Forty-Four - Isabel
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I woke upwrapped in Felix’s arms, sore in new places, languid with remembered pleasure. I was still soaring on the knowledge that Felix loved me, but the morning light slowly brought me back down to earth. I was happy, but three little words didn’t make the world fall into place, no matter how deeply he branded them into my skin.
What came next?
I shifted, and Felix’s arms tightened around me.
This was a moment out of time. There was still a future to plan. A well-meaning but misguided constable to deal with. Opportunities to consider and weigh in the balance.
“Why are you so tense?” Felix mumbled against my back.
“You can’t stay in Leort.”
He levered himself up so he could look down at me. One eyebrow quirked. “Are you banishing me from the town?”
“The Contract of Inheritance,” I explained, twisting so I faced him. “You can’t be away from the node for long.”
He nodded. “I’ll have to return tomorrow afternoon at the latest.”
“How does this work, then?”
“You don’t want to come back with me?”
I did. I wanted to so much it scared me. “And do what? You no longer need a truth-mage at Rose Castle.”
He kissed my nose. “But I certainly want this one.”
I pushed back and pulled the blanket up, tucking it under my arms. “Be serious for a moment. I can’t just up and move into the castle for no reason except that I’m warming your bed. Frederic will have the entire town up in arms.” I licked my lips. “And I need something more, too. I need a purpose.”
“I refuse to let gossip control our lives. If you don’t want to live at Truthhold, that is one thing, but don’t make us both miserable because of the risk of rumors.” He stood up and moved around the bed, searching for his clothes. “You need to decide what you want.”
I jumped after him. “I want you. If it was just the gossip, I’d ride off to the castle and ignore Frederic’s complaints. But my life can’t just be you. We’ll both end up miserable that way.”
He had only donned his trousers so far, but he stopped looking for clothes and cupped my cheek. “What else do you want? I want you to be happy, Isa, so tell me what you need.”
“Princess Charmina told me to come see her if I wanted a job in the capital,” I said in a rush.
His eyes narrowed. “Did she? And do you want to move to Haiwella?”
I shook my head. “But what else will I do? Chief Nassan wants to meet with me, so I might still have a job with the constables, but I don’t want it. Not anymore. Even if there was an opportunity for me here, Leort is still hours from Rose Castle.”
“What if there was an opportunity at Rose Castle? A position answering to the royal family, approving contracts before they can be witnessed and bound by the node?”
“Such a position doesn’t exist. The node will only enforce contracts that are already legal. There is no oversight beyond that.”
“Not yet. But Her Highness was distressed to learn how easy it is to skirt legalities while still adhering to the law. If she has her way, there will be stricter rules governing what contracts I can witness in the future. She’s already approved you for the post, if it becomes real.”
“If it becomes real. Which could take years.”
“You met Her Highness. Do you really think she’ll let this drag out that long?”
I shook my head.
“Exactly. But even if it takes time, there is no reason you can’t start doing the same task without the crown’s backing. I’d mediate negotiations, and you’d make sure each party actually gets what they agreed to.”
“You’re offering me a job.”
“I am. The paperwork is already drawn up, should you accept.”
My head spun. “When—?”
“It might have taken me a few days to ride down to Leort, but messengers and secretaries have been making multiple trips every day since the princess’s visit. We are already shifting operations back to the castle. Well, most of them. Some people decided that they preferred working in town, so we will continue to have an office here.” He pressed his lips together for a moment. “You could work from here, too. If you wanted to.”
I rolled my eyes. I didn’t care about staying Leort. I’d still have to deal with Frederic, but that was a minor obstacle. Did Felix truly believe I’d choose to live apart from him, now that he had given me an opportunity at Truthhold? I released my grip on the blanket that was all that covered me, loving the way his eyes drank me in. “Why would I want to stay here, when I could live and work in an enchanted castle?”
Felix shoved his trousers back down his legs. “Is the magic all you are interested in?”
I took a step back. “The food is pretty good, too. Though I suppose that is because of the magic.”
“The food,” he drawled, following me. “Anything else?”
“The clocks. I thought they were a bit much at first, but I must admit it was convenient to always know the time.”
“Isa.”
“What else? Oh, right. There’s also a very contrary, sarcastic duke I’ve grown rather fond of. Especially now that he can’t get away with lying to me.”
Felix toppled me onto the bed, his hands knowing exactly what to do to drive me wild. “I think,” he said between kisses, “that I need to give you a few more reasons.”