Page 94 of The Court of Secrets
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Penelope, my newest lady-in-waiting, hurried off the ship with Nissa and Mai. I’d tried talking to her after Morgana and I had talked. She was nothing but polite, but she wouldn’t talk about anything that could be deemed inappropriate. Finally, giving up, I’d spent the rest of the day playing cards with Aquarius and Bella, losing quite a few coins.
The cold air circled us, and Aquarius shivered. I wrapped my fur coat around me, nuzzling into its warmth. “Thanks again for bringing us here. I wanted to let you know, you, Bella, and your crew are always welcome in Magaelor. Come, attend the shadow markets,” I said with a smirk. “Just don’t tell me about them. They’re illegal, you know.”
“They are?” He feigned surprise, then grinned. “Take care, Winter. I’ll see you again.”
I loved how informal they were, especially when everyone else wasn’t. There were only so many times I could hear“Your Majesty.”
“Don’t spend all that gold at once,” I said.
He grinned. “I could swear you were losing on purpose.”
“I’m just terrible at cards.” I chuckled. “Be safe on those waters.”
“Always am.”
I walked across the plank and landed on the pier. Blaise’s ship had already disembarked. He was waiting by his royal carriage. Unlike mine, it was a deep blue with silver finishings. The stallions were blacker than a Magaelorean night, their eyes like the stars that swept the darkness into something beautiful.
Hurrying over the uneven wooden boards, I huddled my coat. Blaise tapped the side of his carriage. Morgana had gone with my ladies, leaving us alone.
“Hey you.” He tapped the tip of my nose. “I missed you.”
“I missed you too.” I buried my head in his shoulder. He was wearing a silvery-gray fur coat. “Let’s get to Lepidus.”
“I kind of missed your court.”
His lip tugged at the corner. “I know.”
He helped me in, then climbed in himself. He sat next to me, despite the other seat being free. The carriage pulled off, and I leaned against him. My eyes burned with the need of slumber. I wanted to stay awake long enough to see what Morgana would say to Licia when they saw each other again, but my tiredness came in waves. My eyelids were growing heavier by the minute, and the motion from the carriage moving along the icy roads cradled me into a light slumber.
I awoke when the carriage stopped. My head was in Blaise’s lap. His hand was on my shoulder, his thumb stroking me tenderly. He was staring ahead, pain in his features. The torture behind his prolonged stare broke me. I pulled myself upright and stroked his temple, landing a kiss against the corner of his lip. “Don’t,” I said when he tried to hide the pain.
His lips parted. I silenced his next words with a kiss. Climbing over him, onto his lap, I ran my hands around his neck and over his muscular shoulders. I bit his bottom lip, running my hand through his tousled hair until the crown paused me.
“We will have the Ring any day now.” I said, resting my forehead against his. My heart pounded in sync with his, and I splayed my fingers over his chest. “You’ll never know hurt again.”
He half-smiled. “It should be me making you those promises.”
“You are my forever.” I kissed his neck slowly. Between kisses, I breathed words against his skin, and he moved his head back, his eyes rolling as he closed them. “It was always you. Always. I’m your queen, Blaise. Yours.”
He rocked his hips against me, gripping me against him tightly. His fingers tangled in my hair, and the crown tumbled to the ground. He fisted my hair as he bit down on his bottom lip. “Fuck. You drive me crazy.”
Someone was at the door, pulling the handle down.
A low growl escaped him. “Leave us,” he ordered. Snow crunched under their boots as they walked away. He lowered me against the seat and traced his fingers along my thigh, his lips against my neck. “Marry me, Winter.” There was a vulnerability to his voice that made my heart skip a beat. “I want every part of you, forever. Let me rule by your side. You can trust me.”
I paused, tilting his head upward with my thumb to look into his gaze. “I know.”
“You don’t need to play hard to get.” He smirked against my collarbone as his lips brushed my skin. “You already have me.”
I was shaking. Adrenaline coursed through me. I wanted him too. Every part of him. “Ask me once the curse is broken.”
“You can count on it, my love.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Blaise told me to sit on the throne I didn’t yet belong on, the throne for the queen of Niferum. I hesitated as I sat against the cold stone, looking out over the magic of the throne room. White glistened everywhere, spelled to appear as ice on the walls.
