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“Oh?” She looks at me devilishly. “I heard about some springs near here from your sister…” Elva’s eyelashes skim the tops of her cheeks as she looks at the ground. What in the hell had Cherie discussed with her? I pale at the thought.
“Let’s go. We have the entire week with them,” I say, taking her arm as I nod. “After all, this is technically our honeymoon.”
She laughs. “We had one of those in our house.”
I roll my eyes. “I would like one where I’m not freezing my ass off.”
She grabs my face and kisses me hard. “That, my love, can be arranged.”
We don’t ride off into the sunset, but damn, it sure feels like we are as we take the car to this mysterious place of Cherie’s.
Ironically, for a moment, as I wipe a bit of sweat off my brow, I miss the Winter Court. I am happy to get back to the big party. I’m curious to see what the Winter Court will become when celebrating their new queen.
Elva looks at me and finds me watching her. A lovely smile crosses her lips, with no trace of hardness in her face or eyes. She is ruthless, brutal, and broken, but together we are healing. We are moving to a better future.
And I’m just so grateful. So. Damn. Grateful.
Chapter50
A Coronation Fit For A Queen
ELVA
The Eve of the Winter Solstice
“I’m telling you, I feel like the dress makes me look like an enormous snowflake.” I take a sip of the Fae mead, enjoying the quiet of the evening after what has been a series of very long days filled with endless meetings. The reforms seem to be taking effect well, and what little resistance we’ve encountered has been fairly easy to subdue.
I continue, “When the seamstresses put the gown on me, I had to stop myself from laughing. It looks ridiculous. It is made from yards of fabric and tulle, and it stretches out at least ten feet behind me. It’s just so... not me. What would you think if I wore my favorite black leggings and sweater tomorrow instead?”
A choking sound comes from beside me as Nathan spits out his drink. He grabs a napkin and coughs into it. “Dear gods,” he says once his throat is cleared. “Elva, I hope that’s a joke.”
At the same moment, Lucinda, who is sitting across the table from us, screeches. I didn’t know that Fae could make sounds like that. “My dear, you can’t... you just... you must look the part,” my mother-in-law says, her hand on her heart. She looks one second away from fainting and taking the entire tablecloth with her.
Lucinda has been staying with us in the Winter Court for the past month, and it’s been heartening to see the way she and Nathan have been getting along. With every day, I see them mending their relationship more and more.
She turns to her son and widens her eyes at him. “Tell her, blood of my blood. She must wear the gown. I just checked on the seamstresses yesterday, and it’s so lovely.”
Nathan narrows his eyes at his mother. “I won’t tell my wife what to wear,” he says before downing the remaining Fae mead from his silver goblet. We had dozens of crates of the beverage shipped to the Northern Court for the wedding, and he practically danced when the first crate was unloaded.
He leans in to nuzzle his nose against me before lightly kissing the shell of my ear. “You know I’d be happy if you showed up naked.” He winks at me, and I lightly slap his arm.
“Nathan,” I hiss as color rushes to my cheeks, “our parents are here.”
Looking up from under my eyelashes, I see my father chuckling as he sips his drink across the table from us. “You’re married, Elva. I know what happens in a bedroom.”
“Oh, my gods, Father.” I breathe, my attention turning to him as I fight the urge to bury my face in my hands. I didn’t know it was possible to feel so embarrassed by people you love.
He laughs loudly, and the sound warms my heart. Ever since my mother went into the Eternal Sleep, I’ve had the very best physicians caring for him day and night. It took some time for him to heal, but he is finally seeming more and more like himself.
When I asked him a few days ago if he wanted to reclaim the throne instead of me, he shook his head adamantly. “I would much rather watch you, Elva. This is what you were born for. Let me enjoy my retirement.”
Before I could reply, he wrapped his arms around me and pulled me in for a hug. Despite his frailty, he still towered over me. His arms were warm and strong as they held me close.
Our relationship still feels so new, so untested, but I am enjoying every single second of it. I am relishing the feeling of being loved by a parent for the first time in over a century.
Lucinda clears her throat, seeming to have recovered from her near-fainting spell. “Elva—” she starts, but before she can continue, Nathan’s pocket begins vibrating. It’s so loud and out of place that everyone stops speaking immediately.
He pulls out the flip phone, checking the screen quickly. “Cherie is almost here,” he says excitedly. I don’t know if he’s more excited about his sister showing up or the fact that she and her husband have promised to bring him a new state-of-the-art FaePhone from their home in the Summer Court.
