“Soehl, you’re too naïve,” Shakari shot back. “Lorik Draventh hates the Solenharts. Beatrix Solenhart, her mother, killed his sister and mother. If he saved one Solenhart, it was for a reason.”
“And where did you sleep? Where were you all this time?” Rowan asked, snapping me back from my own thoughts. He was curious, almost knowing the hours didn’t add up.
“I didn’t, I told you someone from Wolventon healed me, and then Lorik portaled me to the Auroric wing, which was empty, and gave me another healing potion, and then I just walked there. Hence, I need sleep,” I lied almost naturally but with guilt.
“We haven’t slept either.” Rowan yawned, rubbing his eyes. “We are glad you are safe and in one piece. Time to sleep.”
We collapsed into a tired, tangled hug, and I whispered my thanks, for finding me, for worrying, for staying. The twinsand Shakari slipped off to their rooms to finally sleep. I changed into one of my own baggy shirts this time and drifted off again, while Soehl fell asleep on her bed still in her clothes. It had been a long night for all of us.
I woke up a few hours later. Soehl was still asleep, even though it was nearly eleven in the morning. We’d all had a rough night. I let her rest and slipped out to get breakfast, mostly to get coffee. My body felt strangely fine, fully healed from the wound, and I could walk without pain, but my eyes could barely stay open.
In the dining hall, I grabbed a mug of coffee and sat beside Shakari and Rowan, who were already finishing their plates. For the time of day, the hall was crowded, and far too many people kept glancing in my direction, whispering behind their hands.
“What’s up with everyone?” I muttered.
“Everyone knows you got stabbed and went missing,” Shakari said.
I didn’t get a single word out before Thalen’s voice cut through the dining hall.
I looked up just as he stepped inside, eyes darting across the room until they landed on me. “Thea!” he called, loud enough that half the tables turned to look.
He rushed toward me, worry written all over his face, and pulled me into a tight, impulsive embrace, too tight, too much.
“How are you? Are you ok? Are you hurt?” Thalen asked with a worried look at my body, trying to find where I was hurt.
“I am fine, Thalen. Thank you for caring,” I whispered nervously. “But you are kind of making everyone look our way, and you know how much I hate that.”
“Queen Beatrix said you were going to get stabbed. When I got to the low-life tavern, I just saw blood at the back of the tavern and the Sunheart royalist dead….”
“We already told her the whole thing, Thalen,” Shakari interrupted, unimpressed. Half the time, she could barely tolerate him, and she wasn’t subtle about it. He was too uptight for her liking.
“I’m fine,” I said. “I fought the royalist, but he still managed to cut my leg with a dagger, and…” I stopped. Too many heads had turned. “Can we talk outside?”
“Just tell me,” He insisted, worry tightening his voice as he grabbed my hand.
“Lorik Draventh killed the royalist,” I said, whispering, “and he found someone in town to heal me. Then we came back, and I've been sleeping since then. In my room… with Soehl.”
Thalen’s gaze clung to mine, his expression a sea of confusion. He looked like he didn’t even know where to begin, what question to ask, what words to reach for. Then his eyes dropped, slowly, to my lips and then the lifted them back to my eyes.
“I’m glad you’re okay,” he murmured, stepping closer. Too close. I shifted back, but he caught me in a sudden hug I couldn’t slip out of. When he finally pulled away, he stayed right there, far too close and before I could react, he kissed me.
The kiss was flat and empty. Last year, this was exactly what I would’ve wanted from him. But now, after his treason, after seeing the way he treated commoners as if they were beneath him, there was no coming back from that. I eased away gently, trying to hide how uncomfortable I was and spare Thalen a public humiliation. I knew how much he cared about his image.
The moment I stepped back, a wave of excited chatter swept through the dining hall. People loved gossip, royal gossip even more so. Whispers flew across the room.
“They’re officially back together!”
“There’s going to be a royal wedding!”
“The throne is secure with an Emberkeep heir!”
“He’s so handsome, perfect for a king.”
I knew that even without journalists, this would reach the papers sooner or later. With so many witnesses, nothing stayed quiet.
I hated every second of the attention, while Thalen looked like he was savoring it. When I glanced at him, he was already smirking toward the Emberkeep tables, soaking in every whisper. I rolled my eyes and scanned the room, catching flashes of people leaning in to talk.
Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lorik enter the dining hall.