My footsteps echo loudly as I walk through the empty chapel. I pass row upon row of stone benches. The soft illumination of the gemstones embedded in the walls cast the entire space in an ethereal glow.
Tears stream down my face as I approach the altar and light one of the candles. My gaze sweeps over the others that burn beside it. Sadness tightens my chest. Each of these is in remembrance of someone.
I drop to my knees and bow my head as I murmur the words of an ancient prayer my mother once taught me.
Absently, I touch my side, where my injury was. Dwarvish healing is impressive. Already my wound is closed and only a hint of pain still lingers in its place.
A soft cadence of steps behind me draws my attention. I turn and am surprised to find Caelen.
“You pray to the old gods,” he says, and I recognize the question in his statement. “I did not think humans still followed their ways.”
“My mother did. She taught Arthur and me the prayers.”
Caelen kneels beside me, his gaze fixed upon the altar.
“Bran told me what you did for my father.” I struggle to keep my voice even despite my sadness. “Thank you for not leaving him like that… and for rescuing Rina.”
His face is a perfect stoic mask, but his green eyes shine with pity as he dips his chin in a subtle nod.
He darts a glance at my side, where the arrow hit me. “You are feeling better?”
“Yes. My wound is already healed and the pain is almost completely gone.”
“I am relieved,” he says. “You have recovered much sooner than I had anticipated.’
The doors open behind us and I turn to find Bran approaching. I stand. “How is Rina?”
“Resting.” His gaze flicks to Caelen. “I’ve come to show you to your rooms.
My head throbs, from the stress of the past few days, as we follow him through the mountain. Several Dwarves eye Caelen with a strange mixture of wariness and outright anger visible in their features.
They probably believe I was forced into this marriage. The Dwarves are so loyal to me, I realize this kind of belief could put my new husband in danger. So, I slow my steps and wait for him to catch up. Without hesitation, I loop my arm through his as if it were the most natural thing in the world between us.
Caelen stops a moment, probably surprised by this sudden contact, before we continue on, following behind Bran.
As soon as I leave the main thoroughfare and turn down an empty hallway, I release my grip on Caelen’s arm.
Bran stops before a door and turns to me. “Here’s your room. Mine is next door if you need anything.”
I’m touched by his thoughtfulness. “Thank you, Bran.” I give him a warm hug. “I think I’ll lie down for a bit.”
He nods.
Caelen’s steps echo behind me, and I turn just as Bran places a meaty arm in his path. “Leave her. Your room is farther down the hallway.”
“She is my mate.” Caelen grits his teeth.
“Let him go, Bran.”
Bran’s head jerks back in surprise, but he allows him to pass. Caelen follows me into the room and then closes the door behind us.
Without a word, I collapse on the bed. I curl onto my side and hug the pillow tightly to my chest. The mattress dips to one side as Caelen sits beside me. He rests a gentle hand on my shoulder.
“You don’t have to do that, you know,” I whisper, and he stills. “We never consummated our marriage. You are not bound to me if you do not wish to be.”
“Why do you say this?” he asks.
I roll to face him. “You married me to ensure peace between our kingdoms. Fredrik has taken control. You do not need me anymore. My father is dead, my castle is gone, and—”
“It matters not,” he interrupts. “You are my mate. We exchanged vows.”
I sigh. “Those were words, Caelen. Nothing more.”
His brow furrows deeply. “They were sacred vows,” he corrects. “Did they mean nothing to you?”
I sit up. “I’m sorry, Caelen, but I hardly know you. I—”
“And yet you took my arm in front of the Dwarves… told your friend to let me pass so I might stay in the same room with you tonight.” He pauses. “I know you did this to protect me, Lyana. You’re worried if I were alone, I’d wake up to a Dwarf standing over my bed with an axe in their hands.”
A soft laugh escapes me. “Oh, Caelen, I do not think they would go that far.”
He arches a brow, appearing unconvinced.
I laugh even harder, and a hint of a smile curls his lips before his expression sobers again.
“You took an arrow meant for my back. I owe you a life debt, at the very least. I will not abandon you, Lyana.”
