Page 147 of Season Warriors & Wolves

Chapter thirty

Black Knight to D6

Snowlin

The sweet, apple and orange scented afternoon air of Aru was filled with soft touches of floating blossoms. It was like two seasons had merged together in one and were dancing around, blowing gusts of soft northern wind all around the Hanaian palace.

People had gathered in the cherry blossom forest just outside the walls to celebrate. Chairs were scattered in neat lines on both sides of a rosy petal altar floor pointing to an arbour made of pastel-coloured flowers that was situated under the soft shadow of an older blossom. It was an exact description of dreams Nia would tell me when we were young girls and daring to imagine what ifs. Moriko had brought them to life for her. Moriko had brought her biggest desire to life, too—to find love.

The murmurs of joy and celebration were soft and yet all so loud with happiness. Perhaps that’s what it was. Perhaps it wasn’t the blossoming at all—just happiness.

Is that what I smelled from him? Happiness?

Though he was in the furthest corner of the celebration and away from me, his eyes immediately found mine the second I looked at him. A layer of stone rigour shed from his features when he offered me a smile. It was a command my body obeyed without question—it demanded that I return it.

I love you, he mouthed.

And I love you, darling, I mouthed back, and a stupidly massive grin overtook his features.

Cai stepped before me and I sneered, looking over his shoulder at where my husband was not a second ago. Where did he run off so fast?

“What?” I hissed.

“She wants to see you. Only you.”

Worry filled me like a sinking ship and whatever amusement I wore shed away as I rushed to take off. Jayre and Memphis circled the skies of Hanai, vigilant, and soldiers circled all parameters, armed to their teeth and with a straight order of kill. But even they could have missed something.

My friend rested a hand on my shoulder, stopping me. “Nothing like that, Cakes. Take a breath.” It wasn’t until I’d calmed down that he let go of me, portalling us right in front of our friend’s room in her new home.

Nia opened the door before I even got a chance to knock and practically dragged me inside.

For a second, for a very long second, I stood there frozen still and astounded. “Nia,” I murmured, my eyes hovering over the white tulle ball gown spreading far and wide around her, decorated with all sorts of embroidery and specs of light rose coloured petals, pearls and glimmer. Her curls were up and pinned back while a golden crown of leaves and flowers rested just above her brow. My mother’s pendant around her neck. “They do exist.”

She blinked a little. “Who?”

“Faeries. Those creatures in old story books that Alaric swears up and down the seven skies that have never existed in Numen.”

She smiled and I truly believed it then, they did exist. She sighed and nervously paced back and forth. “Tell me, do I look stupid?”

“What?”

“I look stupid,” she said, nervously fiddling with the tips of her gloves before lifting them to her neck to the slight remnants of the scar and then down her arms covered with white gloves, hiding even more of them. “And exposed. So exposed. Why did I pick this one? Why did you let me pick this one?”

I shook my head, still half in awe at my friend. “No, you look perfect. Simply perfect. The most stunning thing I’ve ever seen, Nia.”

Her breaths came and went fast. “I told her it would be too much. All of this is too much. I can barely deal with you. I can’t…I can’t marry a queen, Snow.”

“She loves you like she has never loved anyone. And she wants the realm to know it,” Kilian said, stepping inside the room and I spun round to him and then quickly back at Nia.

“I called him, too,” she said, chewing on her lip. “I need a logical answer to balance your biased ones.”

I glared at her, and she chuckled. “And clearly, I was right.”

Kilian neared her and rested a hand on her shoulder. “She loves you and you know it. Not only have you seen it like I have, but you’ve felt it as well. No, this is not happening too soon, I decided to marry my wife when I was barely fourteen and she had no idea about the said marriage. No, it won’t matter to Snow or the rest of your family that you will be away from her as long as your happiness is on the line. Yes, Alastair left Drava to you and one day you will pass it on to your children or whoever you chose as right for the position. Drava will always be your homeland no matter where you are. You will be queen consort and you will be the best this kingdom has ever had. Anything else?”

She shook her head, breathing out a long exhale. “I think that was mostly it.”

My husband patted her cheek. “You look beautiful, Helenia. As always. Moriko is one lucky woman, as are you.”