Page 76 of Onyx Cage: Volume II

Queen Charlotte raised her hands for silence, and most of the crowd obeyed, though several shouts and murmurs continued. Before she could speak, Rowan yanked her arm from mine, rushing forward to stand in front of her family.

She held her hands up much in the way her mother had, but this time, the crowd fell fully silent. Not out of any great love or fear, but curiosity, if their faces were anything to judge by.

“You deserve an explanation,” she called out.

Yells of agreement sounded out.

“It’s true that I was attacked in Socair.”

Another deafening round of shouts, more outraged this time. Rowan nodded, raising her hand for silence again while she backed slowly to my side. She put her arm through mine, and I raised my eyebrows just the slightest bit, wondering if she had thought this through entirely.

She swallowed, keeping her eyes forward, and I surmised she had precisely no plan. But at least they were listening.

“I was attacked by rebels, just like we have here in Lochlann. But, Lord Stenvall—” Her eyes met mine, brimming with more sincerity than I expected, more than she was capable of feigning. “—saved my life. If it weren’t for him, I never would have survived there, and I sure as stars wouldn’t be here with you now.”

Her words rang with conviction, bringing me back to that night at the inn.

I see you. You saved me.

Little by little, she was winning her people over. They looked at me again, this time with more questions than scorn.

“There has been animosity between Lochlann and Socair for so long that I think we have all begun to forget that there are other people on the other side of the Masach Mountains, not faceless, war-hungry monsters,” she said passionately, looking back to them.

Nods of agreement accompanied sheepish faces all around.

“Socair is not the enemy, and my...future husband isn’t either.”

For all her mocking and her sarcasm, that was the first time she had referenced me being her husband in truth. And I was less prepared for hearing that word fall from her lips than I would have expected to be.

At the very least, it was doing nothing for the situation with my…drafty kilt.

“I hope you will welcome him today,” she said, beaming at them now. “And treat him with the same love, kindness, and respect that you have always shown our family.”

Reaching across myfuture wifefor her free hand, I lifted it to my mouth, pressing a slow kiss against her skin.

I could have lied to myself and pretended I was driven by the same impassioned need she felt to prove her people wrong about Socairans, but closer to the truth was an inescapable need to be closer to her, to have my lips on her, to ensure everyone here today knew exactly who she belonged to.

She sucked in a breath, and I tried not to picture all the other ways I could make her gasp.

I failed.

“For the show,” I murmured against her hand, meeting her eyes.

Throughout the last week, there had been fleeting, uncertain moments where I wondered if we were raging against the tides for a prize we could never quite grasp.

But when she looked up at me with a single raised eyebrow, a smirk resting on her lips, and echoed, “For the show,” it was impossible to forget what we were fighting for.

And why defeat had never been an option for me.

CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

Though I was well acquainted with a number of instruments, I had never heard anything remotely close to the bagpipes. I wasn’t sure I wanted to again, for that matter, but perhaps that was only because they were standing so close to us and there were so many of them.

They were very Lochlannian, though. Loud and intrusive, just like the people here, who were edging far too close to us as they headed out to enjoy the festival.

I pulled my arm in closer, tugging Rowan right along with it to get her out of the pathway of her pushy citizens. Jocelyn approached, nodding in approval.

“That was well done, Rowan,” she said, glancing at the lack of space between us. “I want you two to try to enjoy yourselves today, and spend your time focused on one another. Back up what you told the people about how you feel about him.”