Page 163 of The Crown’s Temptation

He had threatened my children.

And now he would be punished, I thought to myself calmly.

It was barely sunset when I reached the shoreline. I was earlier than usual, yet Eravic was there, standing near the dock as though he had been deep in thought.

He looked down at my dress. “It is tied wrong again.”

I rolled my eyes. “It is not.”

“It most certainly is.”

He was not wrong. I could not find Fiersa this afternoon and was in a rush to get here so I had thrown the leather on and tied it to the best of my ability.”

“Come,” he motioned.

He carefully loosened the laces, threading each one properly through the leather corset. “I’ll leave it loose for the treatment, then we’ll tighten afterwards, princess.”

This was becoming routine for us, though usually it was done inside the hut.

“I do not want the treatment right now, Eravic.”

He raised an eyebrow. “What is it that you want then?”

“I need to get to Thrykis.”

"You cannot leave,” he said immediately.

"The vials have been helping. In the evenings I feel strong. The Arrolyn helps after dark. Enough to move." I do not say the rest of it: that I do not know how long the nights will keep giving me that much, or what happens when they stop, or what happens if I do not activate the Arrolyn and never find an antidote?

No. I needed to do this now.

I looked at him carefully. "If you will not take me I will find a way to go anyway."

"It is not what needs to be done right now."

I stared at him. "It is not in your nature, perhaps. But it is in mine."

He laughed. "There are some things about my nature that perhaps you do not know."

"Oh? Such as?"

He took a step toward me. Closer than I was used to him being. "I want this just as much as you do."

I could barely breathe. "Then take me there."

We stood like that. The water at our ankles.

He looked down at me. “You cannot get on my ship with your dress half-on.”

I sighed. “Fine, then lace me up.”

He came behind me and began lacing the corset.

“It is too tight,” I whined.

“My men haven’t seen a woman in a while.”

“That should have nothing to do with my ability to breathe.”