Chapter 24
Asmo arrives at my door dressed in his usual uniform of black. He wears black pants, cut off just above the ankles, with a black long-sleeve button-down. His top three buttons are undone, exposing the edge of his snake tattoo. His sleeves are rolled up, showing off his toned forearms.
“All black? Shocking,” I say.
He holds out a foot. “Red loafers.”
“Oh, sorry.” I roll my eyes, but I can’t help the smile that comes.
He doesn’t even crack a smile. “Mae, ever the picture of grace and hospitality,” he says drily.
I curtsy, then say, “Please, my dearest High Prince, do come inside.”
He enters my wing, squeezing in between the two guards standing inside. Asmo nods at one of the guards, but he just stares straight ahead.
“Sorry for the tagalong. Ivan insisted,” I say to Asmo, but he doesn’t respond. Instead, he walks into the living room and plops onto the couch.
“What are we doing today?” he asks me from the couch. I want to grind my teeth and tell him he’s supposed to be courting me, but I remember what Elle said. I need to make nice and be friends. My relationship with the princes extends to their courts and transcends this courting experience.
“Well, we were supposed to have a wine tasting and dinner on the terrace, but we’re confined to my wing.”
“I’ve taken care of it,” he says simply. Like he’s stating a well-known fact. But I have no idea what he’s talking about.
“What?” I ask him.
“I’ve taken care of it,” he repeats.
“Asmo, what does that mean?” I walk over to the couch and stand in front of him.
He crosses one long leg over the other before leaning back and draping his arms across the back of the couch.
The spread of his arms pulls the neck of his shirt slightly wider, revealing more of the tattoo that graces his chest.
“I spoke with Ivan a few hours ago and I’ve arranged for our date to be in a secure location,” he says, looking up at me through his long eyelashes.
Every instinct in my body is pushing me forward, urging me to climb onto his lap.
“Then why did you even ask me what we’re doing today?” I ask, crossing my arms in irritation.
The corner of his mouth twitches. “I wanted to see if you’d come up with anything.” He looks around and says, “Since the answer seems to be a resounding no, I made a backup plan. We’ll be dining outside tonight.”
My jaw drops. “You convinced Ivan to let us have our date on the terrace?”
“Something like that,” he says, then stands up suddenly, forcing me to take several steps back. We’re inches apart now, our chests almost touching. My breath catches, as I fight for some semblance of calm.
His gaze drops to my chest, then slowly moves down my body. “You might want to change into something more…like what I’m wearing,” he says, shattering my hazy thoughts.
“What’s wrong with this?” I dressed in black, form-fitting linen pants and a white flowy blouse, thinking we wouldn’t be leaving my wing.
His eyes don’t leave mine, his tone flat as he says, “We’re going on a date, Mae.”
“Fine,” I mutter before walking back to my closet. I sift through my outfits, most of the clothing unworn. Ruby and Nora filled my closet, but I tend to wear my own clothes throughout the day.
Asmo’s wearing all-black, so I sift through the black dresses that Nora brought me. I finally settle on a black mini dress with thin straps and equally thin fabric. There’s also a small part of me that wants to throw Asmo off his game, and I know I’ll look incredible in this.
I step into the dress. It stops at my upper thigh and hugs my body like a second skin, showing off every curve.
I grab a pair of black pumps with an ankle strap and step into them, securing the strap.
Finally, I select a cream leather jacket and drape it around my shoulders, admiring the final look in the floor-length mirror in my closet.
I look damn good. Asmo’s jaw better drop when he sees me.
His back is turned to me when I enter the living room, robbing me of the moment I was hoping for. He’s inspecting my book collection on the built-in shelves in the living room. I walk to the foyer, passing him as I do.
“Let’s go,” I say and throw open the door to leave, hoping he follows. I head down the main stairs, satisfied when I hear him walking behind me. When I get to the bottom of the stairs, I freeze. I have no idea where I’m going.
I look back at him. He’s staring at me, a smirk on his face. “Would you like me to take over, Your Highness?”
Honestly, no, I don’t. I’m stubborn, and I want to be in control, especially when he’s around.
There’s something about him that just makes me feel like he’s constantly challenging me, and I feel like I always have to be right or prove a point.
I don’t even know what point I’m trying to prove right now.
I grit my teeth, then remember myself and force a smile on my face.
“Yes, please,” I say in a pleasant voice and step out of the way for him to pass me.
As he passes, his right hand barely grazes the small of my back, and heat flares at the contact.
It takes me a second to realize I should follow him, and I fall in step behind him, the guard following us from a distance.
Instead of leading us to the terrace like I thought, he takes us out the front door and toward the path that winds around the castle.
“Where are we going?” I ask him.
“You’ll see.”
“Is it the pool?”
“Patience is a virtue.”
I roll my eyes but follow him.
We walk in silence for another few minutes before he veers down a side path I’ve never noticed, leading us deeper into the forest. My heart rate starts to increase as I remember what happened the other night with the cambions.
“Asmo, are you sure this is a good idea?” I ask from behind him.
He stops and turns to me, looking me in the eyes. “Trust me.”
