Page 85 of A Kingdom of Shadow and Ash

‘It’s red,’ she grumbled.

‘It’s for…’ He hesitated, searching for the right words. ‘Party dress.’

‘There’s a party?’

He nodded.Again.

With a sigh, Mal slipped out of bed, the cool air caressing her exposed skin as she padded towards the gown. Even as she moved, she could feel the weight of his stare, the slow, deliberate way his golden eyes traced the lines of her form. She pretended not to notice.

The dress was looser than the wedding gown, yet still fitted at the waist, its long sleeves and high neckline a stark contrast to the heat pressing in from every corner of this infernal kingdom. She scowled. ‘I will be too hot in this.’

The oppressive warmth wrapped around her like a smothering embrace, refusing to yield, no matter how many days she endured beneath its merciless rule.

‘Wear yours.’ He pointed to one of her trunks, his tone as indifferent as ever.

Mal shook her head. ‘That would disappoint your family.’ At this, he hesitated. For a moment, he seemed caught between words, struggling to shape them into something he could say aloud.

‘You are not married to my family,’ he said at last, his voice quieter now. ‘You are…’ He stopped, his gaze shifting away, as though the truth was something he could not face directly. ‘You are my wife.’

Mal stilled.

My wife.

The words hung between them, weighty and undeniable. A golden band gleamed on her finger, silent and immutable, an emblem of the bond now forged between them. And on his own hand, a silver ring—marking him as hers just as surely as hersmarked her as his.

Her husband.

The realisation sent a strange dizziness through her, though this time it had nothing to do with heat or corsets.

‘Shall I start calling you husband?’ she teased, attempting to shake the tension from her shoulders.

He grunted in response, a sound both dismissive and irritated, before rising to his feet. ‘You are better now.’ His voice was clipped, businesslike. ‘I’ll leave you to…’ He gestured vaguely at the room, clearly unsure of what she was meant to be doing.

His eyes swept over her once more—just for a breath, just long enough for something unspoken to pass between them. Then, clearing his throat, he turned sharply towards the door. But just before stepping through it, he stopped. Pivoted. His eyes locked onto her once more, and he pointed to the black trunk with something like finality.

‘Wear your own dresses, princess.’

Then he was gone.

Mal waited a beat before exhaling, then smirked to herself as she turned towards the trunk.

‘As you wish, husband.’

…

‘You are not wearingthat,’ Kai said, frowning.

‘And why not, brother?’

‘Because I can see your body as it was on the day of your birth, Mal.’

‘Naked, you mean?’ Mal smiled. ‘Since when have you become such a prude?’

‘Since there are too many males roaming this castle and aparticular golden haired one that keeps staring at you as if you were food and he were starving.’

Mal rolled her eyes. ‘It’s a party. The prince said I should wear my own gown.’

‘I am sure the fire prick did. However, I doubt he meant for you to wearthat.’

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