, and soot as well. Not to mention what her hair must look like. Meanwhile, he was dressed like a true prince. A man who’d almost been king. His dark trousers were clearly made for riding, but the way they hugged his thighs told her they were custom tailored to the finest precision. His waistcoat was leather, but not in the style worn by a hunter. His was of a supple blue suede, embossed with Menah’s eagle sigil. Not even the rolled-up sleeves of his shirt or the cravat hanging loose around his neck belied his title.
Hewas a distinguished royal.Shewas a witch playing pretend until she’d served her purpose as a princess.
Besides, it didn’t matter what either of them looked like.He was only here for politics. It was better that way. She’d already determined that a political alliance was all she could commit to. A love match represented danger. The potential for heartache. She wasn’t yet ready to let go of the life she’d had with the Forest People. Of freedom. The Arts. If she married for love, she’d have to give that all up. Be Princess Aveline forevermore.
But isn’t Teryn the one person I can be both a witch and a princess with?
She banished the thought and reminded herself he was still waiting for an answer. She supposed he deserved one.
Forcing herself to meet his eyes with a neutral expression, she said, “I didn’t think it was proper to meet with what I assumed was a married man alone in a garden at night.”
“You thought I’d married Mareleau.”
Cora shrugged. “She was your fiancée.”
“No, Cora, everything changed—”
“I know what changed. I know about Larylis and Mareleau. Or…her pregnancy at least.”
Teryn frowned. “You do?”
