Promising Hope (16 page)

“He stayed?” Sashe asked.

She nodded again. “For me.” She wished he hadn’t.
Everything would be easier if he weren’t here.

Sashe studied Grace, who avoided her eyes.

“I wish he hadn’t,” Grace whispered. “I’m happy here,
and he’s just going to make things complicated.” She’d been so
happy about it yesterday, so touched. It seemed stupid now.

“He loves you,” Sashe said.

Grace stood up. “I love William.”

Sashe stared at her, slowing standing. “If you say
so. Shall we walk to dinner?”

Grace gave her a curt nod, and they walked to the
dining room in silence. King Thomas and Queen Kate were the only
guests who’d arrived. Grace hid her disappointment. She hated being
away from him. All day had been difficult. She longed to be with
him at all times.

She and Lady Sashe sat next to each other across from
the queen. How could Sashe and the queen both be with the king? If
another woman touched William, Grace would kill her.

“Ah, it’s our fickle lady,” the queen said, raising
her eyebrows at Grace. She hadn’t been at breakfast or lunch; she
usually wasn’t. Grace heard she usually slept in quite late and
took breakfast by herself, then went on social outings for lunch.
She turned to the king. “I heard her father had to drag her back to
her room yesterday.”

Grace’s face heated up. “I don’t know what got into
me,” she said quietly. “I think both my father and I overreacted. I
was only… curious, but my father was trying to protect me from the
battle and…” She was just making excuses now, but how could she
truly explain her silly behavior yesterday?

The queen leaned forward. “As you saw yesterday in
the meeting, I don’t care either way how you feel about the shape
changers. But I am a bit protective over my son.”

“Oh, Kate, he’s a grown man,” the king said.

The queen ignored him. “So, you’ll be careful, Lady
Grace, won’t you? Because William does care for you.”

“Of course,” Grace said, “and I care for him and I
love being here in the castle with him. With all of you.” She added
the last bit, smiling at them. Sashe looked amused.

“We like you being here, too,” Queen Kate
replied.

William came in just as the servants were serving the
soup, and Grace held her breath. He nodded to her and sat next to
his mother.

Grace smiled at him. “I haven’t seen you all
day.”

“Yes, I’m sorry,” William said. “My father and I had
things to sort out with the Protectors, after the escape
yesterday.”

“I hope everything is smoothed over now.”

William scowled as he picked up his goblet. “We’ve
lost two workers, and we have even more problems with the
Avialies.” He sipped his wine. “Things aren’t really smoothed
over.”

Grace looked down at her food. They ate in silence
for a short while, then Sashe broke the silence. “I wish someone
would have told me Sierra would be here.”

Thomas patted her hand. “I know she’s your sister,
but she’s fraternizing with the Avialies now. I thought it best if
you didn’t see her.”

Sashe pulled her hand away. “I’m a grown woman, your
Majesty, and Sierra is my sister, even if she has questionable
alliances.”

William huffed. “She broke laws and she’s not welcome
here. She’s as good as an Avialie.”

Sashe pursed her lips. “Next time, I’ll know better
than to leave when you suggest it.”

“Don’t hold your breath. Sierra won’t be coming back
to the palace unless she’s bound and chained.”

They fell into silence again. Grace wondered if Sashe
should just let Sierra go. She was with the Avialies now. She’d
actually fought against Tisha and Kilar. Her husband had fought
William and broken his nose. It infuriated Grace to think of anyone
hurting William. She leaned forward. “What are your plans for
them?”

“Arrest them for their crimes and try them under the
laws of Haltar,” William said. “What else?”

She frowned. He was being awfully short with her. It
must have been because of yesterday. She had to make it up to him
somehow. Help him realize where her true allegiances laid.

They ate through a tense dinner, and Lady Sashe was
the first to leave. William left next, and Grace hurried after him.
In the corridor, she called, “Your Highness.”

He stopped for her and raised his eyebrows at her.
“Yes, Lady Grace?”

“I was hoping we could take a walk or sit and play
some games.”

He said nothing for a moment. “We could walk. Perhaps
outside in the gardens, where the Avialies killed two palace
guards?”

