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Tinsley bowed again, wondering where she was expected to go without Dante to escort her through the royal palace. Luckily, Maraliza instantly looped her hand in Tinsley’s arm and shot her a smile as the two women retreated from the king’s sitting room.
Once they were outside and away from the prying eyes of the guards, Maraliza turned to her with a mischievous smile. It reminded Tinsley of Lara, and for a moment, she was overcome with emotion—mourning for her dead sister mixed with gratitude for the camaraderie she’d suddenly found with Maraliza.
“Want to eavesdrop?” Maraliza asked her conspiratorially, and Tinsley found herself smiling back.
She hesitated, though, unsure if she should be listening to a private conversation between Dante and the king… or anyone and the king for that matter. It briefly crossed her mind that she could be tried for high crimes if she was found out. But Maraliza must have seen the look on her face because she only grinned wider.
“Don’t worry. No one will now. Besides, I think this conversation is very much your business,” she added.
Tinsley wasn’t sure what she meant by that last part, but she didn’t get the chance to ask. Maraliza was already leading the way to another room, and Tinsley figured she’d better follow, even if she was still a little unsure about snooping on Dante’s private conversation with his father.
The room Maraliza took her to was a small library, and Tinsley gathered that it must have backed up against the king’s sitting room.
“We used to do this a lot when we were kids,” Maraliza whispered. With a grin, she walked over to one of the bookshelves and removed a book.
Suddenly Tinsley could hear the faint sound of voices. As she moved closer, the voices got louder. A small grate behind the book led into the next room and allowed her to hear everything being said there.
“She’s a fine woman,” came a deep voice from beyond the grate—the king’s voice, Tinsley realized.
Tinsley blushed, and her eyes met Maraliza’s. She knew Maraliza probably couldn’t hear what was being said, but from the look in her eyes and her earlier comment, she had probably anticipated something along these lines.
Tinsley wondered why Maraliza had brought her here. Was it just to give her an ego boost? Tinsly was grateful for the gesture but she wondered at the point of it. Nevertheless, she couldn’t tear herself away from the grate now that she’d caught a whisper of what was happening on the other side of the wall.
She lowered her eyes away from Maraliza’s, a little embarrassed that she was eager to hear more.
“I’m glad you think so.” Another voice, Dante’s this time. “I wish you could have seen all that she did for Maraliza. She truly risked her life, many times over.”
“I don’t doubt it,” replied the king. “I could see, even over that first vidlink, that she would get the job done. She wouldn’t give up. I’m glad I was right.”
In the ensuing pause, Tinsley felt her cheeks glow warm again. She’d never heard herself spoken of that way. Although she took pride in her work, it had never occurred to her that others might also notice, especially someone like King Vrondo, whose standards were notoriously high.
“I couldn’t have done this without her,” Dante said. “And in fact, I don’t think I want to do anything without her ever again.”
A pregnant pause followed, and Tinsley’s breath suddenly caught in her throat.
Is he saying what I think he’s saying? she wondered with a sudden rush of nervous excitement. She didn’t want to get ahead of herself, though.
Maybe he’s just saying he wants me to work with him, she thought, her mind grasping for some other logic to explain Dante’s words. The last thing she wanted was to get her hopes up for something that wasn’t in the cards. She was just a lowly ship captain, after all. He was a prince. There was no way…
But when she looked up to meet Maraliza’s gaze again, something in the woman’s eyes told her that her hopes might not be so absurd after all. The next words from the grate would either confirm or deny her hopes.
“I see,” said the king slowly.
Tinsley wished she could see his face. Was he smiling? Frowning? It was impossible to tell by his measured voice.
“I’d like to ask your permission to make Tinsley my mate and formally join with her in our mating ritual,” Dante said, his voice steady and strong. Tinsley didn’t need to see Dante’s face. She could hear the smile plastered across it.
The room was silent for a second as the king appeared to be weighing the statement. That second felt like an eternity to Tinsley, though, as she pressed her ear farther into the gap between the books, as if by doing so she might draw out the answer she was hoping for.
Finally, the king spoke. “My son,” he began, “you know I’ve been disappointed in the past with your brothers’ human wives. Scarlett, I have a fondness for, and Willow and I have made our peace. It’s a big decision, selecting a mate…”
Another pause. Tinsley’s chest felt like it was about to cave in. Of course, the king wouldn’t accept her. Of course, her hopes of marrying Dante were naive.
She felt her eyes begin to well with tears as she considered what this meant for them. Was this the end of their time together? Was it just a fling that had been confined to the time they’d spent together on their mission to save his sister?
“Yet.” The king’s voice came through the grate, and a jolt of hope shot through Tinsley’s chest. “Tinsley is a good match for you. She’s a good match for our family. She risked her life to save my daughter, your sister. You have my blessing. You may take her as your mate.”
The tears of sadness that had been welling in Tinsley’s eyes just moments before came rolling down her cheeks. Only now they were tears of relief—tears of joy.
