Chapter 21 #2
Richard brushed his nose against mine. “If you stayed married to me, you could keep my dad. He gives really excellent chicken feather hugs. And he makes a really nice chicken noodle soup when you’re pretending to be sick because you’re depressed.
That sounds like cannibalism, but what’s a little chicken between family?
” He frowned. “Speaking of chickens, Miracle will turn you into a diva if you let her. Your singing has a lot of potential, and there’s nothing she hates worse than untapped musical potential.
I don’t suppose you’d like an unhinged musician as a sister.
She always wanted a sweet, adorable, sun-born vampire sister.
No, she just wanted someone interested in music, and since you put that interest directly after baking, you’ll pass.
” He frowned. “It’s hard to sell Miracle.
You either love her, or you don’t, and I realize that as a set, we’re a bit much.
” He sighed heavily. “No, I don’t suppose my family would convince you to stay married to me. ”
I stared down at our hands, my heart beating faster and faster in my chest. “I’ve always wanted a sister, and I like unhinged musicians better than divas.”
His eyes glowed as he brushed his thumb over my cheek and murmured, “If you find the idea of living amongst the angels untenable, we could have the cutest cottage pastel-princess-and-pet-baking platform. War as a purpose is distinctly hollow. You see, I’ve found a new purpose in you.”
I stared down at our hands tangled together and my heart beat faster and faster, his golden skin mottled with scars, my hand much less marked by war and violence.
He was going to be a commander. That would be a much safer position, much less likely to lead to decapitations than his current ‘fight in every battle however impossible it is to win’ attitude. Three beheadings? I couldn’t even…
I swallowed hard while the silence grew heavy and thick between us. Could I accept a life with him? He was such a public figure, and I wanted…What did I want? He was offering me everything and asking for nothing in return. Except that I stay married to him, that I not reject him.
My words came out slow and hesitant as I looked up at him shyly through my lashes.
“I don’t think being a pastel princess is a very worthy purpose.
I’d like to try that ambassador thing you were talking about.
I mean, if you’re representing angels, you need someone to make sure you don’t start a war by doing something… rash.”
He studied me, still, intent until he raised a brow, lips quirking, lightness above the dead serious.
“Rash? You’ve elevated me from idiotic to rash?
How diplomatic of you. We could do both.
We could have a cottage with our adorable pets and also do state dinners and balls and so on.
In fact, there’s a little cottage in the woods behind my father’s house.
It’s currently full of pans, but I could build a shed for them. And your dresses. Probably my weapons.”
“And my notebooks. I’ll need to keep up my studies.” I looked down at our hands again, terrified of being seen, of wanting so much that I didn’t deserve.
“No! Don’t tell me that I’ll come home to my wife with gouged out eyeballs from translating ancient texts. Although you’d likely look adorable with gouged out eyeballs.”
I held my breath while those words, ‘come home to my wife,’ pounded in my brain.
I finally raised my eyes to his, and saw in that gaze the same terrified uncertainty I felt, wanting so much of what he didn’t think he deserved, but asking for it anyway.
He was so brave to ask for what he wanted. Maybe I could be brave too.
“Okay,” I whispered, heart beating faster, and faster, wanting to take off and fly away.
He leaned closer, hope and terror growing in his eyes. “Okay?”
I nodded. “Okay. I’ll stay married to you and live in a little cottage behind your father’s house. On one condition.”
“Did I say it was little? It’s not. Right. What’s the condition? It doesn’t matter. It’s done.” He looked at me with so much intent, so much longing. “I will try my best to be less stupid.”
I grinned at him and shook my head. “That’s not my condition.”
“No? What is the condition?” He frowned intently, all of his energy and attention on me. He was made of so much energy. Our children would be absolute terrors. Children? Really?
My heart glowed and warmed in my chest as I smiled slowly. “The condition is that you love me forever.”
He closed his eyes, looking like a sleeping angel, or like someone had given him an instantaneous death. “Why would you want me to love you forever, Princess?”
I swallowed hard and then whispered against his ear, “Because I love you.”
For a moment time stopped as we both stopped breathing.
Then he shifted, dropping to the floor at my feet while he gazed up at me, his wings outstretched while he clasped my hands.
“You love me? Even though I’m an idiot, and I lied, and bound you without your consent, and got you married without your knowledge? ”
I hesitated then nodded. I really, really, really did. I loved him so much from his ego to his outstretched arm in the tub. And now I was blushing. “Yes, I love you.”
He nodded soberly. “Perfect. You’re as mental as the rest of us. You’ll fit right in.” He picked me up, threw me over his shoulder like a barbarian, and carried me away.
“Where are you taking me?” I asked, breathlessly clinging to his shoulders.
“Bed. I’m about to pass out, and it should be somewhere I can comfortably regenerate all the blood you stole while you stare at me like a stalker.
Or maybe that’s you that needs to be comfortable.
Definitely you. And then when I wake up, we’ll start on our happily ever after.
I’ll bake so many marvelous things for you.
And kissing. Do you think it would help you forget what a bad idea it is to accept our marriage if I kiss you fairly often?
” He set me carefully down on the bed and then collapsed beside me, almost boneless.
I really had taken a lot of his blood. Funny that it took so long to catch up to him.
I curled up around him, resting my head on his chest in the perfect hollow between his shoulder and his pectoral. “I should probably tell you that I saw you in your tub. It was a bit stalkerish of me, but I promise I wouldn’t have been there if it weren’t for the goblin assassins.”
He opened his eyes and frowned at me. “You saved me from goblin assassins? Did you eat the bodies?”
I blinked at him. He said it with absolutely zero condemnation. I shook my head. “I burned them with heavenly fire.”
He nodded. “Next time, you should eat them. It’ll make you stronger.
One thing my wife will need to be is strong.
That is, if you’ll have me. To be perfectly honest, I’ve scrolled on your account more than is entirely healthy.
Seeing you gives me peace. Knowing you’re somewhere in the world, being a bright beacon for happiness and adorableness makes me happy.
I love you so incredibly much. I can’t believe it took me so long to realize it.
My father must have known. Everyone must have known. Except for me.”
“Well, you are…”
“An idiot,” we said together, then burst out laughing.
He nuzzled my hair. “I truly am compared to my brilliant wife. That’s the amazing thing about you, however educated, talented, and powerful you are, you have this eternal air of humility and kindness. I hope you rub off on me. I need more virtue if I’m going to live up to my father’s legacy.”
“You don’t need to live up to anyone else. You’ll build your own legacy. You’re good enough without trying to be someone else.”
He bit my shoulder. The shock was like sweet lightning and honey. I growled and pinned him, but he only smiled with his eyes shut. “Passing out soon. I love you. Forever.”
“Forever is a long time.”
“Not long enough.”
His arms tightened around me. Together we would build our own world. Something beautiful, magic, and full of love that would last forever.
And while he was unconscious I was going to give him a rune he’d never see coming. Marriage was all about equality.