AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What do you mean?” Amara sounded genuinely bewildered. “Is this about Delphine?”
“Delphine?” He sounded alarmed. “Don’t tell me they’ve finally made a decision?”
She must have shaken her head because he continued in a calmer voice.
“Oh thank goodness. We still have time, then.” He paused. “Actually, I came to talk to you about us.”
“Us?” My confident master sounded unlike her usual self as she repeated his final word.
I wished I could close my eyes and will myself somewhere else. Clearly this wasn’t a conversation I should be witness to. I could hardly start humming, however. Amara wanted me to stay hidden or she wouldn’t have stashed me in the closet to start with.
“I know my timing is terrible, and that you’re distracted with Delphine’s situation, but the whole thing has made me think.”
“How could it not?” she said softly. “You dedicated your entire life to serving this court. I remember how passionately you used to argue back in our apprentice days. You said the court was responsible for the good of the whole kingdom. And yet now they’re so quick to discredit your judgment and experience.”
“Oh, I don’t mean that I’m offended,” he said. “Not personally, anyway. If they believe I’m compromised, then their actions are reasonable enough. I’m not concerned that anyone is failing to value me as an individual.”
He sighed. “I’m concerned at the failure of the entire system. I’ve believed for so long that I could do the most good by being here. But now I’m questioning that. I’m not sure how much good is possible here after all.”
“Hayes.” The soft sound of movement suggested Amara had drawn closer to him, perhaps even touched his arm. “You have always done good wherever you were.”
He gave a half-laughing groan. “And you’ve always believed better of me than I deserve. In truth, I was already thinking about leaving court even before we got back to the capital.”
“Leaving court?” Amara sounded alarmed. “What do you mean? Where would you go?”
“Wherever you are.” The simple statement fell into stunned silence.
I was held frozen inside the wardrobe and could only imagine Amara was equally so out in the room. Was Hayes saying…
“I love you, Amara,” he continued. “I’ve always loved you. You know that. And spending so much time with you again…I can’t lose you a second time. I’ve lived alone all these years, and I don’t want to do it anymore. I was young, and arrogant, and ambitious the last time, and it still hurt terribly. This time I’m afraid…” He drew a shaky breath. “I don’t want to feel that pain again. I don’t want to lose you. I’ve experienced firsthand the good we can do together. It doesn’t matter if it’s at court or elsewhere. I want to stay by your side and work beside you for the rest of my life. I want to marry you, Amara—if you’ll have me. Even if that means giving up my life at court.”
“You’re next in line to be Head of Healing. Everyone says so. Would you really be willing to give that up?”
“I would sacrifice more than that,” he said without hesitation.
I could hear the smile in Amara’s voice and the tears clogging her throat. “You told me once that it was possible to have ambition without being like my mother. I guess you were right. I should have believed you then instead of running away. But I was so afraid of becoming like her.”
“You were never like her.” The sound of movement told me they’d come even closer together. “But I always understood why she had such an effect on you.”
“Of course you did.” Amara was clearly still smiling through tears. “You were always too good to me.”
“I dispute that,” Hayes said, the smile sounding in his voice too. “Nevertoogood. Does this mean you’re going to marry me?”
“Yes,” Amara whispered, but I was so still inside the closet I caught the word. “I am.” Her next words came out stronger. “Because I already came to the same conclusion. Before we arrived in the capital I’d also decided on a major change.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean that you weren’t the only one in pain after we went our separate ways all those years ago. And you aren’t the only one who has always remembered. I haven’t been unaffected by being with you again either. I decided weeks ago that I wasn’t saying goodbye a second time.”
“Really?” He sounded delighted. “Do you mean it? You’ve been feeling the same way? I should have said something earlier! I’ve been so nervous, afraid your feelings had faded into warm friendship after so many years.”
Amara laughed. “I thought they had. Until I saw you again.”
An unmistakable sound told me Hayes had finally taken firm action and given the appropriate response to her declaration.
But when they finally stopped kissing—much to my relief—their conversation merely resumed again.
“When you said you were planning a major change,” Hayes said. “Do you mean you’ve been thinking about remaining at the Guild? You know I wouldn’t ask that of you.”
