Chapter 28 – Kian
Chapter Twenty-Eight
KIAN
My wife is a vision. I almost need to pause to catch my breath as I take in the goddess before me.
Her hair is artfully piled atop her head and glittering with gemstones.
Soft curls frame her face, and I wonder how she’d respond if I tugged on one.
Raelyn looks bridal in a dress the softest of pinks, it almost looks white, and it drapes her body in the most delicious of ways.
Her unblemished shoulders and back are on display, and I wonder if her skin is as soft as it looks.
I clear my throat, gripping the back of a chair in our sitting room. “You look lovely.”
Her cheeks, already tinged a pretty shade of pink, deepen at my words, which pleases me. I love that I can get reactions out of her. I let go of the chair and take her proffered hand, sweeping it up to my lips.
“Thank you, Kian. You don’t look so bad yourself.”
“This old thing?” I scoff. “No one will be looking at me when they have you to feast their eyes upon.”
She shrinks in a little, her shoulders curling. Did I say the wrong thing?
“I don’t much enjoy being the center of attention, to be honest,” she mumbles, her eyes downcast.
I take a step closer and tip her chin so she looks in my eyes. “I’m so sorry if this is uncomfortable for you, but trust that you’re not alone—I’m with you. You are beautiful. Don’t be afraid to own it.”
She gives me a quick bob of the head and purses her lips in determination.
We proceed to one of the grand dining halls in companionable silence, and the room goes quiet as we enter. Rumors have already spread about our elopement, and from the looks of it, nearly every courtier in the kingdom had begged for an invitation to tonight’s dinner.
Raelyn is stiff beside me, her nerves radiating off her in waves.
I lean in and brush my lips on her neck and whisper, “Relax, love. I’m with you.
” I press a kiss to her pulse point, and tiny goosebumps pepper her skin from my touch.
“Try to play along,” I whisper in her ear before placing another kiss on the side of her head.
“Their Royal Highnesses, Prince Kian and Princess Raelyn D’Amaris of Rakveren,” the herald announces before we move to take our seats near the king.
I’m happy to see that Colin actually left for the country estate, as the last thing I need are his judgmental stares.
He’s probably spitting mad that I ruined his plans for me and Princess Helene.
“Am I actually a princess now?” Raelyn asks under her breath.
“You’re married to me, aren’t you?” I tease.
She elbows me lightly, and I smile as she lightens up just a little.
“All rise for His Majesty, King Silenius D’Amaris of Rakveren,” the herald announces, and we stand, heads bowed in deference as the king marches into the room in all his finery.
“You may be seated,” the king says with a wave of his hand. “Thank you for joining us this evening for the celebration of our new princess.”
Conversations resume and murmurs fill the air as all eyes are on us.
“Thank you, Father, for being so gracious.”
“Don’t mention it,” the king replies. “How are you liking the palace, Princess?”
“It’s so lovely,” she replies, and I squeeze her hand under the table.
“You two must be quite taken with each other to have rushed into sacred marriage bonds so quickly,” the king says.
Raelyn looks at me instead of Father, and I smile as she says, “What can I say? Kian swept me off my feet.”
I’m tempted to kiss her right here and now, but while we want people to think we’re in love, Father wouldn’t stand for such a public display.
Perhaps I only want to kiss her because I won’t be able to in private, but after that brief kiss we shared during our binding, I can’t help but ache for more.
“I’m sure there is plenty of disappointment among the court ladies that you’re no longer available, Kian,” the king says.
“They’ll manage just fine, Father,” I reply, trying to keep my ire at bay. Did he really need to say that in front of my wife?
“Let’s eat,” the king commands.
Raelyn is stiff as a board again, and I lean in to whisper in her ear, “The hard part is over, I promise.”
She turns to face me, and we’re so close, our noses graze.
Gods, I really want to close the distance and kiss her.
“Sorry.” Her breath ghosts over my lips.
“You have nothing to be sorry for, love. You’re perfect,” I whisper before I pull away to stop myself from doing something I’ll regret . . . not that I could ever regret kissing her.
She scrunches her nose in an adorable way, and I’m about to speak again when—
“Well, aren’t you two the most adorable couple ever. It’s almost sickening.”
Raelyn freezes, and I turn to look behind us. Great.
“What are you doing here?” Raelyn asks her sister Erika.
“Oh, just wanted to pay my respects to the happily bound couple,” she says with fake niceness.
“Well, you’ve done it. Move along now,” I say dryly, turning back to my plate.
She sputters in disbelief before gritting out, “He’s a delight. Congratulations.” The rustle of her skirts announces her departure, and I blow out a breath.
Good riddance.
I slide my hand across Rae’s bare shoulders, enjoying how her skin pebbles beneath my touch. “Please tell me Chessa isn’t here as well.”
“Gods, I hope not. But that dismissal was incredible,” she breathes, her lips curving into a smile.
“Anything to put a smile on your face, love.”
She blushes, but her body has finally relaxed. If only I didn’t need my hands to eat, I’d find every excuse to keep touching her.
To my relief, the dinner moves forward without complication or other unwanted guests.
