Page 97 of A Queen This Fierce and Deadly

Someone began playing a breathtakingly haunting melody, and I stepped out of the carriage.

Sunlight flickered through the branches overhead, dancing across the grass, which had been carpeted with flower petals. The scent of earth mingled with the fragrance from countless wild flowers adorning the clearing, and thebreeze teased my hair, fluttering the ribbons hanging from branches above our heads.

Madinia began her walk down the aisle, and I craned my neck, peering past her.

Lorian stood next to Marth, Rythos, and Galon. He shifted his gaze to his left, as if someone were standing on his other side.

My heart clenched. He was picturing Cavis next to him.

And I watched as his eyes gleamed with a flicker of amusement––as if his dead friend had made some pithy remark.

A hint of disquiet fluttered through me. Did Prisca know Lorian was walking the thin line between what was real and what…wasn’t?

I began my own walk. Lorian shifted on his feet, clearly impatient, and I grinned as his eyes met mine. He wore a deep midnight-blue coat that caught the light with every movement. Golden embroidery adorned the edges, while a vest of silken silver hugged his torso, its buttons gleaming like polished stars. Beneath both, he wore a crisp white shirt. His trousers were perfectly cut, the dark fabric complementing the splendor of the coat, and part of me wondered if Telean had paid him a visit to ensure the fit was perfect.

Madinia stepped to the side. But I was still watching Lorian as he glanced past me and his gaze landed on the love of his life.

Words failed to capture the essence of that look. My heart seemed too small to contain the joy that surged through me at the sight. It was a look of bewilderedadoration and tenderness, as if Lorian couldn’t quite believe Prisca was his. The love was tempered with a healthy dose of possessive lust that made it clear he would do whatever it took to keep her.

Prisca beamed back at him. And in that moment, I could briefly forget about death and war.

15

Prisca

Lorian’s eyes met mine, and I lost the ability to breathe.

I’d seen so many expressions on his face when he looked at me. Irritation, humor, bemusement, lust, a love so deep it made me question if I could ever be worthy of such adoration.

But now, he looked at me as if I was the last star left in a sky filled with darkness. He looked at me as if he was drowning and I was the only one who could give him air. It was a desperate, possessive, love-stricken look.

And I was pretty sure I was gazing at him the exact same way.

My heart had been galloping in my chest, my hands shaking. But the moment our eyes met, all nerves faded away, until there was only room for joy.

I was already mated to this man, and I was beginning to understand just how deep that bond went. But he’d wanted to give me this. A ceremony that told me without a doubt that he was mine and I was his. Across every kingdom. Throughout every world.

Galon had agreed to marry us. And it felt right that the man who’d been Lorian’s fatherin every way except blood—and the man who’d saved my life that day by the river—would be the one to make us husband and wife.

He said something that made everyone laugh, but I was too busy staring at Lorian. He gazed down at me, that half smile on his face, and my heart flipped in my chest.

Galon raised his voice. “Today, we gather here during a time of war to celebrate one of the great milestones of life. I have been blessed by the gods to have witnessed Lorian and Prisca’s love since the moment they laid eyes on each other. Although…both would have sworn to all of the gods that love was the very last thing they could have imagined feeling.”

Galon was usually a man of few words. But today, he told our friends, family, and allies the kinds of stories that made them roar with laughter.

From the time Lorian caught me attempting to steal his horse, to the time I finally managed to use my power on him by the river—and slammed my knee into his balls. Galon had clearly spoken to some of the others as well since he was sure to mention how jealous Lorian had become while watching me dance with another man in Regner’s castle.

Tears filled my eyes as his stories reminded me of the way Lorian had stayed at my bedside when I was poisoned. Of the way he’d relentlessly bullied me until I emerged from the shell of fear and apprehension and self-doubt. Lorian had seen the truth within me—that I was strong and determined, and that I didn’t have to let my past determine my future.

“Like the ancient trees surrounding us, your lovewill endure times of storm and serenity, weathering the fiercest winds of adversity, and enjoying the gentle breezes of peace,” Galon said.

“Your love will prevail through times of sun and frost, basking in our warmest, brightest days, and enduring the icy touches of our hardest nights.

“And your love will stand strong through drought and abundance, through parched summers and bountiful springs, growing deeper with each passing year.”

Galon handed the marriage bracelet to Lorian. “And so you shall vow.”

Lorian took my hand, and the feel of the warm strength of his palm beneath mine seemed to settle something deep within me.

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