Trust her grandmother to be graceless and unwelcoming. She’d never had much time for Nora.
“As per the treaty between our two countries, Sania attacked Kaul and captured the new king. Alexandre has signed documents ending the war with Urka.”
“But the terms of the treaty were not completed,” Laird Donnelly said, a dull shade of red in his cheeks.
Matteo glanced at Nora as if asking her permission to tell. She gave a slight nod in return. “I can assure you that every line of the treaty was fulfilled in its entirety. May I introduce you tomywife, Queen Eleanora of Sania.”
Nora felt the eyes of everyone in the courtyard shift from Matteo to herself, but she only had eyes for him. It was the first time that he had called her his wife in front of others. A slight emphasis on the possessivemy, which thrilled her down to her toes. They belonged to each other fully.
Completely.
They were one soul.
Laird Donnelly bowed to Nora with practiced grace.
Her grandmother’s eyes darted from Nora to Elea to Matteo and finally to Gerard as if trying to understand how they all fit together. How the wrong princess had married the king, but that was a story for another day.
“King Matteo is a brilliant strategist,” Nora said loudly. “He is here to help me form our plan of attack.”
Laird Donnelly turned to Matteo and bowed once again. “Then you plan to fight with us, Your Majesty?”
Matteo gave a regal nod and slung an arm over her shoulder. “Nora and I fight best together.”
Laird Donnelly threw a look at her grandmother, and she responded with a tilt of her white hair. They were communicating without words.
Interesting.
“If Your Majesties would follow me,” Laird Donnelly said, addressing Matteo and herself. “I will take you to your rooms and see that baths are drawn.”
They followed the laird into his castle and he took them to his own room. The nicest and largest in the place. He even opened the double doors himself.
“Queen Aris is staying in the lady of the manor’s room,” he said, a blush forming underneath his beard. “I hope that Your Majesties don’t mind sharing.”
“We do not,” Matteo said firmly, and Nora felt her own face go red. She longed to climb underneath the enormous bed that dominated the room.
“Very good, very good,” Laird Donnelly said nervously. “That door leads to the dressing room where baths are being filled for you as we speak.”
“Thank you,” Nora said, and ushered the laird out of the door before Matteo could say anything to tease her.
Once the double doors were firmly closed, she let herself giggle in a most unqueenlike way.
Matteo took her in his arms, her armor, shield, sword, and all. “May I help you take this off, or shall we just work around it?”
He pressed a kiss on her neck underneath her ear and the helmet. She couldn’t help but melt inside.
“Off! Take it off,” she said as he pressed another burning kiss to her throat.
She felt his light fingers untie the straps of her breastplate.
“Asmyqueen commands.”
39
ELEA
She watched Nora and Matteo leave together, their fingers intertwined. Elea no longer felt the familiar pang of jealousy, and even a part of her was happy for them both. The love that shone between them was bright and it smelled absolutely marvelous. Better than a flower garden. She could have stood by them all day.
Her grandmother walked forward and embraced her. Elea watched Gerard’s face over her grandmother’s shoulder. He smelled strongly of lemongrass: regret. Did Gerard regret how things ended between them, or was it something that he learned in Aine’s cairn? He’d been suspiciously silent since then. She couldn’t help but wonder what visions or prophecies he’d seen. What he knew about her own future and the future of Urka. He stood apart as if unsure of where he fit in all of this.