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My head moved in agreement, but my heart still wanted to go to him. Dres knew him better than anyone, so if he was saying to give Kai time, then that's what I'd do.
"Maybe I could steal you for a minute, though?" Dres asked tentatively.
My curiosity was piqued, so I nodded my agreement and followed Dres into the room opposite the one Kai was currently destroying. To my surprise, Niall followed behind us. When he shut the door, I became even more curious and aware of the two of them.
"I wanted to give you something," Dres started as he went and sat on the edge of the bed. He patted the blanket next to him, and I hesitated for a moment. Mainly because the last time Dres and I were this close in a small environment, we ended up having sex, and I didn't want to make Niall uncomfortable.
It didn't mean it was any easier to stop thinking about Dres and me in the healer's room when we were at the Valkyrie in Hyperborea. When Niall cleared his throat, I knew he was picking up on my thoughts.
"Sorry," I muttered as my cheeks flushed. I plopped down on the bed next to Dres, and Niall came and sat on my other side, which only worsened my thoughts.
Dres slipped a hand into his shirt and dug around as he said, "I've actually been meaning to give it to you since Hyperborea, but it never seemed like the right time." He slipped the chain of a necklace over his head and held it out to me on hooked fingers.
The silver pendant swung and caught the light, and when I glanced from it to Dres, he nodded. I reached out and clasped the metal, realizing that the letter D was engraved on the front. "Diana, right?"
Dres frowned. "Yeah, it was my mother's. How did you know her name?"
Part of me felt like I should lie to them to keep their mother's secret, and Ulrika's for that matter, but wouldn't they just know? I mean, they could both read my thoughts. As I struggled with the idea, Dres' hand dropped, and he frowned slightly. It broke a piece of my heart, and I couldn't take it.
"Queen Ulrika knew your mother. She knew you were twins and mentioned your mother's name to me."
"What aren't you telling us, Tessa?" Niall's voice made me jump like a kid caught with their hand in the cookie jar.
I wanted to squirm under their scrutiny. A sigh escaped me as I gave in and said, "You're both technically princes, like Kai. Kind of. Diana, your mother, was Ulrika's sister. Her grandparents gave her the option of either giving you up or relinquishing any claim to the throne. She kept you, both of you, as long as she could, but they couldn't make enough to support two growing boys, so she gave you, Niall, up to a couple that was desperate to have a child but couldn't. I only found all this out as we were getting ready to leave for El Dorado, and then everything was crazy when we got there. Also, Ulrika asked me not to tell you unless I had to because she didn't want you to think any less of your mother."
Niall blew out a breath, and I knew I'd just dropped a bombshell on them both.
"I'm sorry," I whispered.
Dres' arm wrapped around my shoulders, while Niall's did the same around my waist. "You have nothing to be sorry for. This honestly answered a question that had remained about why we were split up."
"I always wondered what happened to the other daughter of the previous king and queen. She just kind of disappeared. Now we know why," Niall said, squeezing my waist for a moment.
"If Ulrika hadn't asked me to keep it to myself, I would have told you right away."
"We know, ladybird, we know." Dres placed a tender kiss on my temple, and I couldn't help but lean into his touch.
Niall cleared his throat. "I, uh, wanted to give you something as well."
I turned to face him more fully though I still held the necklace Dres gave me in my hand, gripping it tightly as though it might vanish if I let it go.
"This is my ring. It's one of my most valuable possessions. It indicates that I'm a commander in the Hyperborean army and a Royal Guard as well. If you're ever in Hyperborea and need help, you should be able to show this to anyone, and they'll recognize it for what it is and help you. Think of it like a safety net. And also as a promise."
"A promise?"
"We want you to know that we are just as serious about you as the others. Finn and Griff may be your mates, and you might be marrying Kai, but we need you to know that we will never leave you. We'll stay by your side no matter what," Dresden's voice was rough and scraped across my skin, each word making me shiver.
"You know you don't have to prove anything to me, right? I don't need these things to know you care about me, both of you." I looked between them, trying to reassure them.
"We know, but we wanted to. Dres had been planning this for a while, and I just piggybacked because, well, I want you to know that nothing has changed for me since Hyperborea. Everything I felt while we were together is still there." A faint blush rose on his cheeks, and I got the impression that Niall wasn't used to talking about his feelings, at least toward women.
"It is for me, too," I replied, raising my hand to rest it against his cheek. We froze like that for a moment, tension mounting between us and when I pulled my hand away, disappointment flashed in his eyes.
I slipped the ring he gave me on my finger, only to have it fall straight off. "I think it'll have to go on the necklace as well. Is that okay?" I asked, looking between the two of them.
Niall nodded, and Dres said, "Let me help you put it on."
His fingers ran across my shoulders as he moved my hair out of the way, sending a shiver over my skin and making me hyper-aware of his touch. When he held out his hand, I passed him the necklace and he quickly unclasped it before wrapping the chain around my neck, touching me more than necessary, and clasping it once again.
