Page 31 of To Save a Kingdom

Tsara dropped her voice until he had to strain to make out her words. “It’s time for you to find someone to settle down with, as well. You must see there’s no possible future with Aliya.” She ran her fingers lightly up his arm before pressing her lips to his.

He froze, his muscles paralyzed. He and Tsara had always been close friends, even though he reported directly to her, but there’d never been anything romantic between them.

Tsara’s arms snaked up his sides to wrap around his neck, pulling him closer. She groaned, leaning harder against him. Her tongue swiped across his mouth, begging him to open and let her in.

He stood, frozen like prey in the predator’s sight. Or like an idiot who had been too distracted to notice what was going on beneath his nose.

His mind spun. How had this happened? When had his and Tsara’s friendship bloomed to more, at least from her perspective? Had he been so focused on Aliya he’d missed clues that had been right in front of him?

The scuffle of retreating footsteps sounded down the hall. He flicked his gaze in their direction but saw nothing.

He shook his head, bringing his focus back to the issue at hand. Pressing his lips closed, he broke off the kiss. No, he felt nothing beyond kinship for Tsara. By Abaddon, she was his superior, his boss! His heart belonged to one woman alone. Stepping to the side, he pushed Tsara away.

Resisting the urge to wipe the back of his hand across his mouth to remove the feel of her, he met her gaze. “I’m sorry, if I’ve led you on in any way…” He hadn’t, but anything he could do to lessen her wrath now would only make things easier for him. “Even if there was something between us, it will never happen. Your father would never allow it.”

Tsara stepped back, the muscles in her face tightening as hurt flashed through her eyes.

He brushed his hand through his hair, pulling it away from his face with a sigh. This was not going to be pleasant. Tsara was infamous for her volatile temper.

“You’re…” Her voice faltered and she licked her lips before trying again. “You’re rejecting me?”

That was such an ugly word. “It would never work between us. Your father—”

“Lord of Light,” she said, interrupting him, “don’t worry about my father. I’ve got him handled.” She took a step back. “You would turn down not just me, but our kingdom? You could be by my side, Svialto, as prince and eventually king of our people.”

He blinked. The thought of ruling was so foreign it sent tingles up his arms that crystalized in his brain, wiping out all his thoughts. White lights sparkled behind his eyes.

“You’d choose a lifetime as a mister to a human queen over the chance to rule with me, as an equal?”

Blinking, he tilted his head, eyeing Tsara. As prince and then monarch, he’d be in the position to guarantee relations between Aliya’s kingdom and his were cordial. He’d be influential enough to make sure her people had food to survive the winter, and he’d ensure she wouldn’t have to sell herself to the richest noble her father managed to dig up to refill the coffers Malkov had drained.

He’d be able to make a real difference for Aliya and for both their realms. If she ended up marrying Roland and became queen of the sun elves, they’d still be in each other’s lives, even if they couldn’t be together.

His heart twisted, as though someone had slammed an icy dagger through his ribs. Having her as a constant presence in his life when he couldn’t hold her, couldn’t be her confidant, would be more painful than any torture Tsara or even Malkov could inflict on him. But he’d endure if it gave Aliya the ability to choose her own mate and the freedom she so deserved.

Valek.

He stared into Tsara’s deep green eyes.

Something sparkled there, as if she sensed victory. Going onto her tip toes, she caught him in another kiss. When she backed away, she licked her lips. Winking at him, she tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Think about it? Just don’t take too long. It would be such a shame if your mother were to lose her home among us.”

Spinning on her heel, she marched down the hall.

Elessan collapsed into the wall at his back, running a hand over the top of his head with a sigh. Valek. The longer he stayed in this blasted castle, the more complicated everything became. He was well overdue to get out of the city and back into nature.

Closing his eyes, he scrubbed his mouth with the back of his hand, as though he could scrub the sensation of Tsara’s lips on his, her offer, and the parting threat away.

But as much as he may want to ignore the possibility, he was an adult and couldn’t stick his head in the metaphorical sand. Aliya and her fragile reign needed him, and if marrying Tsara was a way to strengthen Aliya’s alliance and support within the elves, he couldn’t afford to blow it off so readily.

He groaned, tapping the back of his head against the rough stone wall as though he could beat the answers out of his thick skull.

“Elessan? What’s wrong?”

He opened his eyes to find his mother standing before him. Opening his mouth to tell her nothing was bothering him, he paused. He ached to have someone to talk to. Aliya wouldn’t want to hear about Tsara’s offer, or his thoughts on it, and she already had enough on her plate. His mother, however—she’d always been an exceptional listener, and she’d have his best interests at heart.

Taking a deep breath, he said, “Princess Tsara proposed to me, and I don’t know what to do.”

Sorisana’s face went blank as she processed the unexpected news. A heartbeat later, a radiant smile burst across her expression. “Congratulations! I’m so happy for you! Have you picked out a date? Discussed it with her father?”