Have you ever wondered how your life got to its current place? As I stood outside the door to the meeting Raife was having with his council, I wondered how mine had come to this moment. I fingered the delicate elvin gold, it’s swirl shape curving around my marriage finger. I’d just come from the seamstress, giving her ideas on how to design my fake wedding dress to wear to my fake wedding. Now I pressed my ear to the door as Haig bellowed, “She’s half human, weak, a liability!”
I winced.
Raife all but growled, “Don’t speak about my future wife, your future queen, like that.”
“My lord, I merely mean any children you have might be compromised in the healing gift department if her human lineage were to overwhelm—”
“She’s an empath,” Raife declared, and the room erupted into gasps.
My heart hammered in my throat at his revealing of what felt like my secret.
“You’re sure?” Haig asked, shock apparent in his voice.
“Don’t insult my intelligence,” Raife said.
“Let’s focus on the information that the king has in fact taken a betrothed,” Foxworth cut in. “This is good news. When is the wedding?”
“Next month. We can’t wait to be wed,” Raife added quickly.
He couldn’t wait to start a war with the queen was what he meant.
A deep chuckle came from the room. I didn’t recognize who it was until he spoke. “All this flirting and casting long glances at her, I knew you were falling in love,” Greylin added.
I blushed, wishing that were true.
Raife cleared his throat. “What can I say, she’s beautiful and smart and… all the things you would want in a life partner.”
Oh, how I wished I could smell a lie!
“We should host an engagement party tomorrow. The court will be thrilled to know you’ve made a decision. Maybe now the daily questions from the mothers will stop,” Haig added with a mild annoyance. Were the mothers seeing Haig and asking about when Raife was going to choose? Now I felt a bit bad about that.
An engagement party tomorrow sounded soon, but Raife agreed immediately. “I’ll have my event planner get everything set up.”
At the sound of the chairs scooting backwards, I jumped deep into the hallway, at the far wall with my hands clutching my notes and the king’s schedule for the rest of the day. When the door opened, Haig was the first to see me.
His eyes raked over me suspiciously before falling on the engagement ring at my finger, and his features softened.
“Congratulations, Kailani. We look forward to the upcoming nuptials.”
I gave him a big gummy smile, acting the part of an excited new bride. “Thank you, sir.”
The other council members stepped out, each one congratulating me, and then they left down the long corridor to some part of the castle I had yet to explore.
Raife finally stood before me, taking in my lavender dress with a deep V-neck and sheer sleeves. “Foxworth and Greylin are sold on it,” he whispered. “But we need to convince Haig and Aron.”
I swallowed hard. “Convince?”
Raife nodded casually. “You know, that we’re really in love.”
Right.
I tossed my hair over one shoulder. “Well, not to brag or anything, but I did get top marks in theatre class my upper-class year.”
Raife smirked, looking insanely handsome. “I took theatrics in my upper-class years as well. Top marks.”
“Game on, then,” I challenged him.
He reached out and threaded his fingers through mine, slowly so that they stroked my palm on their way, which caused heat to flush my chest and cheeks.
“Shall we do lunch now, darling?” he purred, easily dropping into the acting, and my stomach dropped.
I simply nodded, unable to speak for fear of my voice cracking. Being fake married to a troll with warts on his nose would involve superb acting. Pretending I was in love with Raife Lightstone was a little too easy.
AFTER I MADE US LUNCH, