Chapter 29 #2
“I came because Their Majesties asked me to deliver a message,” he said, his tone ever dutiful.
The words deflated something delicate within her. “Oh,” she said, unable to mask the disappointment seeping into her frown.
“They wish to honor you, Nin. For your service, your bravery… everything you’ve done for the crown. They’ve decided to grant you an honorary title—a ladyship in your own right.”
Nin blinked. “A… ladyship?” One hand found purchase over one of the upholstered chairs, tightening around the edge of the backing. “So… they wish to gift me with a gilded cage of my own?”
A flicker of hope burned behind his spectacles as he took a step closer. The span of the rug still divided the space between them. “It doesn’t have to be a cage.”
Her breath caught as she locked onto his unwavering regard filled with an emotion she dared not name.
“I know it’s not what you were hoping for,” he went on quietly, “but it’s not a ladyship in the traditional sense that you’ll be required to parade yourself at court or have any duties thrust upon you.”
She rubbed a thumb along the edge of the box, bracing herself from the anticipation climbing up her throat.
“It’s an honorary title,” he explained, “not of station, but of service. You are still free to live your life as you see fit.”
His eyes met hers, searching.
“It means,” he said, his voice wavering, “That you are protected. The court may not question your status, and you may choose whom you spend your time with freely.”
Nin’s mouth parted, the realization dawning on her like the first rays of brilliant light gracing the world with its splendor.
A crack appeared in his composure, small but unmistakable. “There would be no scrutiny, or judgment,” he said, his voice dipping tenderly as he closed the tentative space between them. “No whispers of impropriety. Only… choice.”
She stared at him, unable to speak. Her mind was scattered like wild birds in the wind until his words wrapped around her, offering a warm embrace.
“Choice?” she repeated, searching his face. The usual distance, commandeered by duty and protocol, was absent. Instead, she found only tenderness in his softening expression.
“And you?” she whispered. “Have you made yours?”
He took another impossible step closer—so near his heat washed over her. He reached for her free hand, a slight tremor in his own.
His thumb brushed over the back of her fingers with quiet reverence. “I have,” he said.
Nin swallowed thickly. A thrill prickled her skin at his touch. “And?” she asked, needing to hear the confirmation from the source. To have no misunderstandings between them.
A faint, almost-smile touched his lips. He reached into his pocket. Sunlight streamed through the curtains, illuminating the delicate gold chain and its small, shimmering teardrop pearl.
Nin’s heart fluttered.
“It’s an heirloom,” he said.
Her breath caught in her throat at the sincere, unspoken promise in his eyes. Smoothly, he stepped around her, sweeping the stray tendrils of hair from the back of her neck. Goosebumps prickled over her skin as he clasped the necklace.
“I would be honored to properly court you,” he said as he took her hands into his.
The hearth crackled low, embers sparking between them.
"If you would have me," he whispered.
Her surroundings dissolved into a blur as his intense gaze and the pressure of his hand became the only thing that mattered. A gentle heat warmed her chest.
This was it—the moment she had both longed for and believed impossible.
It was more perfect than she could have ever imagined.
There was no pressure to conform, no scrutiny, or a request to disguise her true self.
This was an offering in its purest form.
It was something she could return with her whole heart.
Nin set the box on an end table beside her. Her fingers brushed his wrist, trailing up the length of his sleeve until they settled over his chest. His heartbeat sped beneath her palm—strong, but patient.
“Yes,” she said softly. Her voice was steadier than her stuttering pulse. “Nothing would make me happier.”
Then she rose on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his.
He sucked in a stuttering breath. For a brief moment, the kiss was a soft and deliberate touch. Then it deepened with an urgency that left them both breathless. Metal and glass bumped into her nose. He parted only long enough to whip the spectacles from his face and set them atop the box.
He dove in once more to claim her mouth.
His hands slid over her waist, pulling her closer as if to seal off the distance forever.
Cupping his face, she poured every yearning she had held back into him—every moment she had fallen deeper in love.
His mouth was warm and insistent. His careful control slipped as his fingers climbed up her back.
When they broke apart, he leaned his forehead against hers, his breath ragged. A smile, bright and true, broke on his lips, utterly transforming him.
“To be clear,” he said, pressing a chaste kiss to her temple. “I have imagined this moment with you for far longer than I’d care to admit.”
Nin laughed. “Really? With how disciplined you are?”
“Truly,” he said, tilting her chin. “You are my undoing.”
Nin’s cheeks flushed, warm like her lips swollen from their kiss. Her eyes darted away, landing on the blue box beside the haphazardly placed spectacles.
“You may open it now if you’d like,” Cedric said, reaching around her to place it in her hands.
The ribbon unfurled with a smooth pull. A slow smile bloomed on her face when she lifted the lid. Inside, nestled like soft gems, lay an array of colorful confections: blush pink, lavender, blue, yellow, and spring green.
Macarons.
Nin glanced up, her grin stretching to her cheeks. “For me?” she asked, pressing the box to her chest.
“All for you,” he said.
Nin picked up a pink macaron from the box, turning it over in delight. Then, she extended the box in his direction. “Share one with me.”
“No, no,” he said gently. “These are for you.”
“I know, but I imagine they would taste even better if I shared them with someone I love.”
His eyes widened, their dark hues flickering with emotion, before his expression eased with a smile of his own.
Reaching into the box, he chose a dark blue one, tapping the smooth shell against hers like a toast. “To sharing life’s sweetness,” he murmured. “I love you.”
A spark of thrill shot through her veins, her chest inflating with more joy than she thought she could ever contain.
“I love you too,” she whispered.
Taking a small bite, her breath hitched at the burst of strawberry flavor on her tongue—light, airy, and delicate. The shell provided a pleasant crispness with a hint of chewiness, while the cream melted in her mouth, soft and buttery. She turned to Cedric, one hand hovering over her lips.
“This is…” she started.
“Good?” he supplied hopefully.
“Better than I could dream of,” she sighed happily, taking another bite.
He laughed, warm and unrestrained as he slipped one arm around her waist to pull her against his side. Nin leaned into him, relishing each macaron and humming contentedly as they shared the moment with the flickering firelight.
When Cedric pressed a kiss into her hair, she knew with absolute certainty that she had finally found a life without illusion or deceit—only a sweetness meant to be savored.