Lonely. I’m just lonely and impatient to finally meet my fated mate. I’m over nine hundred years old and I still haven’t encountered the female the gods have marked as mine, though I pray the day comes soon.
But how will I know when I’ve met the female who’s meant to be mine forever? Will it feel similar to what I’m experiencing for this small human woman?
At last, the girl stops weeping, and the prince treats her with kindness and offers her a bottle of wine. I watch, stunned to my core, as Prince Lucas engages her in a friendly, albeit unusual, conversation.
“What’s your name?” the prince asks.
“Amelia, sir.”
Amelia. My heart quickens. The pretty, feminine name suits her delicate, golden features.
“Hello, Amelia. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” The prince straightens in his chair. “Tell me, have you ever been in love?”
I tense at the strange question, and I scoot even closer to Amelia, ready to intervene if I must.
“No,” she says after a long pause. “I’ve had crushes, but I’ve never been in love. I’m promised to an old lord who lives on the edge of the kingdom, though I haven’t met him yet.” She sighs. “We’re supposed to be married next month. I doubt I’ll love him, but my father says he’s a decent man. I hope we can become friends.”
“Are you certain your old lord survived the battle?” Prince Lucas asks as I reel from the shock of learning about her betrothal. I’m equal parts surprised and angry, though it’s difficult to sort out the exact cause of the irritation that’s quickly building to rage.
Betrothed. Fucking fires.
“Oh yes. He sent his sons to fight in his stead,” Amelia says. “My father received a missive from him two days ago informing us of his survival. Sadly, his sons both perished.” Her cheeks become flushed, and she swallows hard. “My mother says he’ll want to be getting me with child as soon as possible since he’ll be needing to create an heir before his time in this realm comes to an end.”
I’m on the verge of roaring my rage, but I quickly remind myself that she’s not my fated mate. I’m simply entranced by her beauty and so impatient to meet the female who will belong to me forever that I’ve allowed my imagination to get the better of me.
Amelia. Gods, I love the sound of her name, and I long to say it aloud just to savor it on my tongue, but I don’t. I won’t riskgetting caught. Though she might not be my mate, I’m still going to remain in Prince Lucas’s quarters and keep watch over her. I feel compelled to do so.
The remainder of the conversation is so very odd, and it makes me see the prince in a new light. He truly isn’t the cruel, conniving monster he wants the soldiers to believe he is. He engages the girl in a lively conversation about love and asks how he might woo a particular human who apparently holds his affection.
Remarkable. I almost have to cover my mouth to keep from gasping, but I press my lips together and breathe slowly through my nose. The prince proceeds to ask the servant girl for advice on how to make the young human woman called Yvette fall in love with him. How extraordinary.
I peer at Amelia as she becomes animated, and perhaps a bit drunk on the wine, while she excitedly offers Prince Lucas advice on how to steal Yvette’s heart.
Gods, Amelia is so radiantly beautiful, and she emanates so much sweetness that I’m not certain I’ll manage to resist the temptation to take possession of her.
I could claim her as a war prize. Why not?
“Here’s what you do, sir,” she says with a gesture toward the prince. “You take your lady on moonlit walks, tell her you think she’s the most beautiful woman in the entire realm, and perform acts of kindness not just to her but to people she cares about. If you can make her family and friends like you too, then she’ll more easily fall in love with you. As for gifts, you don’t want to go too large at first, as you don’t want her to accuse you of trying to buy her love. So, start small, and try to make it personal. A bracelet made of beads the color of her eyes, or a box of candies from her favorite shop.”
I listen intently, wishing I could dismiss the invisibility shield, step forward, and swoop Amelia into my arms. I wishI could fly her to every candy shop in the realm and buy her whatever she craves, and I long to shower her with lavish gifts even though she believes a male shouldn’t go too large at first. I want to drape her in rare jewels and the finest silks.
Slowly, very carefully, I push off the wall and approach her. I sink down on the floor next to her, and I breathe deep of her sweet, floral scent. I lean as close as I dare and smell her hair.
A slight shiver affects her body, and I immediately send her a wave of summer warmth, wanting to ensure her comfort. It pleases me when she ceases shivering and her eyes briefly flare with relief. Summoning more of my summer magic, I send her another wave of warmth followed by an infusion of scents reminiscent of the season. Honeysuckle, lavender, gardenia, and jasmine, just to name a few. She peers around the room as though searching for the source, but her gaze softens as she takes a deep breath, and she appears even more relaxed than before.
Gods, why is everything about her so enticing?
I think of the female soldiers in the Summer Court army. I’ve enjoyed discreet amorous encounters with many of them, though it’s been a while since I’ve done so. Maybe I’m due for some female companionship. Maybe that’s another reason Amelia has caught my attention.
I scoot even closer to her, admiring the way her face lights up as she talks about love.
Perfect. Amelia is so perfect.
Mine. The word resounds in my head, and I shove it away.
Eventually, the prince shocks me further when he promises to escort her outside the castle in secret, deliver her to her parents’ house or to any location she desires, and give her twenty pieces of silver just to thank her for giving him advice.
It’s perhaps the most shocking scene I’ve ever witnessed.