She huffed. “You act as though I was involved in
that.”

“You allied yourself with the Avialies for weeks,
running across the country like a barbarian! I thought you’d come
back to us, but then yesterday you stick your neck out for that…
for your precious Dar.”

“William, I’m here now. I’m here with you, and I—”
she cut herself off before she told she loved him. She remembered
what her father said: she’d look desperate. “I’m sorry about
yesterday. I’ve told you before—I don’t want Dar’s blood on my
hands.”

“His blood would have been on his own hands,” he
snapped. “He was the one who let the Avialies in, who helped them
through the gates, who—”

“I know, but I—I suppose I care about his life
because of our past. I don’t care about
him
. I care about
you so much more, and I never want anything to come between us.
Listen, William, I’m done choosing Dar over you. I promise. I want
us to have a real future, a possibility at a life together.” Her
cheeks grew warm, and she took a step closer to him. She took his
hand in an act of courage. “It’s just you and me now.”

“I feel like he’ll always be between us,” William
said quietly. “I feel like you’re practically an Avialie.”

She shook her head. “It’s not so.”

He wrapped his hand around hers. “Let’s walk
outside.”

They walked to the gardens silently, and she wasn’t
sure whether to be happy or not. Did he truly want to be with her,
as she did with him? She couldn’t read him. She leaned towards him.
“William… how do you really feel about me?” she asked quietly.

William looked at her in surprise.

“We’re always talking about me, but what do you
feel?”

He glanced away and opened the door to the gardens
for her. It was dusk outside, the sky violet blue. A cool breeze
swept past them, and she pulled her shawl around her as they walked
through the hedges. He motioned to a bench, and they sat down. She
looked at him expectantly. Maybe he wouldn’t even answer.

He finally turned towards her. “I like you, Grace. I
enjoy spending time with you.” He paused, his gaze roving over her
face. “I’d never had so much fun on a political trip as I did
during that trip to Nyad… until you were kidnapped, of course. I
hate thinking of you with another man. I know we’ve had a lot of
problems, but I’m willing to keep trying with us.”

She remembered when, in Kleisade, she’d said that the
only reason he didn’t like the Avialies was because they had
something he didn’t. He’d been so upset. She wanted to apologize
for it, but it seemed like such a long time ago.

“I want us to move past the Avialies, past the
Protectors. I want your family, your father, to be connected to
mine. I think I could treat you well, and you’d have a wonderful
life with me.” He half-smiled. “Who knows? If we got married, you
could even be queen.”

Her face flushed at the thought, and she swallowed.
What would that be like? Being his partner and helping him with his
duties as king? “Would you want that?”

He didn’t respond at first. “I think so.”

“You think so?” she repeated faintly. “Why don’t you
know one way or the other?”

“Because… I don’t trust you. You’re up, then you’re
down; you’re for the Avialies, then you’re for the Protectors;
you’re in love with Dar, then you’re throwing yourself all over me.
How am I supposed to expect you to be consistent and supportive?
That’s the kind of woman that needs to be on the throne. Someone
who’s dependable and predictable.”

Grace fidgeted with her dress. She hadn’t been
predictable these past couple months, that was for sure. But she
was willing to change for him. She’d do anything for him. She
nodded. “I was so taken up with the Avialies. So amazed at their
magic and the fact that I could do something for them.” She paused.
“I’ve never been for the Protectors, William, but I have been for
you. I still see you as separate from them for some reason.”

“They’re mine and my father’s closest advisors,”
William said. “You shouldn’t see us as separate.”

“I know. It’s just hard to think of you killing
unborn children or someone like Evan.” She held back what she
wanted to say, that the Protectors were evil and William wasn’t.
That wouldn’t help her. She was going to have to watch what she
said around him, if she truly wanted to be with him. And she
did.

He sighed. “You think of them as innocent people, but
they’re not.”

She shook her head. “I don’t want to talk about the
Avialies. I want to keep taking about us.”

He took her hand, brushing his thumb against hers.
“Me, too. I’m tired of the Avialies. If they were completely wiped
from this earth, I’d be fine with that.”

