Carissa glanced over at Elon, waiting for him to tell the man ‘no.’ But Elon only glanced at her, a smile softening his lips. Was he amused? Did he want her to dance with the man? Carissa glanced back at the man. His caramel-colored hair was smoothed back in a pompadour, his smile stiff with…
“Announcing the arrival of King Elon and… his lovely bride and queen, Carissa.” Elon straightened, pride swelling within him at the announcement. He remembered the day he’d left the palace, how he’d stared towards the City of Zonah, his heart throbbing painfully in his chest, his palms clammy. The journey had officially been to reinforce…
“How can I help?” Carissa’s newly appointed lady-in-waiting froze, her slender hands still holding a lock of Carissa’s hair, and stared at Elon with rounded eyes. “Your–Your Majesty?” Elon strode towards Carissa, seated before the vanity. He rested his hands on her shoulders, left bare by the cut of her dress. “What can I do…
Carissa jolted awake and scrubbed her eyes. It seemed the carriage had bumped over a rock in the road. If only she’d slept the rest of the trip. Even in the carriage, the mountain air nipped at her ears no matter how high she pulled her hood over her head. She rolled her shoulders, feeling…
Elon shut the door behind them. Rain shushed the storm outside, while their clothes steadily dripped with water. He turned to face her. “Hmm. It seems you still got wet, despite the cloak.” She ducked her head to conceal her a pleased smile. She’d had to nudge the cloak back to allow rainwater to soak…
Carissa blinked, something stirring her from her sleep. The sky was a charcoal gray, darkened by clouds and the coming night. The ground was cold and hard beneath her, and the chill air numbed her skin. The field was littered with rounded stones, some unmarked, some etched with a name and date. The graveyard. She…
“Cursed?” Carissa’s voice squeaked, as if the hinges of her tongue were rusty. “Yes, my dear.” Her eyes fixed on Carissa. “As are you.” Carissa leaned back to better see the woman before her, who knew more than she’d first appeared to. “This, I know. But how do you know?” The woman’s lips met in…
Carissa shoved open the church door and strode to where Elon awaited her. He lifted her onto the saddle before slipping behind her. “Did you find anything in the registry?” Carissa shook her head as they trotted down the road. “Her birth was recorded, but not her death. It appears she left, just as Doris…
“Ah, Marissa!” Old Dorien’s toothy grin greeted them. Deeper in the house, Rosalind’s sobs had softened and Nad snapped, “She’s not to enter, Dorien.” Carissa suppressed a sigh. Really? Nad was upset at her? She would have thought he’d thank her for ensuring his wife remained loyal—at least for a little while. The door opened…
Carissa glanced at him over her shoulder, and her body shuddered with relief. “Yes?” She twisted away from his grasp to face him. “What part of a ‘private conversation’ did you not understand?” He stepped away from the shade of the tree, revealing an amused twist to his lips. “The ‘private’ part, which I never…