26. Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Six
Sure, I was biased about Crysia being my favorite kingdom. It was my home.
But the way the arts were weaved into every aspect of Crystoria always made me question that bias. Crystoria was a kingdom that valued innovation, the arts, mixing science with magic.
Melodies from fiddles, drums, guitars, and other instruments filled the air, reaching my palace balcony. I watched the festival at the lake behind the palace with a hot cup of tea and a smile.
Whether my mother realized it or not, I needed this getaway.
Sure, she kept me busy shadowing my father’s sister, the queen of Crystoria and her wife the last two days. But I learned so much.
Queen Desiniri and Queen Taraden bickered, held hands, and kissed while making plans for the kingdom, talking to their people, and holding court. They were mates and ruled as such. They never tried to take over the other’s position, speak for them, or dim themselves for each other.
Was this what ruling with a partner, a mate could be like?
Rune mostly stood as a guard nearby. Always watching, ready to protect. My mother’s lips lifted when she’d notice him there, his attention drifting to me, then the surroundings.
Aunt Desiniri tried a few times to get a rise out of him. I may have even helped because his narrowed eyes said there’d be punishment. I’d smile at him because I’d probably like it.
A melodic laugh hit my ears, and I saw my mother sitting at a picnic table with the other queens, wine glasses in their hands. She looked so happy. So free.
A knock came from the door. I already knew who it was. It’s taken some practice, but with Rune’s power, I’ve been able to hear steps on the ground, and guess who they belong to.
Rune walked quietly, except in his werewolf form. Each boot on the ground was soft, quick. Probably made him an excellent warrior. You’d never hear him coming.
“Why are you not at the festival with the others?” he asked, head tilted in question.
“I was earlier.”
Not that I needed to tell him that. He saw me dance with Nyx, talk to artisans, get hit on, and intervened before I pulled him to dance to one song. Just one teeny tiny song that required little touching.
Rune sat on the loveseat with me and refilled my empty teacup.
“Thank you.”
It was nice up here. Peaceful.
The music wasn’t as loud and the eyes of others weren’t on me. In the past month, my life felt like an endless party. I was rarely alone, and I missed having a moment to be myself without other’s judgements, expectations, and perceptions of me.
Rune must have understood that because he sat quietly beside me while we watched the festival together for an hour.
Resting my head against his shoulder, I breathed in Crystoria’s apple scented air with his sandalwood and waterfall. He smelled like home.
“I like this.”
His arm wrapped around me, pulling me closer, with his chin on top of my head. “I never wanted a mate, but this, with you. I’m still not sure.”
I poked him in the ribs, and he laughed.
“Yes, being mated to a grump such as you, the Heart Tree must have wanted to punish me for life,” I grumbled but pressed myself further against him.
“I fear your snores are my punishment,” he said playfully. “I hear them rattle the palace from the woods at night.”
“What a little liar.” I poked him again and this time he grabbed my hand. My prince is ticklish.
“I never lie.”
“Uh huh, sure.” Everybody lies. Tor’s power showed me that more than I ever knew.
Even my aunts lied earlier when they claimed they didn’t know where my mother snuck off to during a meeting. Probably had something to do with my father. I saw her dart into a room alongside a brown-skinned man with a shimmering black crown on his head.
Looks like my father used our advisor’s portal magic for some intimacy with the queen. Gross.
“I will never lie to you, Sapphira. Perhaps a jest here and there but never lie.” He lifted my head to look at him. My hands warmed. He wasn’t lying now.
“You do snore after a stressful day, and I can hear it, but that is because I have werewolf hearing.”
I rolled my eyes.
“I never wanted a mate,” he continued, “because they’d be another person to see me as cursed, to hate me.” His low voice and stoic face did me in.
I climbed over him, straddling his waist, and cradled his face between my hands.
“You are not cursed, and I far from hate you. You are grumpy, and I am a ray of beautiful sunshine.” He smiled at my words. “Together we are—”
He silenced me with a kiss.
“Eternal.” His husky voice travelled over my tongue, down my throat, and settled inside my chest.
“I was gonna say opposites, but that works too.” I smirked against him as I teased.
And with complete ease, he lifted me off his lap to settle me back to his side, an arm around my shoulders.
Right, kissing, being too close could lead to us losing control.
Rune did not lose control easily. A line I would flirt with a month from now.
“Tell me something I don’t know,” he muttered, his icy blue eyes on the electric festival below. It was easy to watch him, to follow the three scars on his face to his pink lips, sharp jawline, and back up to his pointed ears, and dark messy hair.
He was so fucking handsome.
“My favorite time of day is—”
“Nighttime”
“Right,” I said. “Um, my favorite color is—”
“Blue.”
Right again. I eyed him. “Is there anything you haven’t learned with your mate stalker skills?”
“The sounds you make as you come while I’m inside you.”
The blood beneath my skin burned, and my eyes widened.
He faced me then, gaze locked on mine, those pink lips lifting.
“I already know what moans leave your lips when you think of me by yourself. I heard them that night after our time in the training arena.”
My jaw dropped.
“We’re supposed to be playing nice while I’m engaged to your brother, remember?” I pointed a finger at his pleased expression.
“Were you playing nice when you answered the door in your fancy lingerie this morning?”
No. I wasn’t.
Rune had growled, then walked away without a word.
“I was hot. You know this heat is not like ours back home. I couldn’t simply open the door naked.”
“Perhaps this is the Heart Tree’s punishment, my true curse.”
“What? Being tethered to me for all eternity?” I placed my hand over his chest, and he covered it with his. A steady, and thunderous heartbeat. Fluttering butterflies took space in my belly. Rune looked at me, long black lashes lowered from his gaze locking on my lips and then my hazel eyes.
His lips opened to speak. I leaned in.
Boom.
Fireworks shot into the sky and I jumped. Rune laughed, and I spent the next hour finding ways to tickle and make him smile until he left for his room.