Page 71 of The Hopeless Romantic’s Guide to Enchantment

A pause, and he looked up at her through dark lashes.

“Cera, will you marry me?”

Shining Eagle and every warbird in the sky, she was good.

Cera covered her mouth, swallowing a pleased laugh. “Of course. Yes!”

And when he picked her up and spun her around, his warbird ocarina pressed against her chest like a kiss.

* * *

Wedding preparations began after that. Cera didn’t see much of Tasi or Korvi as she was swept through dress sizing, menu discussions, and venue options. At her request, they centered the planned ceremony around the aviary, which felt like a nice homage to both Pinske and Korvi for making this arrangement possible.

“Can Korvi be the ring-bearer?” Cera asked at one point.

Raiden, lounging in a plush armchair with a cup of tea, quirked an eyebrow. “You want the raven – who is known to steal and hoard shiny metal objects – to be in charge of our very expensive rings?”

Cera grimaced. “Point.”

There were several moments where Cera shared a space with her betrothed, but the duke always had an advisor whispering in his ear, or a guard standing watch. Really, being a duke of Dalet seemed exhausting, based on how much Raiden was responsible for.

This was why she preferred the forests of Raliana. But sacrifices must be made.

And what a sacrifice. One day, after a lengthy bout of meetings fueled by Dalet’s preferred liquor – a dark, sweet drink that flavored every thing from tea and hot chocolate to ale and rum – Raiden finally got her alone in the hallway. His eyes were dark with desire, and her mind was pleasantly fuzzy from the booze.

“You look phenomenal in that dress, Mistress Rider,” he whispered heatedly.

They’d been having more exchanges like this since the proposal – moments where Raiden’s calm demeanor would slip into something far sexier, where his fingers would trail her skin like a silken promise and heat would slip right to her core.

Cera swallowed past a dry mouth, her gaze dropping to his lips. Surely, Tasi would commend her on this, considering their goal here. “And you, Sir Rider. I could barely keep my eyes off you.”

“Fuck,” Raiden moaned, getting closer than he ever had before. A distant part of her felt like she should push him away, but it had been ages since she’d enjoyed physical touch, and his fingers somehow felt both admiring and intense. She drew a gasping breath and let him push her against the wall, let the stone cool her, noting how the overhead torches cast him in tantalizing shadow.

For the first time, they were truly, utterly alone.

Her fingers gripped his biceps, feeling his muscles, trailing along his shoulders. That shirt really was doing him every favor. He shuddered viciously at her touch, and she pressed closer to him, her fingers trailing the leather cord that held his warbird ocarina. She raised her lips to whisper in his ear, “Do you think—”

“Apologies, my liege,” a servant stammered.

“What?” Raiden snapped, even as they sprang apart. The distance seemed to give him more awareness, because he scrubbed his face and forced a smile. “Yes? What do you need?”

“The Earl of Yal is awaiting your attention in the study.” The servant carefully didn’t look at Cera – at least, at first. When she thought Raiden wasn’t watching, she snuck a peek, curiosity in her gaze.

Was this embarrassing? Cera was still fuzzy from the liquor and couldn’t quite tell.

It didn’t feel embarrassing.

It felt frustrating.

“I’ll be right there,” Raiden said, and the servant bowed and left them alone again.

The tension had broken. He forced a smile. “Another time. Something to look forward to. And trust me, duchess… I will be looking forward to it.”

Cera ran a hand through her long curls. “Oh, yes. Absolutely.”

He left, and she drew a slow breath and returned to her suite.

* * *