Page 81 of Frost and Death
His blunt confession draws my gaze, watching him adjust my train in his elbow.
“Care to expand on that?” I ask.
We make our exit from one physical prison and press onward, where I’ll enter a legally binding one, too.
“Let’s just say I enjoy my sex.” Understanding lifts my brows as he continues, “I know it was not acceptable for a long time in Axidoria, which is why I was hesitant to mention it, but if we’re family, you should know.”
Appreciation for his transparency has me hopeful that my time here might not be bad. Maybe I’ll work alongside him more than Jerrick.
“Thank you for sharing that with me. My lady-in-waiting in Axidoria, Betina, prefersallsexes.” I hope Jonas catches my play on words, trying to appease and get to know my jailors.
He does, patting my arm in amusement, a gleeful laugh perking up his mood.
“I’ve tried hard since stepping into my role as queen to ensure everyone has the freedom to love whomever they wish. Axidoria’s customs were old, abhorrent, and outdated anyway,” I tell him.
We chuckle and stroll through a sleeping wing, venturing into a new hallway. The castle’s walls are stained a cream color, matching the floor we walk upon.
Darker shades of red, orange, and brown in the décor mounted on the stone walls remind me of fall as the colors are intertwined and woven into rugs, paintings, lanterns, and curtains.
The drapery is tucked and tied together, allowing the tall arched windows to shine with the sun or moon.
The soft, plush rug unfurled beneath us is so full, my feet sink into each step in my thin-soled slippers. It is so soft I could sleep on it.
Jonas tilts his head before he speaks. “It wasn’t acceptable in Palaena either under my father’s rule, but Jerrick worked hard to create acceptance for everyone when he ascended.”
We pass by some pictures of ancestors, dust collecting on the older ones, while the newer ones depict the strong features of Jerrick and Jonas.
A sense of evil prickles along my skin as I gaze at the painting of Jerrick.
Despite Jonas saying something nice about Jerrick, a darkness lingers in the shadows, making me feel even more wary of the man I am set to marry.
“I never would have expected him to do something nice for his people,” I admit.
He snorts, almost missing the last step down the stairs, and we both stumble awkwardly, bumping into each other.
I grunt through our mishap, feeling the tightness of my injured shoulder.
Thankfully, we land on the ground in one piece. We pause, check my injury, and when Jonas inclines his head quietly, all worry and laughter masks his royal appearance.
He wears his manners well, escorting me as if our little stair-tripping never happened. “Jerrick might be complicated, but he does care.”
I huff my disbelief, baffled to think Jerrick, a man who forced me to leave my home, cares about anyone other than himself. Sure, he helped make me comfortable when I was injured and on my cycle, but that was because I was a problem to him and our stupid marriage arrangement.
“You don’t know, do you?” Jonas asks.
I flash him a skeptical look to give him reason to continue as we step farther down to the lower floors of the castle.
“Jerrick didn’t leave your side the entire time you were unconscious.”
That gives me pause, halting my steps and causing Jonas to do so as well.
Why would Jerrick do that? I’m only a means to prevent consequences from affecting him and his kingdom.
He has no reason beyond that to care.
When we met in Axidoria and I fainted, he was there when I woke up, too. He went out of his way to bring me medicine and even apologized for laughing over my cycle.
Doubt prickles an eerie composition in my mind from his actions at the ball versus when he kidnapped me.
