Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
As the crowd all but stampeded toward the doors, headed for the castle and its ballroom where a feast had been laid out and the dancing would soon begin, Benedict fought his way against the tide.
At last, he popped out near the cluster of Beatrice’s family. The newly appointed Assistant Head Librarian Basil had made his way back to his family, and he was speaking in a bewildered voice. “…still can’t believe it.”
“I’m so proud of you.” His wife, Meg, kissed his cheek.
Benedict cleared his throat before the kiss turned into anything more passionate.
Not that such passionate kisses were an odd sight here in the Fae Realm.
But he needed to get this over with as soon as possible.
As the group turned toward him, he met the gaze of the only one who mattered in that moment. “Beatrice?”
“Right.” Her shoulders slumped slightly. She gave a tight smile to her family. “Go ahead and join the celebration. It’s in Basil’s honor, after all. I won’t be long.” She hurried to Benedict’s side, as if she didn’t want to give her family time to protest. “Not here.”
He nodded and followed as she led the way deeper into the Library. He didn’t want an audience for this any more than she seemed to.
She wound through the shelves until, eventually, the two of them stepped behind a waterfall into a small reading nook. This one consisted of nothing more than a pond in the center and a small couch alongside it. A cozy place if one didn’t want to be disturbed by anyone else.
Stopping beside the pond, Beatrice turned to face him, her face a gray pallor as if she was ill. “Well, I guess this is it.”
“Yes.” Benedict swallowed and halted before her, only inches separating them. His breath constricted, his stomach in painful knots.
He couldn’t do this. There was no way he could look into those endless blue eyes and pledge his hatred for her.
She sucked in a breath, as if ready to begin right then and there.
He swayed forward, speaking before she had the chance. “What if we didn’t break it?”
“That would mean we’d be stuck forever.” Beatrice held up her hand, the golden swirl of the mate bond glinting in the low light. “And you were the one to protest we couldn’t be together.”
“That was when my family had just been revealed to be traitors and I thought I might get banished from the Court of Knowledge with them.” Benedict flexed his fingers at his side to keep himself from reaching for her.
“But truly, Beatrice, I love you with my whole heart. If that kiss didn’t convince you, then give me the chance to prove myself.
Name what you’d have me do, and I’d do it. ”
“Anything?” Beatrice tilted her head, a hint of a teasing gleam returning to her eyes. “What if it’s something ridiculous?”
“Anything.” He held her gaze, his tone lacking any of her teasing.
He needed her to know he was sincere. “If you ask, I would pledge my love in front of the entire Court. I would fetch you the rarest flower. I would…I would set off on a quest to kill Claudius if that is what you wished. He’d likely beat me in a duel, but for you, I’d try.
All I’d ask is to die heroically in your arms.”
“I’m not going to send you off to duel to the death.
” Beatrice rolled her eyes with a huff, her smile fading.
“What I really want is the one thing you can’t give me.
Time. I’m not ready to just leap into marriage yet.
I’m not like you fae who fall in love and get married in mere weeks without a thought. I know that is very human of me.”
“I am enamored with your very humanness.” Benedict cradled her face. “From your very human rounded ears to your very human perspective.”
That earned him a brilliant blush across her cheeks, though her gaze wouldn’t meet his.
“If you want a human courtship, then a human courtship you’ll have.” He traced his thumb over her blush-brightened cheek. “I did say to ask anything of me, and I’d do it. As killing Claudius is a little out of my skill set, this might make a better second option.”
“Yes.” While she smiled, she still wasn’t looking at him. “But it’s dangerous to leave a binding half-done like this.”
“Normally, yes.” He clasped her hand and lifted it, their matching marks winking in the light of the golden glow. “But we’re fated mates. After tonight, this binding can’t be broken or turned into anything else. It gives us the freedom to court each other in a way most fae can’t.”
“Oh.” Beatrice’s eyes widened. “Just like Viola!”
“Your sister?” He wasn’t sure what Viola had to do with this.
