Page 46 of The Call of Crimson
My head screams that he must be lying because who could possibly be behind this if not him? But my gut, damn it—it says he’s telling the truth. “I would be a fool to trust you, Prince.”
“You would be a fool to trust anyone entirely,” he says with a small knowing smirk. “But you can trust me on this. We can get Aurelius to corroborate this with his Gift if you’d like.”
The way he offers proof without hesitation tells me enough. I believe him about this, but I still don’t trust him.
We round the corner into the royal wing, grand marble halls stretching ahead.
“This room you’re taking me to better not be yours,” I grumble.
“Well, the way I see it, you have two choices.”
“Oh? What would those be?”
“Your trunks, and therefore your leathers, are already in my chambers. You can either sleep where you belong…” He steps closer, voice dropping, “Or you can take a room across the hall and be forced to rely on my mother’s choice in wardrobe.”
“So, I can sleep with you or be forced into dresses full-time?”
He nods, a playful smile tugging at the corner of his mouth.
“You find this amusing, Prince?”
“I find a lot of things you do amusing, Princess.”
“This doesn’t seem like much of a choice,” I mumble, mulling over my options. The idea of being trapped in dresses made me shudder, but the thought of sleeping next to a male who wasn’t Elijah or Aurelius made my skin crawl.
Elijah isn’t here. I had no intention of letting Aurelius into my bed, so it looked like I would be sleeping alone.
“I’ll take my chances with the dresses,” I decide.
“Not the answer I was expecting,” Ayden muses.
“You’re a terrible fiancé, Ayden.”
He stops in front of a door, pushing it open for me. “I could be a wonderful one, if you’d give me the chance, Breyla.”
“I’m not interested in a fiancé,” I retort.
“Not interested in a fiancé, or not interested inmeas a fiancé?” he challenges.
“Sorry, pretty boy,” I say with a mocking smile as I stride past him. “It’s not you, it’s me.”
“You think I’m pretty?” Ayden gives me a wide grin.
“Is that all you heard?” I roll my eyes.
I move about the room, inspecting every corner in the bright, open space. Dark wood floors provide contrast to the white marble that comprises most of the castle. A white duvet covers the four-poster bed, a thick black fur at the foot. Dark furniture fills the space, giving it a homey, warm atmosphere.
“It’s all I needed to hear,” he teases.
Mindlessly, I thumb through the gowns in the armoire, my nose wrinkling in disgust at the pale silks and gold embroidery.
“Not that your ego needs it,” I say, “but yes, you’re gorgeous Ayden.”
He leans casually against the doorframe. “You sure you don’t want to stay with me?”
“Positive.”
“Well, you know where your pants are… if you change your mind.”
