Page 62 of Blood Weaver
He eyed me for a moment before agreeing. “All right, fine. Let’s get drunk.” He uncorked the other jug for himself and took a big swig. I did the same.
The atmosphere in the tent shifted with each sip. The heaviness of our reality, the unsaid words, and the complex dance of emotions flickering between us were temporarily muffled by the intoxicating effect of the wine. The air was infused with a rare lightness.
We laughed harder and spoke more freely. In those fleeting moments, we weren’t Crimson Clan’s most feared warrior and Valoria’s lost princess. We were simply Ronan and Leila, two souls unburdened and unfettered, reveling in the magical euphoria that A Thousand Roses lent us.
His laughter boomed throughout the tent, rich and unrestrained. Amidst this uncharted territory I dared to probe, hoping to unravel his hidden secrets.
“So, Ronan,” I started. “Do you plan to attack Valoria soon?”
He chuckled. “No … I have no plans to attack Valoria … but Caelan’s army? That’s another story.”
“But Caelan’s armyisValoria’s army. Aren’t they one and the same?”
He shrugged and took another gulp of the wine. “I guess,” he murmured.
The conversation wove through a dance of playful jests and silent revelations. Each swig of wine ushered in the courage to delve deeper and venture where we hadn’t dared. As the night drew on, the two jugs of wine became silent witnesses to confessions and surprises, to laughter and unutterable words. Every gulp was an unmasking, and as the intoxicating liquid coursed through our veins, the walls we’d meticulously built crumbled.
I pushed back my chair and stood. Walking over to him, I sat down on his lap and wrapped my arms around his neck. “Do you love me, Ronan?” I whispered, my eyes narrowing as I stared at him.
His cloudy gaze widened and he placed his long, tapered fingers around my waist. “And if I do?”
I leaned against him and lightly brushed my lips against his. “I might consider giving myself to you,” I purred.
He blinked a few times, trying to clear his head and probably wondering if he heard me correctly.
A Thousand Roses was strong wine, known to reduce a man into doing just about anything, hence why it was mostly sold in the Rose Petal. I’d drank so much of it over the years that it hardly had any effect on me, but even I wasn’t completely immune to its potency.
“You’re drunk, Leila.” He picked up the nearest jug and shook it to reveal it was almost empty. “Webothare.”
I crossed my arms over my chest defiantly. “And? What does that matter?”
“It matters, Leila,” he whispered, his tone serious. “You’re a princess. Even though you’ve been in hiding for the last ten years, I’m almost positive no man has ever had you.”
While that was true, I was willing to do anything at this point to get to the truth. Even if it meant giving something away I shouldn’t.
I caressed his face and he leaned into my hand. His eyes fluttered closed. “I wish I could take you right now,” he murmured. “But there are things you don’t know, Leila.”
“Like?” I probed.
He shook his head, trying to clear the cobwebs. “Like …” he started, but then left the thought hanging.
“Ronan?” I whispered, trying to snare his attention again.
“Hmm?” He opened his eyes and stared at me. “You’re beautiful, do you know that?”
“Then why don’t you want me?” I asked. “You said you wanted all of me, and that’s what I’m offering.”
He shook his head again. “No. You’ll just give me one night. I want forever.”
I froze in his lap and replayed his words in my mind. Those were dangerous words. Forever was a long time. I remembered what Caelan said in the dungeons about how the Crimson Clan members mated once for life. Maybe his words weren’t complete nonsense, after all.
“Why do you want more of me? You hardly know me,” I muttered. Not quite two months had passed since the night we met, which was hardly long enough for him to have such lingering thoughts. Was it my true identity he loved? Silas claimed Ronan was promised to marry the Princess of Valoria, which would explain his fascination with me.
He brushed strands of my hair away from my face and swept it behind my ear, caressing my face as his cloudy gaze stared into mine. “I’ve known you my whole life.”
I frowned. “What?”
He chuckled and dropped his head onto the back of the chair. “You don’t remember, do you?”
