He kissed her with a tenderness that melted the ice in her veins.Thiswas real. Everything at that table had been a performance, but this kiss was the real him. Arden’s hands in her hair, his heart beating wildly beneath her palms. That was what mattered.
He pulled away, his forehead resting against hers, lips brushing hers. “Go with me to the Temple of Desiree. We’ll leave tonight and by tomorrow afternoon we’ll have proof that we’re soul mates and our hearts will be bonded together. There will be nothing my parents can say to that.”
“I’m sure they’ll have plenty to say,” Stella said. She stepped back, needing the distance between them to think.
“They won’t. It’s easier to beg forgiveness when we prove we’re right, because I know we are. I’ve never felt like this about anyone. I love you. Who can argue once we have that bond? You know that’s a thing our parents will respect. My father is terrified of upsetting the gods. Just trust me on this. It will be enough to convince them it’s a good idea and then we can finally be together. Meet me at the royal stables at midnight and we will ride to Heartwood Valley.” He took her hand in his.
The sudden impulsivity was so unlike him. He could be romantic in moments, but he was so rarely spontaneous. Spontaneity was not a luxury for princes. He always had to be aware of appearances.
He curled in on himself, looking agonized by her silence. “Please, Stella. I love you and I can stand up for what I believe in. You mean too much to me and I need you as queen. Our people do.”
Seeing him so undone at the thought of losing her sent a reckless thrill through Stella.
“You think I’d be a good queen?” she asked, fighting a smile.
He lowered to his knees, brushing a kiss to her knuckles. “You would make an exceptional queen. You’re kind and beautiful and have such brilliant ideas. You were made to be my better half. Just give me this chance to prove I deserve you.”
Stella was torn between logic and the sweeping romance of the offer. It was unlike him to go against his parents’ wishes, but this was just the grand gesture she’d been dreaming about since he first started speaking to her on the beach. She wanted the world to knowthat she was special to him—not in the way he made everyone who spoke to him feel special, but in the way she made him feel that back.
A warning bell blared in the back of her mind. It was the echo of her mother’s voice chiding her to be careful about handsome, sweet-talking men who made big promises.
But Arden was noble and not prone to chasing whim. He had been listening all along and he wanted to give her the exact thing that she’d always wanted. She could have a grand, sweeping love story of her own, and all she had to do was take a leap of faith.
It was not the question she’d been hoping he’d ask from his knees, but her response was the same anyway.
“Yes.”
5
TEDDY
Looking down the long, white marble hallway of the Temple of Desiree, Teddy felt suddenly uncertain. Impulsivity did not come naturally to him, but it was now or never.
Seeing Arden Teripin tossed into a political marriage so publicly had been the wake-up call Teddy needed. He was not about to sit back and wait for the same thing to happen to him. Not when he was certain of who he wanted by his side for life.
On the surface, his decision might have looked rash, but really it was calculated and strategic.
Any doubt in his mind was wiped away when his partner in crime grinned up at him. Grace Farlan was meant for him.
They’d been waiting to get into the main temple for nearly an hour. They’d arrived before dark and were led to guest suites to change and eat before the ceremony. Now they were finally ready to be seen by the goddess.
Moonlight poured in through the tall windows that lined the hallway, casting Grace’s face ghostly white and her hair silver. She smoothed her elaborate fuchsia dress. It was a bit much for the occasion. Though she’d traveled in riding clothes, Grace insisted she wouldn’t meet the goddess in anything but her finest gown.
She caught him studying her. “I know that face. You’re hedging.”
The tension left Teddy’s shoulders. “I’m not. It’s not you. You’re perfect.”
There was a flicker of something in her eyes. “I’m not?—”
“You’re perfect for me,” he corrected.
For years he’d watched men of the Argarian court approach Grace like she was a rare jewel and not a person. Beauty made fools of men, but Teddy had been lucky enough to know her underneath the carefully curated facade. She was steady, kind, and mesmerizing at commanding a room. She always put Teddy at ease.
The line shifted forward.
Grace hesitated, staring out at the moon. “What if?—”
Teddy could practically read the thought.What if they weren’t meant for each other?
