Page 121 of Waking Roslyn

I was already by her side, wrapping her hand over my arm by the time she finished. “Your counteroffer is acceptable.”

Roslyn looked up at me, and the way her eyes shone made me want to give her the world. And when she raised a hand and laid it against my cheek, I decided I’d gift her the moon as well if she asked.

Her smile was soft. “You’re even more chivalrous than I thought.”

I laughed and turned my head to kiss her palm. “Only for you.”

She chuckled and started to walk. “I don’t believe that for a second.”

Our progress wasn’t fast, but she moved steadily down the hall with delicate steps. We’d made it almost halfway to the juncture that met the next corridor when she stopped. “It’s like trying to walk through thick mud.”

I adjusted my grip, moving my arm so it wrapped around her waist as I waited for her to either recover or let me help. “At least the effects aren’t permanent,” I said.

“Can you imagine?” she asked, her voice haunted. “It could have been so much worse.” She shuffled forward a few more steps, then stopped with a gusty sigh. “Can you carry me now?”

Finally. I lifted her gently into my arms, where she immediately settled her head on my shoulder. Then she sighed in a relieved and comfortable sort of way, and I had to force my breathing to steady. Laws, I wanted to kiss her.

“I think I’ve found a way to ensure no one will try to assassinate me again,” she said as soon as I’d started down the hall.

My heart leapt into a gallop, and I forced a lump down my throat. “Have you?” My heart and mind raced, wondering if she’d been thinking the same thing I had. Had she taken her mother’s suggestion seriously? Did I want her to? On the one hand, YES, I wanted to marry her, no matter the reason. But the more rational part of me wanted to marry her only because neither of us could stand to be parted from the other.

She cleared her throat. Perhaps from nerves? “Yes. You see, the reason everyone wants me dead—”

“Not everyone.”

She gave an annoyed little sigh that made me smile. “Fine. The reason some people want me dead is because I will inherit the throne if everyone in the royal family dies all at once.”

I chuckled just a little at her description, but the larger part of me was barely managing to put one foot in front of the other.

“But if I am no longer in the line of succession, I’m not a threat to anyone’s vain ambition.”

As much as I’d wondered if there were others out there, I didn’t like that she was already worried about that. “Right, but now that the earls have been arrested, I can’t imagine anyone else would be brazen enough or entitled enough—”

“Lord Neil,” she said loudly.

I looked at her, and her lifted brow said she knew her point had stuck. Well, that shut my mouth.

“He may not have been involved in the plot to kill me, but he’s still Neil and he still hates me.”

I had to concede to that point.

“Since I believe Lord Neil is entirely capable of picking up where his father left off, the only sure thing I can do is to ask the king to strip me of any and all titles.”

I was stunned. I’d been sure she was about to tell me her only recourse was marrying. Preferably me.

She frowned a little. “You seem shocked.”

“No,” I lied. “I just…I hadn’t considered that was an option.” And there was a little piece of my heart that was bruised, knowing that even after her own parents had suggested a marriage to someone like me, that wasn’t the course she was taking.

“I’m supposed to be twenty before he’ll let me make that decision, but I have high hopes that he’ll make an exception considering the circumstances.” She looked at me, her smile overly bright.

I nodded, knowing it was a good option. But if the king did see reason to strip her of her title, and she stayed here…my heart felt sore over the thought. “It’s a good idea,” I forced myself to say. “It would keep you safe.” And that was the most important thing.

Roslyn

He was saying the right words, but his tone was off. “Yes, it would,” I said, trying to sound optimistic and confident, but the little furrow between his brows was throwing me off. I’d been proud when I’d come up with my idea. It would accomplish the same objective as marrying a commoner would, but it wouldn’t require John to marry me out of pity. Instead, if I had no title, then he might feel even better about marrying me someday. Our stations wouldn’t be so far apart, and I would never have to wonder whether he’d married me out of a sense of obligation or because he really wanted me.

John paused at the top of the stairs. “I forgot to ask where we are headed.”