Page 25 of The Princes of Stone and Steel

Steele stood to the front of the door with his offered hand stretched out. I walked to him, so eager to feel that connection I almost did the unthinkable and hugged him in front of the servant. Steele raised an eyebrow as I pulled myself to an abrupt stop.

“Thank you, Servus,” the prince addressed my escort. “You may take your leave now.”

Servus bowed, backing out of his presence, as appeared to be the protocol for leaving the company of the royal family, before turning to leave completely.

“I’m so sorry,” I whispered so only Steele could hear me.

He said nothing in return, though the wink he shot me as he led me through the massive doors and the small smile playing across his lips told me he wasn’t the least bit mad at my indiscretion.

Once outside, we both felt freer to talk, although keeping up all appearances of propriety.

“So eager to have me, Mils?” he teased. “Have you remembered anymore yet?”

“Not about us. Not in my head.”

“Where then?” His posture and gate remained casual, though his tone held such urgency and promise.

“My heart. Like always, I feel you. I feel our connection.”

His pace picked up then. Not a run, but we walked with quickened steps away from the castle, heading east, away from the villages.

“We’re headed for the outliers?” I asked, curious.

The prince stopped. Dead in his tracks. “How did you know?”

“I had a dream, the other Millie. She headed east from the Forfex lands to the outliers.”

His eyes darted around to check we were completely alone and then he kissed me. A girl could get used to those, one of his Steele kisses. Split lip be damned. The more time I spent with him, the more I realized that I’d take all the split lips Stipator could throw at me if it meant in the end Steele and I could be together.

“What was that for?” I asked, after he pulled back.

“Let’s go,” he said in lieu of answering my question. We continued to walk in silence again, winding our way through the gnarled, ancient forest from my dreams.

The trees seemed to remember, too, as faces appeared in the creases of the bark, some frowning, some smiling. Not real faces, I had to remind myself a time or twenty. Because they certainly seemed real.

When we stopped, I looked to Steele, who fixed me with an innocent if not impish stare that in and of itself caused me to throw my head back and laugh. Just he and I here, together, I felt lighter than I remember feeling in forever. He’d laid out a blanket on which a picnic basket rested atop.

“A picnic, Steele? This is amazing. You’re amazing.”

Roshambo was an amazing place. Despite the heavy hands of time pinning me to a fate that just might mean my death, I loved it here. Loved discovering new places—or even if they weren’t actually new to me, they were new to me now. After a few more heartbeats worth of us staring into each other’s eyes, because I didn’t have the heart to look away first, he cleared his throat and offered his hand out for me. “Please. Sit.”

Grasping his hand, I toed off each sandal and stepped gingerly onto the blanket so as not to rustle whatever treats lay inside the basket too badly, and sat with my legs tucked up underneath me.

Steele positioned himself behind me, his back to the tree. I let out a sharp gasp when he unexpectedly tugged me between his bent knees to lean my back against his chest.

“There. That’s better,” he said. Our positions put the basket right in hand’s reach, so I knew for a fact he’d planned this down to this little detail.

I bit back a smile.

If anyone would’ve told me two months ago that I’d be on a picnic with a prince who was fast proving to be the love of my life, I’d have told them they’re crazy.

None of this would be possible if not for Steele.

He unpacked a bowl of deliciously ripe looking, deep red berries.

“Bearberries!” I kind of shouted. “I haven’t had them inforever.”

As soon as the words left my mouth, the shock of the memory had me freeze right up, despite Steele’s warm touches and excitedly happy words.

---