Chapter 16
Sixteen
Shaye
Walking into the Harland House is like breathing fresh air again. Oh, how I've missed this place.
With the colder temperatures here to stay, the interior of the row house has managed to become cozier.
The fireplace is lit. The cushions on the chairs are puffed up and totally sinkable.
There are fresh flowers on the dining room table – which will probably be the last bouquet until spring – and plates are set for dinner.
As if on cue, Finn and Eris bound through the kitchen door and their conversation is silenced when they see Atlas and I hanging our coats and placing our house keys on our hooks.
Eris beams at me. She plops the bundle of linen napkins she's carrying onto the table and beelines for me, wrapping me in the warmest hug. Although, we've only been apart a few days, her familiar scent of vanilla floods me and that's when it hits me. I'm home.
"We heard the dragons fly in!" she squeals. "What took you so long to get here?"
"Here as in Tronovia or – "
"The Harland House," she clears that up.
"We had a meeting with King Soren," I grimace and toss a look over my shoulder at Atlas. "We came up with a plan to get the other leaders to Tronovia in the next few weeks."
Finn squints. "And what plan would that be?"
The front door whips open with a tremendous thud. Nyx and a fuming Ronan march inside.
"Thanks a lot for the help back there," Ronan growls in Atlas' direction.
Atlas rolls his eyes and leans against the wall. "You're welcome."
"No, seriously," Ronan persists, storming toward us. "You couldn't have put up a little bit of a fight for me? Maybe pretend you cared about what happens to me."
"That's not fair, Rone," Nyx flips his keys around his palm, coming to Atlas' defense. "There's nothing Atlas or Shaye could have said to change your father's mind."
"Well, at least Shaye tried." Ronan's vicious tone is hard to miss.
"What's going on?" Eris asks, eyes darting from person to person. "What happened?"
"Apparently," Ronan prowls around the room like a caged animal, "The only way for kings and queens of our realm to be tempted to travel to Tronovia is by inviting them to attend a royal wedding."
"A royal wedding?" Finn's eyes widen. "But that would mean – "
Ronan points a finger at him and lets loose a maniacal laugh. "That's right, Finn, a royal wedding. My wedding. Do I have a bride? No, but why let that impede my father's plans. Or Thrane's for that matter. He was valiantly leading the charge for my nuptials."
"So, is this just a rouse?" Eris asks, quietly as to not further anger the irate prince. "Since there's no bride, certainly there's not going to be a real wedding."
"One would think, Eris, but alas, this has just fueled my father's quest to marry me off to produce heirs." Ronan plops down in one of the dining room chairs and covers his face. "This is not how it was supposed to go. I was promised a year."
I tentatively kneel in front of him. I slide my hands over his and pull them down so he can meet my gaze.
"I was promised a year," he whispers, broken. "This isn't fair."
"It's not," I agree. "It's not fair. I'm sorry your father is forcing his hand and there's nothing we can do to delay him further. But maybe we can help you find someone. Someone you can grow to love."
"It's not the end of the world," Nyx slaps a hand down on Ronan's shoulder. "It's just marriage." His attempt to encourage his cousin falls dreadfully short.
Ronan rolls his eyes. "Perhaps you should leave the comforting speeches to Shaye."
Nyx throws his hands up and glances around. "What'd I say? I was being nice for fucks sake."
"Marriage was going to come sooner or later, "Atlas interjects, refusing to coddle Ronan or humor Nyx. "You're the heir to the Tronovian throne. Your father wasn't going to permit you to live into your thirties as a bachelor."
"I'm not close to thirty, Atlas," the prince barks. "Why do I even care? It's not like I have to spend more time with the woman than necessary. We will marry and have a child. Then I can go about living life as I please. "
"You can't keep going to Prue's once you're married if that's what you're thinking," Finn shakes his head. "Uncle Soren will expect more of you."
"Or your wife will put up quite the fight," Nyx adds, which shoves Ronan over the edge.
"Fuck! This just keeps getting worse." Ronan shoots up and heads for the door.
"Where are you going?" I shout after him.
"To Prue's," he hisses. "Before I'm not allowed to anymore."
Ronan throws the door open and stomps out into the cold. Nyx lifts a hand when I open my mouth to call after him. "I'll watch over him. Talk some sense into him."
Without another word, Nyx grabs his coat and chases after Ronan, slamming the door behind him.
"Well, that went… not well." I claim the seat Ronan abandoned.
Atlas stands from his relaxed position. "Ronan is spoiled. He's known for years he would need to take a wife, and his father has been more than generous with him taking his time."
"But he was promised a year." I remind him.
