tried to relax, but couldn’t, her mind awhirl with uncertainties. When her back stiffened at his touch and her wings arched away from his hand, he raised a brow. Aware he scanned her thoughts, she held tight to her strength, forbidding him admittance.
“Do not hide your feelings and thoughts from me, my queen,” he said, his voice tight.
Irritation from his earlier treatment of her remained. “I will give you what I am duty bound to, and nothing more, my king.” Her jaw ached from clenching her teeth. Her annoyance at his attitude grew with every turn around the makeshift dancing arena.
“You will give me all of you, Noele.” His brows knit together, his glare fierce. His fingers bit into her hand hard enough to draw her attention.
She should have been afraid, but she wasn’t. Anger at her so-called duty and Garick’s ambivalence forced her normally independent spirit to surface. “I will do what is required of me. That is all you can expect, that is all I will give you.”
“What if I want more?”
What did he mean, more? Despite her bravado, she wanted nothing more than to be accepted by Garick and his people. Living out the rest of her life unhappily would crush her. Was it too much to ask for a little kindness?
“Answer me, my beautiful faerie.”
She looked up and met his eyes. His face had changed. Gone was the angry Elvin King, replaced instead by a man with a handsome face and warm eyes that seemed to touch her soul. “You confuse me, Garick.”
He sighed. “Aye, I realize that. I cannot help who I am or the way I am. I will take some getting used to.
But I will never harm you, Noele. You have my pledge that you will be well taken care of in Winterland.” She already knew that. He was duty bound to protect her. What she didn’t know was whether he would keep her.
And what of love? Would she ever find it, or was she doomed by her obligations to the faerie to live out her life miserably unhappy?
“It is time.”
Roarke’s voice over her shoulder made her shiver with an equal amount of dread and anticipation.
Garick nodded and stepped away from her, leaving her to her sisters and Isolde to prepare her for the consummation.
In a few short hours, she would no longer be a virgin. By morning, she would know her future.
She and her sisters were led to Garick’s chambers by one of the guard. A huge room filled with a heavy oak bed that took up an ample amount of space. The hearth was twice the size of the one in her room, and there was a balcony through glass doors that overlooked D’Naath.
The room was lovely, and yet Noele was cold, her very bones turned to ice.
Oh, why couldn’t she enjoy this special night, forget thoughts of what would happen after?
She vaguely listened to her sisters as they giggled about tonight’s activities. Her body trembled in anticipation. No fear coursed through her, mainly curiosity and dread.
Isolde removed her wedding gown and carefully folded it. Noele spread her wings to the sides to stretch. Considering the activities of the evening, she’d need to retract her wings.
She was naked, as was custom. They brushed her body with soft cloths to bring out the silver flecks nestled just under her skin. With the firelight shimmering off the hearth, her skin appeared like pinpoints of moonlight shot out from her body.
“You are most beautiful, my queen,” Isolde said in a hushed whisper.
“I wish you much happiness, Noele. We will see you at the morning meal,” Solara said, pain evident in her golden green eyes.
As her sisters made to leave, Noele said, “Solara, wait. I wish to speak with you alone for a brief moment.”
She nodded and waited while the rest of her sisters kissed and hugged Noele, then left. “What is it?”
“Roarke.”
“What of him?”
“You feel something for him.”
Solara lifted her chin. “I do not.”
Noele laid her hand over her sister’s heart. “As you told me before, you lie. I can feel it. You mustn’t,
“Do not hide your feelings and thoughts from me, my queen,” he said, his voice tight.
Irritation from his earlier treatment of her remained. “I will give you what I am duty bound to, and nothing more, my king.” Her jaw ached from clenching her teeth. Her annoyance at his attitude grew with every turn around the makeshift dancing arena.
“You will give me all of you, Noele.” His brows knit together, his glare fierce. His fingers bit into her hand hard enough to draw her attention.
She should have been afraid, but she wasn’t. Anger at her so-called duty and Garick’s ambivalence forced her normally independent spirit to surface. “I will do what is required of me. That is all you can expect, that is all I will give you.”
“What if I want more?”
What did he mean, more? Despite her bravado, she wanted nothing more than to be accepted by Garick and his people. Living out the rest of her life unhappily would crush her. Was it too much to ask for a little kindness?
“Answer me, my beautiful faerie.”
She looked up and met his eyes. His face had changed. Gone was the angry Elvin King, replaced instead by a man with a handsome face and warm eyes that seemed to touch her soul. “You confuse me, Garick.”
He sighed. “Aye, I realize that. I cannot help who I am or the way I am. I will take some getting used to.
But I will never harm you, Noele. You have my pledge that you will be well taken care of in Winterland.” She already knew that. He was duty bound to protect her. What she didn’t know was whether he would keep her.
And what of love? Would she ever find it, or was she doomed by her obligations to the faerie to live out her life miserably unhappy?
“It is time.”
Roarke’s voice over her shoulder made her shiver with an equal amount of dread and anticipation.
Garick nodded and stepped away from her, leaving her to her sisters and Isolde to prepare her for the consummation.
In a few short hours, she would no longer be a virgin. By morning, she would know her future.
She and her sisters were led to Garick’s chambers by one of the guard. A huge room filled with a heavy oak bed that took up an ample amount of space. The hearth was twice the size of the one in her room, and there was a balcony through glass doors that overlooked D’Naath.
The room was lovely, and yet Noele was cold, her very bones turned to ice.
Oh, why couldn’t she enjoy this special night, forget thoughts of what would happen after?
She vaguely listened to her sisters as they giggled about tonight’s activities. Her body trembled in anticipation. No fear coursed through her, mainly curiosity and dread.
Isolde removed her wedding gown and carefully folded it. Noele spread her wings to the sides to stretch. Considering the activities of the evening, she’d need to retract her wings.
She was naked, as was custom. They brushed her body with soft cloths to bring out the silver flecks nestled just under her skin. With the firelight shimmering off the hearth, her skin appeared like pinpoints of moonlight shot out from her body.
“You are most beautiful, my queen,” Isolde said in a hushed whisper.
“I wish you much happiness, Noele. We will see you at the morning meal,” Solara said, pain evident in her golden green eyes.
As her sisters made to leave, Noele said, “Solara, wait. I wish to speak with you alone for a brief moment.”
She nodded and waited while the rest of her sisters kissed and hugged Noele, then left. “What is it?”
“Roarke.”
“What of him?”
“You feel something for him.”
Solara lifted her chin. “I do not.”
Noele laid her hand over her sister’s heart. “As you told me before, you lie. I can feel it. You mustn’t,
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