Chapter 90 Dayton
Dayton
Idon’t think I’ve ever seen Keep Wolfhelm so lively.
The ballroom is splendid with glowing purple and blue lights floating near the ceiling, music flits through the air, an ice fountain bubbles with cranberry wine, and the frosted dance floor is filled with fae.
The party is so large it spills from the ballroom and into the halls.
All of Frostfang was invited to this celebration.
Stars, I could even mistake this for a party in the Summer Realm if I wasn’t freezing my balls off.
Ezryn comes up beside me, carrying a plate overflowing with lefse drizzled with honeyed frostberries and dusted with shimmering powdered sugar alongside a warm root vegetable stew topped with a dollop of spiced cream. “Block me for a second. I’ve been starving all afternoon.”
I chuckle and we move to the corner of the room, where I make a grand show of spreading my cloak while Ezryn ducks behind me and lifts the bottom of his helm to scarf down a few bites.
He straightens, and I brush a few crumbs from his shining gold breastplate. It feels so right seeing him like this again. In a way, I didn’t realize how wrong it felt, looking at him without his helm for all to see. “The stew is—”
“Amazing, right? Who would have thought cream on stew would taste so good?” I finish, and we both laugh.
The music slows into a soft swaying melody.
“Please welcome to the floor for their first dance,” Eldor calls, “the High Prince and Princess of Winter!”
Keldarion and Rosalina stride hand in hand into the ballroom. My heart stutters. She’s a vision, white dress shimmering. But it’s her smile that captures me, as always. She looks so happy.
I was worried Keldarion would be grumpy all day, given what will happen tonight, but he’s got the broadest grin on his face.
The crowd parts, and Rosalina and Keldarion take the dance floor.
I step forward to get a better look. It’s something beautiful.
I didn’t realize falling for Rosalina would bring me so much joy in so many ways.
Witnessing her happiness on this day, watching Kel go from an icy bastard to a, well, slightly less icy bastard. Her love is a gift.
She and Keldarion twirl as if they’re moving through water, spinning and spinning in a wondrous whirl. The first time I saw him take her to this very dance floor, something shifted, and now they’re both changed.
Though my gaze can’t help but keep drifting to the stairs, expecting to see a dark-haired man standing at the top landing, waiting with a witty word and joking that he’s fine now, thank you very much, because of course he broke out of the Green Flame’s grip.
A shiver courses through me. Don’t think about that now.
Darkness flickers along my vision. An image flashes through my mind: me, charging Ezryn, my body and mind lost to me.
“Dayton, are you alright?” Ezryn grips my shoulder, turning to face me.
My eyes focus in on his armor, looking for any weakness. A place to stab my triton. Kill the metal one. That had been my command. I could have murdered my brother.
“Dayton! Ezryn!”
A warmth spreads over me, dousing the thoughts like a balm.
Rosalina walks toward us, cheeks flushed and a single curl falling across her brow.
“Hey, Blossom,” I say, tucking the curl behind her pointed ear.
“Keldarion got trapped talking to the Duke of Ferreton. But I missed you two.” She wraps her arms around my shoulders. “Did you watch the dance? Tell me you didn’t see me trip. I think the dress hides my missteps.”
“You were perfect.” I lean down to kiss her.
She sighs into me, and everything feels better.
And damn, kissing her in this dress is giving me all sorts of ideas of my own…
a rebuilt Hadria, an arch made of shells and driftwood, a reception in Aerantheis, because I’ve heard those sirens know how to party…
By the time I pull away, my thoughts are my own, and Ezryn is thankfully looking less killable. Because that’s what Rosie does to me. She makes me better, always.
The fact that we’re going to be without her for a while fills me with dread.
And I’ll admit, when she told me her plan, I was less than pleased.
There’s so much that can go wrong. But I trust her, and I know she’s counting on us.
To rally the realms, to put together a united force, to stand against Sira.
Ezryn pulls a cloth napkin from his cloak and hands it to her. “I saved you some of the lefse. They were going quick, and Oliviana insisted you had to try some.”
“Thank you. Dancing works up an appetite,” Rosie says, taking a big bite.
“There you all are.” Farron walks over, a large leather satchel across his chest. “I was hoping we’d find a moment, Rosalina.”
“What’s that, Fare?” she asks.
“A rather unconventional wedding gift.” He gestures for us to gather around a small table. “We princes have been putting this together as fast as we could since you told us your plan. I just finished.”
Ezryn places a pile of desserts in front of Rosalina, and she raises a brow at the bag. “Alright.”
“So,” Farron says, “everything in this bag is intended to help you in the Below.”
“Oh,” Rosalina says, a hint of sadness slipping into her words. No doubt she’s been so caught up in her wedding day, she’s managed to push away what’s coming next. “That’s, uh—”
“We won’t have time to go over all of it, but I did want to show you this book.” Farron pulls out a leather tome from the bag.
“The Complete History of Autumn’s High Rulers,” I say, leaning over Farron’s shoulder. “Not sure that’s going to help her.”
He opens the book and thumbs through the pages. There’re dates and names, pictures of Autumn’s territories.
“Watch.” He grabs a candle off the table. “Under firelight, it changes.”
As Farron continues leafing through the pages, the light shimmers. The words glow golden, then shift. Now I recognize the handwriting. There are hand-drawn maps and diagrams.
“Keldarion and Ezryn have tried to write down everything they remember of Cryptgarden and the Below—secret passages, important nobles, and the like. I added information I’ve read about and things I learned while traveling there with Caspian. And there are other helpful things in the bag, too.”
I smile at Rosie. “You’ll particularly like my inclusion.”
“I voted for it to be removed.” Ezryn sighs. “Unpractical.”
I shrug. “Never know. Could save Rosie’s life.”
Tears prick Rosalina’s eyes, and she throws her arms around Farron. “Thank you. This is incredible.”
“I’ll put it in your room,” Ezryn says.
“Now, please, no more talk of the Below,” I say. “We want you to enjoy tonight, and I think your new husband is looking for you.”
Kel towers above the crowd, seeming to have escaped the Duke of Ferreton.
“I will,” Rosalina says. “I am.” She pulls Farron into a deep kiss before planting another one on me. “Think you can cover us?” she asks.
I take my position and spread out my cloak again in front of Ez and hear the shift of metal as Rosalina lifts his helm to kiss him.
Then she darts off into the crowd with a wave and, “I’ll see you soon!”
Ezryn leaves to put the present in Keldarion’s chambers, and I’m left alone with Farron.
He looks stunning, like a late autumn leaf dusted with the first frost of winter.
His auburn hair falls in deep waves past his jaw.
Instead of golden ear cuffs, he wears silver embedded with diamond-shaped snowflakes.
And stars, the new beard he’s growing is unbelievably hot, giving him such a rugged look.
He must notice my stare as he meets my gaze. In this light, his bright gold eyes reflect the cold shimmer of the Winter Realm. “Want to dance, Day?”
Soon, Rosalina will be gone, and the Green Flame will creep back. I’m not angry at Farron for doing what he did to save me, because he’s right, I’d have done anything to save him.
But after we were possessed, I felt sick through my whole body, horrified at what had coursed through me. I thought Farron would feel the same. But he wasn’t scared or angry or concerned.
He was elated.
Farron doesn’t want to lose this power, this magic slithering within us that could take control anytime.
You belong to me.
So I sigh and give him an answer I never thought I would. “No, Fare.” And I walk into the party, disappearing among the crowd and hoping I can remain myself long enough to say goodbye to Rosie.