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He let me pull him to his feet and into my arms, and we shared a brief, urgent kiss before looking back down at the man dying at our feet.
If this had been a ballad, Welzes would have uttered some poignant last words, I was sure. A threat, maybe, or last-minute repentance. Some prophetic bullshit.
But this wasn’t fiction, which meant he entered the afterlife choking and coughing on his own blood, with the scent of piss tainting the air. Starling, who could have easily saved him in the seconds it took him to die, was busy examining her fingernails.
“Lukia won’t be happy,” Lord Hierro grunted, giving the corpse a nudge with the toe of his boot when it eventually fell still.
“That piece of shit just tried to kill a Temarian prince who is also a former ward of Mazekhstam and recognised royalty of Quareh,” I said, clearing my throat when my voice emerged a little shaky. Mathias’ arms around me tightened. “If Lukia isn’t happy, it will have to take it up with the entirety of Riehse Eshan.”
“Damn straight,” Velichkov growled, swiping up his sword and clutching it possessively. I didn’t miss the way he polished the hilt with the edge of his shirt before resheathing the blade, and grinned at the dramatic, contemptuous gesture. “Is that it? Or should we expect anyone else to try to kill either of you?”
“Don’t be ridiculous, Val,” Mathias said. He didn’t let go of me, which I was wholeheartedly in support of. Perhaps I could implement a law where he was never allowed to stop touching me ever again. “This is Ren we’re talking about. I’d be surprised if at least two more people don’t attempt it by sunset, and I’ll likely be one of them.”
Velichkov eyed me. I winked at him and knowing he’d have a clear view, slid my hands down Mathias’ back to cup his ass and give it a hard squeeze.
“Then expect me to be the second,” the heir grouched in irritation as my lover hissed embarrassed curses in my ear, and he then turned to my sister with a deep bow. “Your Highness. If you ever need a reprieve from that impossible child you have the misfortune to call brother, you’ll always be a welcome guest in Delzerce.”
Alondra blinked at him in surprise. “I…may take you up on the offer, Prince Valeri,” she said coyly. “I look forward to meeting that wife of yours.”
I frowned as Velichkov ducked his head and muttered something incoherent. Had that been a fuckingblushI’d seen on his normally stoic face? What the hell kind of plans did he have for my sister and his wife…oh.Oh.
Nope, I was not thinking about that. I was completely wrong, I had to be. Someone as honourable and uptight as Valeri Velichkov would not be propositioning my sister for a Blessed threesome minutes after her husband had been killed in front of her. Although it had sounded more like it was her who was propositioninghim,and…
“Breathe,dorogoi,” Mat murmured, running his fingers down my jaw and neck. I felt the slight pressure against my pulse, and although he didn’t dare choke me out with so many eyes on us, the touch was enough to settle me. “Val’s right. It’s over. You won.”
“We won,” I said, and then raised my voice to be heard by everyone in the throne room. “I won’t let you down. Any of you.”
“We know, my king,” Lord de la Vega said, a roguish, wry smile on his face, and there were nods and murmurs of agreement from the whole court.
“I’m still a prince until I’m crowned,” I reminded them.
“Then for the love of Dios, God, and the Blessed Five,” said Mathias, “someone get this man a fucking crown.”
*
Chapter Fifty-One
Two days later, Ren was keeping his nerves at bay by playing with my hair, mussing it up with his fingers even though there was less than an hour to go until his coronation ceremony began. But even though I was well aware the asshole was doing his best to make me look like I’d just been fucked, I didn’t have the heart to admonish him. Last time we’d been this close to his crowning, Welzes and Navar had branded him a traitor, and we both flinched every time there was a knock on the door in case similar poor fate found us again.
“Thanks for all your help, Star,” I murmured, flashing a smile at the healer where she was curled up on the opposite lounge in the king’s antechamber. We were in the Márosian palace, sunlight streaming through the windows and the soft scent of jasmine in the air.
She waved away my gratitude. “I did try to do you a favour by removing His Bitchiness’ tongue permanently, but he seemed to have an issue with that.”
I frowned at her. “Ihave an issue with that!”
“Right,” Starling said, winking at me and pointedly dropping her gaze to my crotch. I immediately crossed my legs. “Would reduce his usefulness somewhat.”
Ren snorted from where he was standing behind me, sliding his restless hands from my hair to my shoulders. “Please tell me my subjects value me for more than my ability to give head.”
“Well,” she began, drawing out the word and screwing up her face.
“Fuck you, Estrella.”
The prince tugged on my shirt. I was wearing Temarian dress rather than Quarehian today as a way of showing the north’s support for his coronation and subsequent rule. When he dislodged my collar from the perfect fold it had been in and unfastened the top three buttons of my shirt with deft fingers, I finally smacked his hands away. “Stop it. I am not walking in there looking like your fucking whore.”
“Just a little bit,” he whined. “And at least make sure to put a limp in your step. I have a reputation in bed to uphold, and it’s decidedly difficult when you’re the only one who gets to see it.” He paused and gave a low chuckle. “Orfeelit.”
“Nyet.No.”
