CHAPTER 26
“Hold still.” My fingers were gentle as I carefully rubbed a foul-smelling poultice onto Lukas’s bruised jawbone.
“You know you don’t need to do this,” he complained, wrinkling his nose at the smell. “There are plenty of perfectly competent healers in the infirmary.”
“Perfectly competent healers that would insist on leeches sucking your blood and rubbing snail guts on your face?”
He shrugged. “At least snail guts would smell more pleasant.”
A shy smile tugged at my lips as I continued to rub in the thick paste. It hadn’t been easy to convince him to come to my bedchamber, especially after insisting we stop at the kitchens first so I could gather the ingredients I needed for the poultice. He claimed he didn’t need any ‘Corlixin magic potions’ to help him heal. Thankfully, he changed his mind after I reminded him of the bloodsucking alternatives he would find in his own kingdom’s infirmary.
“This poultice will help heal you faster and reduce the risk of infection. It’s a mixture of crushed garlic and honey, both natural antiseptics.” I explained, scooping more of the paste onto my fingers.
“Anti-what?”
“Don’t worry.” I sniffed with laughter. “Just trust me when I say this will help. Now stop moving.”
After a few more grumbles, he finally settled into a more cooperative position as my fingers worked quickly to apply the paste. It was strange being so close to him. Even with the scarlet bruise that was slowly forming at the base of his jaw, I couldn’t deny that he was still devastatingly handsome. It would take a thousand bruises to even begin to mar a face like his. But of course, if I were his queen, I’d never let anyone else touch him again.
“All done.” I cleared my throat, suddenly desperate to put some distance between us. Just as I started to pull away, his hand reached for mine, and of course, my traitorous heart fluttered at the touch. Bringing my sticky fingers closer, he grabbed a nearby cloth and casually began to wipe the paste off, as if this were a perfectly normal way for a prince to thank a healer.
“I’ve never known a person of nobility to have any skills other than engaging in court gossip and spending copious amounts of coin.” He delicately wiped each of my fingers like a servant would polish a prized cutlery set. “And yet here you are, able to bring people back to life and mix up healing potions in your bedchamber.”
“I’m nothing special,” I assured him, pulling my hand away to finish cleaning up myself. “You should meet some of the others from my village. They put my medical knowledge to shame.”
“You’re humble too, I see.” He then shot me a glance, leaning back slightly. “And very brave.”
I almost choked with laughter. “I am not brave.”
“Not many princesses would throw themselves between two angry duellers,” he sighed, relaxing further into my bed and spreading his toned arms against the sheets.
Eyes rolling, I retorted, “You’d probably be surprised. I’m sure plenty of women would be happy to throw themselves at you.”
That was a mistake.
Propping himself up on his elbows, he asked in a tone that some might almost believe was innocent, “And why would that be?”
“Well…” My cheeks flushed as a wolfish grin appeared on his face. “You know you are a prince after all and—”
“Do you think I’m attractive, fiancée?” Mischief danced in his gaze.
Yes, incredibly so.But I’d rather throw myself out of my tower window than admit that to his frustratingly charming face. So instead, I shrugged, trying my best to ignore the way my heart was racing, and replied in a dry tone, “Looks don’t matter to me.”
“Oh?” He moved closer. “And what does? Would it impress you if I said I have the biggest sword in the duelling club.”
I scoffed in confusion. “Why would that matter?” Maybe it was a Drothmore thing? As far as I was aware, nobody compared weapon sizes in Corlixir. “Besides, I care about what’s up here more.” Without missing a beat, I tapped twice against my head. “And as a princess, I care about who can provide the best future for my kingdom.”
The amused grin that was covering the prince’s face slipped away. “So you’re still certain about rebuilding Corlixir?”
Our eyes met, mine turning glossy with desperation. “I can’t let my people down, Lukas. As a soon-to-be king, I hoped you would understand that.”
Silence hung between us. There was no reason for him to change his mind. Raena was a fool for suggesting that any feelings he had for me might change what he planned for my kingdom, and I was an even bigger fool for holding out any kind of hope that she was right.
But then, something unexpected flashed across his features as he spoke in a light tone. “How about this?”
A breath caught in my throat. Could it be that we weren’t so foolish after all?
“I’ve seen how much you love healing, and the more I hear about how you saved that poor boy’s life… Naria, you are spectacular.”
My knees began to tremble.
Please, just say it. Say you’ll help me.
“So I was thinking, last night…”
Oh Ancients.
