Chapter 11
Lysandra didn’t tell Kestrel what happened with the wolf.
She knew—or at least suspected–the truth behind the attack.
Yet that night, he came to her chambers unannounced.
She had barely finished tending to the wound before exhaustion took her. Head resting against the side of the bed, she drifted off before even climbing in
Kestrel stepped lightly, kneeling down in front of her.
He studied the Aurelian princess properly for the first time.
In the hand.
glow of candlelight, her long lashes cast delicate shadows across her face. He reached out, brushing her check with a calloused
Soft, Pale.
Were all girls of Aurelia this… delicate?
Perhaps not every Aurellan was as detestable as he’d believed
He couldn’t help himself–he reached out and touched her again.
Her eyes flew open
Chapter 12
“Who’s there?”
My eyes snapped open. The man before me radiated raw, untamed fury.
In a flash, my dagger was out–blade pressed to his throat.
Kestrel raised a brow, unfazed. “Easy.”
“Come to kill me again?”
1 tightened my grip on the dagger.
He calmly unbuckled his
is sword–and tossed it aside.
My arms dropped, exhaustion washing over me. I nearly collapsed, but he caught me..
He scooped me into his arms and gently laid me on the bed.
“What are you doing?” I asked, wary.
“I’m sleeping here tonight”
“What?”
His brow lifted. “Do couples in Aurelia sleep in separate rooms after marriage?”
1 slid my dagger under the pillow and shifted away.
He noticed but didn’t care. He got into bed.
–
I didn’t sleep a wink all night.
But he? He slept like a stone.
I could even bear his steady breathing
When I startled awake the next morning, he was already dressed, seated at the table.
Sunlight streamed through the tent. Late. I flushed with embarrassment
He passed me my robe and turned away.
“Get ready. There’s someone I want you to meet,”
Ji
I stayed on guard, but followed. He led me to a grave.
The name etched into the stone belonged to a woman of the North,
Kestrel bowed deeply.
I paused in surprise.
Then he turned to me. “She was my mother.”
Realization dawnrd.
He looked at the stone. “I’ve taken a wife, Mother. You can rest easy now.”
I knelt and offered my own prayers, mimicking their rites.
”
III could earn his trust, l
t survive this place.
1, I might
When I finished, I noticed he was staring at me, unreadable.
