I fell silent in her arms, my mouth drying up. She certainly knew what to say and what to do. She managed to bring him back through her voice–twice. Perhaps the myths were true. Perhaps this wasn't… a small thing.
"He's trying his best," I didn't know why I was defending him. "But he doesn't know what he's doing wrong. It's hard pleasing people and looking after your family at the same time. It's the court that needs to be stopped. When all of this is over… The first thing that'll change would be the court. No more snakes. No more lies, no more corruption."
I placed a calming hand in the centre of his chest, an anchor for him to grab onto. “I’m not attacking your father, Colton. And I completely understand what you’re saying. But trust me when I say that you will make an amazing King. The very best. Alright?”
"You have every right to attack my father," I responded quietly, thinking of the time I found out she was a woman. Her hatred for my father… I knew it was strong, and she had the right to hate him. "And I know I'll be a great and dependable King, but only if I've got an amazing Queen to keep me on my toes."
I was, yes, hinting at something. It was clear what I was trying to say, trying to infer.
My eyes widened to a size I hadn’t thought was possible. “O-Oh. Oh. You—Oh.”
I stared at him mutely after that, too astonished to form words. And there was something else, too, something much beyond flattery…
I cupped her cheeks, pressing a light kiss on her forehead. I wanted her as my queen, but I was getting carried away. Though I didn’t want her to be with anyone but me, I would understand if she did.
“A queen is important for a king, just as much as she is for her people,” I said instead. “My mother… you probably don’t even know much about her. She’s expected to stay in the shadows, because her title as a queen doesn’t mean anything. That’s not how I would like to rule. The queen chosen by me would rule by my side. Just like how she’s meant to.”
I reached for Colton’s hands, shifting them down from my chest into my lap, where I gave them a tight squeeze. “Tell me about your mother—You’re right, I don’t know much about her.”
I shifted slightly, leaning against her.
“My mom never mentioned it directly, but she wanted to bond, just as much as you did,” I started softly, a warm smile on my features. “At one point, she almost attempted to perform the ritual. She never found the right moment, because she ended up getting married. Mom is… like fire, which is no surprise. I like to think I got my abilities from her. She minds her own business, unless it involves her children. Then she makes it her own. She can ge quite… terrifying. Though the court demanded perfection from me, she demanded safety. If she were to see me like this… she’d break completely.”
I held him tightly against my chest despite our differences in size and build, running my fingers through each dark veil atop his head. “She sounds like a wonderful woman…”
I hummed in agreement.
“Once she finds out about you, she’d be proud,” I murmured, finding pleasure in being close to her like this. Her fingers in my hairs… “I’m sure this wasn’t the morning you were looking forward to. What time is it?”
“The time doesn’t matter,” I told him firmly, though my voice retained a note of gentility. “You’ve gone through enough in the past half hour. Relax a little. And the morning is just fine.”
I let go of my weight, falling back on the bed and pulling her with me, tangling our legs together, spooning around her.
“Thank you, Elle,” I whispered, my breath fanning her neck, the bare skin practically begging to be kissed. “For choosing to follow your dreams.”
I pressed back against him, soaking up his warmth, his comfort. “Thank you for adding dreams to the pile….”
My fingers found his, and I pulled his one arm securely around my waist.
I felt something on her finger and frowned. Was there always this on her hand? How come I never noticed?
I lifted it up, my eyes narrowing when I caught the ring on her finger.
“Where… did you get this?”
A furrow appeared between my brows—I didn’t understand. “You gave it to me, remember? You—Oh…” I trailed off, words dying in my mouth. He didn’t know, how could he? The monster had been in control when I’d received the ring…
“There were some complications when Scylla evolved,” I tried to explain, “You—well, not you—gave me this ring to filter some of her excess energy into.”
Of course. Of course that bastard would most likely give away things important to me as if they were trash. The ring had always been in my possession—and it wasn’t like I didn’t trust Elle. I trusted her with my life.
“Ah…” I fingered the ring, squeezing her hand before letting go. I could trust her with it. She wouldn’t lose it.
I fumbled to remove it from my finger, holding it out towards him. “Here—I cant keep it if you never wanted to give it.” Already, I missed the feeling of the cool metal settling into the groove st the base of my finger. It was the only item I had that was his..
I took her hand, slipping the ring back in her finger and giving her hand a soft kiss.
“It’s true that I never meant to give it to anyone,” I said softly, pulling her close to me. “But if it’s you, I don’t mind. I trust you with it.”
My heart did a tiny cartwheel inside my chest. “Thank you..” It night have been a bit big, but to me, the ring was perfect. Not only could I feel my bondmate’s presence every time I touched it, but it was a gift from Colton. The man I was falling in love with. “Why do you have it? Who gave it to you, I mean?”
"You probably know her," I replied softly, sighing. "Scarlet. The woman from Court who wanted to bond, but she was executed before she could."
Oh.
I fell silent for a minute or two, my inner turmoil suddenly present on my face.
“Ironic, isn’t it, that I’m wearing it now?” I spoke finally, swallowing hard.
"You're not going to be executed," I said to her strongly. "It was her dream for it to be worn by a woman who successfully bonded. She used to tell me that often. She didn't care if it was her–if she could pave way for girls like you, it was enough for her."
And look where it landed her.
I only nodded, still staring down at the ring. “Scarlet—were you close with her?”
I kissed her on the back of her neck.
"I guess," I murmured. "I was a child back then. I thought highly of her."
I shut my eyes for a second, battling back fears and memories alike.
“My parents didn’t want me to know…” My fist closed tightly over the ring. “I was five or six. All I could talk about were bondmate’s…. and then Scarlet was killed. I.. I never understood… why…”
I pulled her on top of me, laying on my back as I reached up to gently caress her cheek.
"I'm here with you," I said to her softly. "I'll protect you. Nothing will ever happen to you or Scylla, not when I'm alive and breathing. And once everything is solved… we'll properly send off those women who sacrificed themselves to pave way for the rest."
I just hope Scylla and I aren’t a part of that group…
I lifted a hand to press his to my cheek, intertwining our fingers. “Thank you… It means a lot…” My lips found his knuckles, brushed over them. “How long until you’re King?”
I closed my eyes, her lips on my knuckles sending warmth through me.
“Until the current ruler dies,” I replied softly. “Or until he’s unfit to rule. Then the Court will move on to the next in line.”
I nodded in understanding of what he’d told me, letting my head fall flat against his chest. My eyes drifted shut as my free hand reached up, traced the bruises ringing my neck.
When she rested her head on my chest, I opened my eyes, reaching out to softly rub her head when I noticed her tracing the bruises on her neck. Guilt immediately punched me in the gut. I did this to her. If she hadn’t been with me, she wouldn’t have gotten hurt. That time in the armory… I shouldn’t have kissed her—should have pulled away. She was in so much danger just by being with me, and she wasn’t even realizing that.
”We’ll see how long your little bubble of happiness lasts, pet…”
“Would the healers be suspicious?” I spoke up, reliving the awful memory of familiar hands wrapping around my throat. “If I went to them. I can’t—I can’t exactly walk around with bruises on my throat.”