Course after course is brought out, and Raelyn grows more at ease as the dinner progresses.
The courtiers have asked her a few questions here and there, but overall, they are focused entirely on their own conquests and achievements.
I can’t wait for the dinner to be over; if I hear one more lord brag about his lands, I will shove some land back at him.
It always infuriates me how no one seems concerned about the lack of food being produced.
As long as their bellies are full, they couldn’t care less about the rest of our people—many who suffer because the lords continue to take more than their fair share.
If it weren’t for the Shadow, our people would be in much worse shape.
Father should be thanking him instead of putting a bounty on him.
The king is creating the perfect circumstances for an uprising with his lack of action.
Any time I bring up trying to seek out the lost sun god in hopes he’ll save our land, Father claims I’m acting foolishly and that it’s a complete waste of time. “If the god wished to be found, he would be.”
I can’t quite put my finger on it, but I know in my heart he’s wrong. Something is wrong. Us sitting around doing nothing is not going to save us. And what happens when the land stops producing completely? No. I can’t allow that to happen.
After dropping Raelyn off in our wing, I head back to the alchemist’s chambers. I would have brought Rae, but she looked dead on her feet despite our long nap earlier today.
“Your Highness, I have the information you requested,” the palace’s primary alchemist, Hennig, says.
I prop my elbows on the high counter, intrigued to find out what he discovered.
The room has an odd medicinal smell that is not completely unpleasant, but it isn’t somewhere I’d want to spend all of my time.
The multitude of colored glass bottles and containers lining the shelves behind him refract light into the space, giving it an almost ethereal glow.
Hells, I’d get way too distracted working in here.
“What have you got, Hennig?”
“It’s the strangest thing,” he says, scratching his chin as he holds the small vial up to the light. “The ingredients aren’t altogether uncommon, but they surely aren’t for any ailment I’ve ever heard of.”
“What do you mean?” My interest is highly piqued, and concern for Rae filters in.
“The ingredients are typically used to suppress and weaken.”
My eyebrows fly up. “Suppress what, exactly?”
Hennig shakes his head. “I’m honestly not one hundred percent sure. One of the ingredients is what I’d use to help an alcoholic manage cravings, but it’s hard for me to imagine a young girl dealing with that issue. Have you noticed anything strange about her?”
I’m completely baffled. Is Rae withholding some deep secret from me? Or is this her father’s doing? She seemed uncertain of what exactly the tonic did as well.
“I’m honestly not sure how to answer that, Hennig.”
He frowns. “Well, if she insists on continuing to take this tonic, I have reverse engineered it and can provide it for her. However, I am not so certain it’s helping as much as it’s harming.
Though I’m concerned that, if she’s been taking it for years, it could be dangerous for her to stop without weaning off it. ”
“My guess is that she will want to come speak with you herself,” I muse. “I’ll bring her the information and let her decide how she wants to proceed.”
Hennig raises a brow. “How magnanimous of you, sire. I can’t imagine the king would have done the same for your mother. He was most controlling.”
“Tell me about it.” I sigh. “My gut is telling me she needs to wean off this shit, but I think she should be allowed to decide for herself.”
“Very good, sire.”
He hands me back the vial before making a careful note in his ledger.
“I’m available for Princess Raelyn any time she’d like to speak, but for now, if she decides to wean herself off, I would recommend taking half of a dose today and half tomorrow and then continue to decrease the amounts.
I can prepare more and have it delivered to you. ”
“Thank you so much.”
When I get to my wing, an unfamiliar blonde maid is leaving the bedroom.
“Are you Sera?” I ask.
She dips into a curtsy and nods. “Thank you so much for the employment, Your Highness.”
When she lifts her head and meets my gaze, I’m taken aback by the intense violet hue of her eyes; they’re almost otherworldly.
“I’d do anything for Rae.” I smile.
“I’m very happy for her, Your Highness.” She straightens and appears to take an interest in what I’m holding. “Is that my lady’s tonic?”
“Yes, it is. I need to speak with her. Is she awake?”
Sera shakes her head. “I’m sorry, Your Highness. She passed out pretty quickly upon her return. Would you like me to hold on to that for you?” She shifts on her feet, no longer meeting my gaze. “I can give it to her in the morning.”
I purse my lips. Hennig said she might want to take some tonight, but I hate to wake her. “Thank you, Sera, but I’ve got it. I won’t disturb her until the morning, and I will give it to her then.”
“If you’re certain. It’s no trouble,” she says.
“I’m certain. Thank you.”
“Yes, Your Highness.” She scurries off, and I lean against the door and sigh.
Something about Sera’s response to the tonic gives me pause .
. . Does she know something? I can’t quite put my finger on it, but things are not adding up—from the tonic, the gold flecks in Rae’s eyes, the almost shimmering quality of her blood, the unnaturally quick healing of her cracked fingers .
. . Hells. There’s no way . . . She can’t be, can she?
Pocketing the tonic, I make my way toward Alex’s rooms. Rae didn’t seem too keen on sharing a bed, and I really don’t want to make her uncomfortable. Gods willing he’s back. Though with each step away from my sleeping wife, my heart aches and my mind whirs with possibilities.