The Bloody Crown by Sarah Peters

Author:Sarah Peters [Sarah Peters]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: King's Blade Press
Published: 2023-05-23T00:00:00+00:00

eighteen

Elessa

The door opened. Elessa jerked up. “Oh.” She put a hand to her heart. “It’s just you.”

“Just me?” Daren smiled, stepping into the room. “What’s that?”

She glanced back down at the book she held. “I found it on your shelves. I thought it would be nice to have something to read.” She closed it, rising to her feet. “I can’t stop worrying.”

“It’ll be okay.” Daren crossed the space between them, taking her hands. Goosebumps traveled up her arms as he tightened his grip. “Elessa, look at me.”

She met his gaze. “I can’t sit here and do nothing, Daren.” She pulled her hands free of his, crossing her arms. “What did your father have to say?”

“He wanted to go over the council meeting and my meeting with my cousins.” Daren backed up, taking a seat on one of the couches. His shoulders slumped. “It’s bad, Elessa. The harbor is blockaded and the city surrounded, while another force is sitting on our border. It’s going to be difficult. I’m surprised your father got a messenger out.”

Fear gripped her heart. She forced herself to take a deep breath. “He has his ways.” She didn’t want to talk about how her father had gotten his message out. It wouldn’t win her any allies in Alaresti’s court. “What about Alaresti’s border?”

Daren blinked. “Alaresti’s border will hold. Our priority has to be Nureh.”

“Is that so?” Elessa murmured. “Why?”

“Because Alaresti can’t stand against Era alone.” Daren gestured. “Sit, Elessa, please.”

She sank back to the couch, perching on the edge as she twisted her hands together in her lap. Daren reached over, putting his hand over hers to still it. She glanced up, meeting his eyes. “What?”

“My father asked if I’d be willing to move our marriage up.” Daren didn’t meet her eyes. “There’s doubt that we owe Nureh aid as it stands. He wants to silence it.”

Heat flooded through her. “Move it up? To what?”

“January, when you turn seventeen.” Daren pulled his hand away. “I agreed.”

January, when she came of age. She stared at him. “Are you sure?”

He glanced at her and then away again. “I’m willing to do what’s necessary to keep the kingdom happy.”

She winced. When he put it that way, he made it sound like business. In a way, she supposed it was. Their eventual marriage had been arranged before they’d ever met face to face. “And what does your heart say?”

His eyes met hers. They blazed, pale green and full of life. “I don’t know how I feel about you,” he murmured. “But I want to find out.”

They could’ve been the only two people in the world in that moment. Elessa stared at him, her chest rising and falling unevenly as the tension between them stretched until it reached a breaking point.

She didn’t know who crossed the gap first. Their lips met. His arms were around her, one circling her waist to hold her steady while his other hand cupped the back of her head. His fingers sank into her hair and scattered the pins holding it up.

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