He chuckled. “So… we just got married.”
Juliana snorted softly. “That we did.”
“A week or two ago I was certain you felt little for me other than disdain.”
“Maybe alittlemore than disdain…”
“Juliana,” he said softly, “I’m loath to ruin a potentially wonderful day, but… I would know your reasons for marrying me. For coming after me. You’ve made no secret of your desire for knighthood over the years, but I think what you craved most was power. I understand that. Who doesn’t want an element of control, especially in a place like Faerie?”
“You think I married you because I wanted power?”
“Or acceptance, perhaps. Somewhere to belong. No one will argue you are not one of us now—”
“I didn’t marry you for power,” Juliana replied, shocked. “Or for a place to belong… although I rather hope I have that anyway. I married you because I thought that’s the only time I might get to claim you. And because… because there was nothing I wanted more. Nothing I’lleverwant more.”
Hawthorn stared at her, eyes wide, unblinking. “I’m sorry,” he said eventually, “but would you mind saying that again?”
Juliana rolled her eyes, and punched him on the arm. “You really are an idiot, Hawthorn!” she hissed, gathering all her courage, all her nerves. “I’ve been in love with you the entire time!”
His eyes widened further. “The… the entire…”
“Well, maybe not theentiretime,” she clarified. “But for far longer than I want to admit it. Too long.Painfullylong.”
Hawthorn stared at her. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Because I hate you!” she hissed. “Or I thought I did. I think mostly I hated feeling for you. I… I don’t like being out of control. You know this. And…”
“I am not the easiest person to love,” Hawthorn admitted.
“You are,” she corrected. “I’m not. And yet you do…”
He stepped closer towards her. “I do,” he whispered. “Tremendously. Voluminously.Painfully.I love you, Juliana Ardencourt.” He kissed her neck. “Say it again, please…”
Juliana pushed back. “Don’t make me repeat it!”
“I think you’re supposed to repeat after you say it, that’s rather the point.”
“Right,” she said. “I probably won’t. Much. Maybe for special occasions. I’ll show my affection in other ways. Threatening to cut off your head and so forth.”
Hawthorn smiled. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” His grin widened. “But you love me.”
“I love you,” she said, hesitant at the sound. It was too loud, too much. “I gave you myheart,Hawthorn!”
“Yes, I remember that much, but I thought that maybe there were political reasons for that, too. Or you thought that I’d be able to bring you back. Or—”
“Imarriedyou, you silly fool! You said yes!”
“Because I wanted to keep you,” he admitted. “By whatever willing means. That seemed a good way. I never thought… I didn’t dare hope that you…” He shook his head. “When? When did you fall in love with me?”
“I can’t pin it to a moment,” she admitted. “Things changed, much like they did for you, at the Summer Court. I think after that I fought with myself a great deal not to care about you any more than I did. A battle I have been losing for a long time.” She paused. “I didn’t know until recently. Didn’t let myself acknowledge it until I almost lost you, but I… I would have come for you regardless of the bargain we struck. I would have found a way to save you. I willalwaysfind a way to save you.”
He grinned. “Because you love me.”
“I do.”
“And you want to be with me.”
“I do.”