I’m so used to looking for that tug, but his words have the opposite effect. Instead of a tug, my magic settles. The magical net I always picture drifts calmly on the water. Trust him, it whispers to me.
He holds his hand out, and I hesitantly accept it, a little bit surprised at the offer. His warm hand dwarfs mine, and I cling to it.
We continue down the path before coming to a small clearing.
A wooden table sits in the center, shrouded in a white tablecloth.
Bouquets of white hydrangeas overflow from vases in the center.
The table is small, just big enough for a single chair on either side.
In front of each chair sits an ivory plate and an empty wine glass.
Small orbs of light float through the air, and a fire blazes in a stone fire pit a few feet from the table.
A galvanized bucket sits on the ground next to the table, filled with ice and an arrangement of bottles.
A large hammock hangs between two trees, a gray throw blanket resting in the folds.
“This is beautiful,” I whisper.
He smiles and walks to the table, pulling out one of the chairs and gesturing for me to sit. When I do, he gently pushes me into the table before sitting in the chair across from me.
“I consider myself a wine connoisseur, so I was excited when you wanted to do a wine tasting. But then Ivan told me it would be canceled, so I found a way to make it happen.”
“How did you get him to agree to this?” I ask, still looking around the clearing, noting all the small details that went into this.
He gestures toward the guard, standing almost out of sight, and says, “He only agreed if your loyal friend here came. I also reminded him that I am perfectly capable of protecting you myself, which seemed to do the trick.”
“Thank you,” I say earnestly.
He dips his head. “You’re welcome.” He pulls out four bottles of wine and a thermos, setting each on the table in front of me.
“Each bottle that I selected represents one of the High Houses, at least in my opinion. I know you haven’t traveled to any of the Houses yet, so I thought you might enjoy this. ”
The memory of him shaming me at our first dinner for not traveling comes to mind, but I refrain from saying anything. For once, we’re not arguing or at each other’s throats.
Gesturing to the first one, he says, “House Panthera is located in the mountains of the City of Peaks, so I chose a crisp white wine, like the white-capped mountains. This one has a hint of green apple. The next one represents House Canis, located in the City of Snow. Because of its freezing temperatures, I chose a mulled wine, tasting of a spiced cinnamon.”
He gestures to the next bottle. “This one represents House Ursidae, located in the City of Rain, known for its chardonnay. This particular chardonnay tastes like orange and butter, an interesting combination of flavors, but delicious.”
He seems so in his element, so happy to be describing each bottle of wine.
“Next, we have my personal favorite: House Serpent. Located in the arid dryness of the City of Sand, a refreshing rosé is always preferred. This rosé also has hints of strawberry, making it deceptively sweet, like yours truly,” he says, throwing me an ear-splitting smile, his dazzlingly white teeth on full display.
Mother, he’s beautiful. I can’t help but return the smile. “Finally,” he says, gesturing to the final bottle, “for House Cervidae, we have a sweet red wine, tasting of grapes and a hint of peach.”
“Wow,” I say. All the dates so far have been thoughtful in some capacity. I thought Koa’s had been the most thoughtful so far, but this…Asmo put a lot of thought into this. “Did you do all this yourself?”
He looks at me in disbelief. “Yes, Mae.”
“Why?”
“What do you mean, why?” he asks, placing the bottles back in the bucket.
“Well, we didn’t exactly get off on the best foot.
I don’t get the sense that you want to marry me given our conversation that first night when you said you’re being forced to be here.
Every time I see you, you always seem to be irritated with me, and I’m not exactly nice to you either.
So why go to all this effort?” I ask, gesturing to the setting around us.
I make sure my net is up, searching for any hint of deception.
“I find you intriguing.”
Truth.
I scoff. “Intriguing? Do I need to remind you that the purpose of this is to marry me? If you’re not interested in doing that, why are you here? Why put the time into this at all?”
He cocks his head and looks at me. “Why do you say that?”
I grit my teeth and take a deep breath, choosing my next words carefully. “Asmo, you specifically said that if I chose you, you would say no.”
He shrugs. “I’ve had a change of heart,” he says, staring at the table as he fidgets with a cloth napkin.
“You’ve had a change of heart,” I repeat, my tone dry. “Why?”
He leans back in his chair, clasping his hands together and setting them in his lap.
He stares up at me, his head cocked. “I’m next in line to be the king of my court, which is an honor.
I love my court, and I want to uphold that commitment.
However, I find you intriguing, and I can’t help but wonder what would happen if I were to pursue you. ”
Again, he’s telling the truth. But it doesn’t make me feel good. It makes me angry.
“So, I’m just a plaything for you. A curiosity that you need to satisfy?” I ask him, sitting back in my own chair, eyes locked with his.
His sharp jaw clenches. “No.”
“Wow, I definitely believe you,” I say sarcastically, even though he was telling the truth. “This is my life, Asmo. I’m trying to decide who I want to rule an entire kingdom with.”
“Well,” he says.
“Well, what?” I shoot back.
“Which wine do you want to try first?” he asks, gesturing toward the various bottles.
I’ve had it.
I scoff. “You know what? You’re welcome to go home. I won’t choose you.”
I stand up from the table and storm away, leaving the beautiful Prince of Darkness to rot.