The Blood Spell (Ravenspire, #4)(116)
“Nes, you’re brilliant. It’s only right that the throne honor the person who destroyed the biggest threat to our kingdom. And that person is the one whose foot fits into that golden slipper.”
I hate to point out the obvious, but plenty of girls could fit into that shoe.
His smile widened. “Not when Blue’s grandmother gets done with it.”
FORTY-SEVEN
IT HAD BEEN three days since Blue had killed the wraith and then survived with the help of Nessa and Kellan. She’d spent those days in Grand-mère’s house drinking healing teas, eating too much, and sleeping with Pepperell’s suffocating weight planted firmly on her chest. Most of the time when she awoke, she found Kellan, Nessa, or both sitting just outside her room.
Nessa wanted to tell her all about her role in helping save Blue and wanted to know when Blue could teach her how to use a wand. She was devastated to learn that wands only worked for those with magic in their blood.
Kellan wanted to hold her. Walk with her in the orchard in companionable silence. Or haltingly describe how he’d felt when he thought she was dying.
The Chauveau girls had moved back to their quarter and were staying with an uncle and his sons. The royal magistrate was trying to determine who could claim ownership of the Chauveau empire now that both Dinah and her creditor were dead. According to Grand-mère, the queen had her hands full sorting through that mess along with managing the blood debt the Roche family owed for Martin’s crime of murdering Marisol Evrard and Genevieve Gaillard.
On the third day, Kellan showed up for breakfast, ate enough to feed at least five horses, and then leaned across Grand-mère’s table and winked at Blue. “Time to get ready. I assume Grand-mère can make you another fancy dress?”
Blue frowned. “Ready for what?”
“My betrothal announcement. I didn’t want to do another ball, obviously, so I called a special assembly. Every girl of eligible age in the city is required to be there.”
“I . . . Every girl?” Her frown slid into a suspicious scowl.
“Every single one.” He grinned.
Her eyes narrowed. “I don’t think I’m feeling up to going anywhere.”
He crooked one of his brows. “You were just telling me you wanted to go for a swim.”
“A swim doesn’t require a fancy dress and pretending.”
“Oh? And what would you be pretending?”
“To enjoy myself.” She looked down at her hands. Didn’t he realize that she couldn’t stand to see the boy she loved choose someone else?
His voice gentled. “Blue?”
Slowly she raised her eyes to his.
“Do you trust me?” he asked quietly.
“Yes.”
He left his seat and crouched in front of her. “Do you know how much I love you? How I’d rather die than hurt you?”
“Yes.” She breathed the word as he framed her face and pulled her mouth to his.
His kiss was as gentle as his words, and she leaned into him until he pulled away and pressed his forehead to hers instead. “Then please believe me when I say that of everyone in the kingdom, you are the one person I desperately need to be present for the announcement today.”
He kissed her again, and then Grand-mère cleared her throat sharply from the doorway.
“That’ll be about enough of that foolishness in my kitchen. Get yourself to the castle, Kellan. And don’t forget this.” She shoved an object wrapped in cloth into his arms as he stood. “You’ve got four hours.”
He nodded. “The announcement begins in one hour. Please don’t be late.”
“Faster you leave, faster I can magic up something fancy for Blue to wear.”
And then Kellan was gone, and Blue was staring at her grandmother while Kellan’s words echoed in her head.
“Why does he need me to be there today?” she asked.
“Let’s get some flowers for the dress. Rynoir blooms, I think.” She managed to sound both excited and smug.
“Grand-mère, why does he need me?” Blue’s voice was sharp, as hope, painful and tender, bloomed. “He can’t choose me.”
“Can’t he now?”
“No. It’s the law.”
“Well, I’m sure you know every little detail and possible loophole in all of Balavata’s laws, so perhaps we’ll just forget the dress after all.” Grand-mère turned away, and Blue shot out of her chair.
“No, wait. What loophole?”
“Get yourself to the castle and find out.”
An hour later, Blue stood in the grand receiving hall at the castle, surrounded by a crowd of girls her age, their parents or guardians in tow. The queen sat on a throne at the far end of the hall, dressed in regal red. Kellan stood at her side in his own formal attire. Nessa stood beside him, her face wreathed in smiles as she gazed out at the crowd.
Kellan held a flat red velvet pillow in his hands, one of Blue’s dancing slippers balanced in its center. Blue caught her breath and raised her eyes to his face.
He was watching her, a shy, hopeful smile tugging at his lips. When he saw that he had her full attention, he winked.
Heat flushed her skin, and the fizzy feeling she got whenever she was with him exploded through her veins.