Chapter 42: How About We Mate Tonight

The bells of the citadel struck twelve, their deep bronze chimes echoing through the stone corridors. It was noon on the third day, and the heavy, stagnant silence that had settled over the royal wing during Valex’s absence was suddenly shattered. From the balcony of the small solar, Odesse heard it first—the sharp, rhythmic clatter of hooves on the cobblestone courtyard below and the distant barked orders of the captain of the guard. Servants scurried through the galleries, their arms laden with fresh linens and steaming pitchers of water. The scent of roasted rosemary and heavy meats began to drift up from the kitchens, replacing the faint smell of old parchment.

Odesse stood by the window, her heart doing a nervous dance against her ribs. She had spent the last two days being molded into a queen by Azure’s cold hands, and now, for the first time, she would see if Valex noticed the change. She smoothed the front of her gown, her fingers grazing the spot where she had hidden his last letter. She didn’t have to wait long. The heavy double doors at the end of the hall groaned open, and the sound of tired, heavy boots signaled that the King had finally come home.

As soon as the sound of his boots echoed against the stone, the composed queen-in-training vanished, and Odesse was simply a girl who had missed her husband. She didn’t wait for him to reach the solar; instead, she pulled open the door and sprinted down the vaulted gallery. Valex looked exhausted. His dark hair was disheveled, the circles under his eyes spoke of sleepless nights, and his heavy royal mantle looked like a burden he was desperate to shed.

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