"Yes," Atlas agrees. "But Ronan is a fool if he really believed his father would give him that full year. Such is the way of kings and rulers." I flash him a dirty look and he puts his hands up in surrender. "I didn't say I agreed with it. I just understand how these political games are played."
The room goes quiet. I can't argue against what Atlas is saying.
I myself was in an arranged marriage so I know what duty to my kingdom means.
Had the Harlands not kidnapped me, I would be married to a monster, and Stars knows how long it would have taken before I learned the truth. If I ever learned the truth.
But I have a soft spot for Ronan. He's young and has so much weight on his shoulders.
I understand why he frequents Prue's and spends most of his free time with his cousins.
He didn't ask to be the next king but at the end of the day, he will be and he'll have to act accordingly. Unfortunately for him, the time is now.
"Well, dinner won't be ready for another hour," Eris breaks the silence. "So, if you want to rest or unpack before then…"
I smile and nod. "I could definitely use some time to relax."
Finn sniffs the air. "Did we leave the rolls in the oven?"
"Oh, shoot!" Eris cries out and darts into the kitchen. "They're all right!" she yells.
Finn bobs his head at me and Atlas before following Eris into the kitchen.
Atlas motions toward the staircase. "Care to rest upstairs?"
All the sadness I carry for Ronan suddenly dissipates and heat radiates through my entire body.
"That sounds nice." I smile and make my way up the stairs.
Up, up, up, to the third floor where my room is. I'm practically sprinting to reach for my bedroom door but suddenly, Atlas catches my hand and tugs me back toward the staircase. "Come with me."
I don't argue because if he's leading me to his room for some much-needed alone time, I'm all in. Well, once I shower first. Then I'm all in.
We traipse up the wooden staircase one more level and sure enough, he pulls me to his door. With a gentle nudge, he pushes me in front of him and presses his chest against my back. "Open it," he whispers.
I swallow hard, not sure why butterflies are fluttering in my belly, but I do what he instructs and open his bedroom door.
My mouth falls open when I see he's moved my things in here and sitting atop his mattress is a narrow-tufted box with the dagger Bastian gave me nestled inside. I whip around and he smiles down at me, although his typical swagger is waning.
"Figured you would want the dagger back," he says when I don't speak. "The decoy mission didn't run into any trouble, so they brought it back."
For some reason seeing the dagger leaves a sour taste in my mouth. I'd much rather toss the knife into one of the canals than holster it to my hip again. But then I hear Nyx's voice in the back of my mind reminding me it's Dwarven made and extremely valuable.
"Is something wrong?"
"No," I lie but then decide to be honest. "Actually, yes. I… I'm not sure I should keep this dagger anymore. Since it was a gift from Bastian and all."
He shrugs. "A weapon is a weapon."
"So, you think I should keep it?"
"It's Dwarven made." He looks at me like I'm crazy.
"You sound like Nyx," I huff.
"Keep the knife for now," he says. "But if it bothers you that much, I'll purchase you another one so you can replace it."
"You'd do that?"
"I think you should know by now that I would do anything for you, Shaye." His smile nearly brings me to my knees. It's then I remember it's not just the dagger he's brought to his room. All my belongings, the few I've acquired since I've been here, are all now in his bedroom.
"Wait." I spear into his room to confirm my clothes are hanging in his closet before I turn to search his eyes for answers. "You moved my stuff into your room?"
He scratches the back of his head, a boyish grin stretches across his face. "I told you in Elowen, I wanted you to move in with me." When I remain quiet, his smile fades, and he steps toward me. "If it's too soon or if you prefer your own space, I'll move everything back downstairs."
I slip my hand over his cheek. "Atlas," I chuckle and admit, "I've never shared a room with anyone before. Well," I shrug a shoulder, "minus sharing one with Eris on our journey to Tronovia." That seems like such a long time ago.
"I'm not sure if that means you want to stay with me or – "
"Stay," I interject before he can finish laying out other options. "I want to stay." I wrap my arms around his neck, and he instantly scoops me up to wrap my legs around his waist. "I think I might like having a roommate."
"Oh, Strenlys, roommates don't do what we're about to do." His eyes darken and flood with desire.
Expectation ignites within my lower belly. I crave him desperately, but I want a shower more. "I need to clean up first, my love."
"How convenient." He purrs, pressing a kiss to my neck. "There's a soaker tub big enough for two just down the hall."
My heart races in anticipation as he carries me to the bathroom.
"We don't have extra clothes," I remind him. "Or towels."
"For what we're about to do," his grip tightens around my ass, "we won't need them."