Her shoulders tensed, and she changed the subject.
“Why did you send that man to the restaurant? Why did you want to
protect me from them?”

“I noticed you when you came to the castle or when we
were at social events together. You lit up the room whenever you
came.” He brushed a lock of hair from her face. “I didn’t want you
anywhere around those monsters.”

“How did you find out?”

“Tisha told me. He noticed Dar’s behavior, and he
sent Jared to find out what was going on.”

A chill went up her back as she thought of someone
spying on her and Dar. Those had been their precious, secret
moments. She shook the idea away; not anymore. “I’m glad you warned
me.” It was partly true, at least.

He leaned closer to her. Her breath caught in her
throat, and his lips softly touched hers. Her eyes fluttered
closed, and he led his hand to the back of her neck, pulling her
closer. His lips were soft and warm against hers, and she leaned
towards him. She’d dreamed of this kiss for weeks now. She never
thought it would be this sweet, this romantic. She’d fantasized
about passion, pressing urgency to be close to one another.
Presently, he stroked her neck softly, sending shivers through her.
She touched his chest, pulled onto his collar and opened her mouth
to his. She wanted nothing between them.

He kissed her harder, and he put both of his hands on
her face. There was no way they could be close enough.

Yet he pulled away after a moment, breathless. Her
mouth fell open, and she stared at him, her cheeks warm. His thumb
brushed against her lower lip. “We should go inside.”

“We should?” Her voice barely came out.

He kissed her again, and she pushed herself close to
him. The breeze disappeared; the gardens disappeared; there was
nothing but the two of them.

He pulled away again a few moments away. “Grace.”

She licked her lips.

“Let’s go inside,” he said, taking her hand and
standing.

Reluctant, she stood and walked inside with him. She
could stay out here forever, kissing him.

* * *

Chapter Eleven

The morning after they arrived back at the castle in
Jolen, they held another conference in the meeting room. Sierra
arrived with Evan after some much-deserved rest. Jeshro had
reserved them two seats on his right side. She nodded to him before
taking her place. Everyone from yesterday was present, plus Bea,
Harver, and Angela.

“Thank you for coming,” Jeshro said. “I’m sure you’re
getting tired of these. First of all, I’d like to thank Matilda and
Angela for risking their lives to rescue our captured kin.” He
clapped and motioned for the others to join in. Angela’s face grew
pink, but Matilda seemed unaffected.

Jeshro reasserted his position for diplomacy unless
they truly had no other choice. Sierra told those who weren’t there
the day before about Grace’s love potion. Bea thought it was
romantic; Harver scoffed, but supported the plan to rescue her and
Dar. Evan and Adrian talked of replacing Caleb, and Jeshro began
discussing how to find alliances in the other magical families.

When they broke for lunch, Sierra’s mind ached with
all the information: strategies, names, maps, tactics. Sierra still
hoped they would find a way to prevent a war, but after seeing
Tisha and Kilar’s stubbornness and their sway over the king, she
wasn’t sure they would find relief.

Adrian and Evan left to find a replacement for Caleb.
Typically, Vin may have been matched in strength and skill, but he
was still recovering.

After her period of mourning, Nilee would consult
magical folk in Jolen. Lisbeth would travel to Kleisade to consult
with the Borens. She hoped to bring Lee and Di with her to testify
about the Protectors’ cruelty.

Over the next few days, the others would strategize
how to reach magical families in Haltar. Matilda and Angela’s mixed
heritage was useful to the Avialies since they knew a wide variety
of people and had seen firsthand what the Protectors were capable
of. Sierra would watch after Amina for a few days, but she planned
on going into Haltar with Matilda, Jeshro and Angela. Perhaps
during that time she could also devise another plan to rescue Grace
and Dar.

She asked Nilee where Amina was and was sent to a
bedroom on the first floor. She knocked on the doorway and
waited.

The door creaked open, and Vin looked out at her. He
had dark bags under his eyes, and his clothes hung on him loosely.
“Sierra!” he said with a smile. He pulled her into a hug, and she
smiled against his shoulder.