“Yes. She and Favian were bound by a bargain, so they too had time.” Beatrice’s gaze finally lifted to his as a glorious smile lit her face. “This is what I want. A courtship. Flowers. Notes to tell me that you’re thinking about me. All of it.”
“Done.” Benedict dropped his free hand to her waist, tugging her closer. “I’ve made my choice. It’s you, Beatrice.”
Her gaze searched his for a long moment before she stepped even closer. “It seems my heart has already wholly made this choice. I choose you, Benedict. Not because of the mate bond. But because you’ve always been my choice all along.”
That was all he’d waited to hear. He leaned down and kissed her to seal his promise.
Beatrice strolled with her hand on with Benedict’s arm, her smile so wide it ached even as her feet felt like they were rising off the floor with every step.
As they stepped into the ballroom, Beatrice jumped as someone called her name. She turned, her hand still in Benedict’s, and found Viola, Favian, Sebastian, and Olivia waiting for her to one side.
No need to ask where Basil and Meg were.
Even from across the room, Beatrice could see Basil stationed next to Head Librarian Marco, Meg tucked to his side, as he accepted the congratulations of his fellow librarians and the Court at large.
Her poor brother-in-law still had such a shocked look to him, like he’d been walloped by that branch instead of lightly tapped.
Sebastian scowled at Benedict’s and Beatrice’s hands, which still sported the gold marks. “I take it you didn’t break the bond?”
“Does this mean you love each other?” Viola’s voice and tentative smile held a more hopeful note than Sebastian’s frown.
“Do you love me?” Benedict looked down at Beatrice, his eyebrows quirking in that teasing way of his.
“Not especially, no. But as you were half-dead with love for me, I had mercy.” Beatrice raised her eyebrows right back, fighting to hold back her smile. “You?”
“Not really, no.” Benedict shrugged, his lips pressing tight as he fought the grin she could see in his eyes. “But as you were sick with love for me, I thought I would spare you.”
Viola laughed and sighed. “You are in love.”
Beatrice held Benedict’s gaze another moment before the two of them grinned. She turned to her sister. “Like you, the mate bond gives us the freedom and time to court properly without worrying about a half-finished binding causing trouble.”
“I’m glad. I know you didn’t want to rush.” Viola nudged Sebastian, who gave a nod. Favian and Olivia had stepped into the background, as if not wishing to intrude. But now they both stepped forward, offering their own congratulations.
Across the room, the collection of fae wielding instruments struck up the first strains of music.
One couldn’t call them an orchestra nor were they all playing the same song.
Instead, each fae played his or her instrument with a wild abandon, creating a chaotic jangle that somehow melded into music.
“We might not be rushing to tie the knot, but I am in a rush to dance with my fated mate.” Benedict took a step away, gave a bow, and flourished his hand to her. “Shall we?”
For a moment, she considered refusing, just for the fun of teasing him.
But as she rather wanted to dance with him again—this time while actually in love with him instead of being annoyed with him—she clamped down on the instinct.
Instead, she took his hand and let herself be swept onto the dance floor with him.
There would be plenty of time for teasing later. She couldn’t fully suppress her smile. They would, after all, be stuck together for the rest of their lives.
As they whirled into the steps, Benedict leaned closer. “Remember our dance a month ago?”
“I was just thinking about that.” She smiled up at him. “I so desperately wanted to stomp on your foot because I was annoyed with how handsome you were.”
“Were? Don’t you think me handsome now?” He spun her outward before spinning her back into his arms, tucking her against his chest.
“Yes.” There was no point denying it when her blush gave her away so thoroughly. “But it’s different now. I also know you’re heroic. You’re loyal. You’re kind. You’re so much more than the empty handsome face I thought you were then.”
His smile lit his face, the expression softer rather than teasing. “And you are everything I knew you were even back then. Beautiful, yes. But smart. Determined. Protective of your family.”
She felt her cheeks heat with a blush as the two of them swept across the dance floor.
A month ago, she never would have imagined how much she’d love to be held by this man. He’d once been her nemesis, yet along the way, he’d come to know her deeper than anyone else did.
And this was only the beginning.