“I think I would love for you to have your own hospital, here in Drothmore.”
My heart sank like a bucket being dropped in a well.
“It’s perfect, don’t you think?” he went on with a proud grin. “You can invite all of your friends to work there. I’ll happily supply the funding so your scholars can continue the research they never got to finish after the Great Blaze. I’ll even let you take time away from your duties here to help out every once in a while. Just think, it’ll be the talk of the realm!”
Moments ago, the air was like a summer’s day, but in that minute, the air felt more like when you first slip out of bed on a winter’s morning. Cold. Stark. Reality.
“Oh, Lukas…” My voice wobbled as a tear rolled down my face. “That’s very thoughtful but—”
“What? What is it?” Confusion swirled across his features, and it made my head hurt. How could he not see that this was so far from what I wanted – what I needed – for my people?
“I appreciate the thought, I really do, but the Corlixins in the woods… They don’t just want a hospital.” I swallowed and steadied my voice. “They want several hospitals, and schools, and libraries, and hundreds of market stalls, where they can buy food and ingredients for medicines. They want streets of houses with bedrooms and kitchens. They want gardens where they can grow their herbs and raise animals. They deserve all of this and more, just like your people do. Don’t you see? They don’t want to travel to work in a Drothmore hospital, helping Drothmore people only to then go back to a tiny village in the woods. They want their real home. They want Corlixir.”
When I was finished, Lukas just stared blankly back at me, blinking several times as if I was speaking another language. After a few painfully long moments, he added, “You know they could live here too? They wouldn’t have to walk back to the woods.”
“Did you not listen to a word I said?” My voice was deathly low. “This isn’t about the woods!”
Lukas rolled his eyes, the motion making me want to slam my fist against the bed sheets. “You’re being absurd. I’m making a very generous offer, and you are doing a disservice to your people by not grovelling at my feet.”
“Hah!” My head fell back with mocking laughter. “You think you’re being generous by offering a mere hospital that I can visit every ‘once in a while’? What about when we have children? Are you going to forbid me from going to ‘help out’ so I can focus only on them? Like a good, obedient queen?”
“You’d do well to remember you are speaking to a future king.” Lukas shot me a glare that could melt steel. “As I said before, I’d be happy to let you continue with your hobbies, which is why I suggested we build a hospital. But this whole idea of rebuilding Corlixir is just ridiculous. You cannot expect me to let you spend all your time fighting for a dead kingdom. Drothmore deserves a queen who is willing to give everything to our people.”
“Well then, don’t let me stop you from finding her.” Blonde ringlets swished past his face as I twisted my whole body away from him. I needed something else to focus on. Anything but him. Tears were clawing at the back of my throat and I couldn’t bear to let slip any kind of weakness.
His hand reached for my shoulder, but I shrugged him away. “Naria, please… Enough with all this foolish talk.” He sighed as his tone softened slightly. “My father has ordered for us to marry, and therefore we shall. Even if I have to force you down the aisle, you will become my wife, and then Queen.”
A laugh caught in my throat. I’d like to see him try. With one letter to Honeymeade, I could summon an army of potion-wielding Corlixins with a furious village mother at the helm. Then he’d see what would happen when someone tries to force me to do anything.
“Naria?” he said again.
Turning back slowly, I held my chin high. “Listen to me when I say, if you cannot help me rebuild my kingdom, I will find someone else who can. And if a marriage is required, I will marry him long before you get a chance to try and drag me down any wedding aisles.”
“Who? Colyn?” He scowled. “That man is a pig, you wouldn’t dare.”
I scoffed at his suggestion. “Of course not Colyn, but I will find someone. Perhaps I already have.”
The prince’s jaw tightened. “Well, you can tell your mysterious saviour that I would love to meet him,” he muttered with a glare. “It would be fascinating to hear how he’s able to fund the rebuilding of an entire kingdom while also managing the finances of his own. He must be incredibly wealthy.”
“Wealthier than you could possibly know,” I assured him in a breathy voice.
Unfortunately, he made a fair point, but I didn’t dare show it, even as he marched out of the room and slammed the door shut behind him. All that mattered was that the fae might be willing to help. How they would actually do it would be a concern for another day. And with Luminessia falling in two nights’ time, that day might come sooner than I expected. After all, just as the Faery King had declared in his throne room, ‘a marriage is certainly one kind of alliance’ – and if Prince Arenn could promise a future for Corlixir, then I would marry him in a heartbeat.