Page 9 of Obsidian Throne
“We’ll be off, then,” Taras told her. “I’ll be back to escort you in—both of you—but we need to get to Van.”
“Yes,” Kirill agreed. “Someone needs to tell him she’s arrived so he can stop his fretting.”
A small laugh escaped me at my stoic husband doing anything close tofretting, like a village granny. Then it dawned on me, what they had said.
“He’s not coming here?”
Sympathy flooded Kirill’s gaze. “It’s too much of a risk, and there isn’t time. The ceremony is soon, though, Princess. Then he’ll be all yours.”
All mine.For good this time, with no more two-month stars-damned separations. Nodding, I tried to focus on that, rather than the sinking feeling at his absence.
Both men nodded to me before Mila shooed them away, pushing me toward the bathing chamber.
A few seconds later, the door opened again, and Taisiya joined me. She had come ahead with Evander’s party.
“I’m so relieved that you made it safely, Highness,” she said before dipping into a curtsy.
I smiled at her.
“Me too, Taisiya. Me, too.”
Before I knew it, I was in the porcelain tub, and she was washing my hair while I scrubbed every last remnant of our travels off of my skin and out from under my nails.
When we were finished, we moved back out to the main room where Taisiya dried my hair with warm towels and began to apply my cosmetics the way the twins had taught her in Lochlann.
The tea table was now covered with platters of finger foods, fruits, cheeses, and several other things that were unfamiliar, including small, round bits of what looked to be pastry, with an assortment of toppings.
“What are these?” I asked, picking up one of them.
It appeared to be dried meat in a shade of pale pink, with a dollop of cream and a sprig of something green. I sniffed it suspiciously.Dill.
Mila shot me a questioning look. “Did you really live here for months and never had a chance to try a blini?”
I shrugged, and she made a gesture for me to take a bite.
“This one is smoked salmon with cream--” She trailed off at the dubious expression on my face and laughed. “Just try it.”
My traitorous stomach growled in spite of the fish stew memories, and I shook my head before popping the entire thing into my mouth.
To my surprise, it was actually quite tasty. Savory and creamy with a salty and slightly sweet aftertaste. I ignored Mila’sI told you soexpression and went for another one.
“This is delicious,” I said after practically inhaling the second one.
“Try the sweet one next,” she said, pointing at a blini with cream and a deep purple berry concoction, sugar powder dusting the top.
As soon as the combination brushed against my tongue, I groaned in obscene pleasure. How was this even better?
“Told you,” Mila said, wiping away a drop of the compote from her lips. “Now, let’s finish getting you ready before they think you’re missing in truth.”
“Where do the dukes think I am?” I asked her once I had swallowed all of my food.
“They assume Evander has had you hidden away somewhere for weeks.” She shrugged. “They just don’t know where.”
Evander really had thought of everything…
Mila strutted over from the small bar with glasses of chilled vodka. She placed a rather full one in my hand and all but shoved me toward the vanity.
Tipping the cold glass to my lips, I took several long swigs of the crisp, refreshing spirits as Mila helped Taisiya finish my hair and make-up. We kept up a constant stream of gossip and chatter about the last few weeks and everyone who was here.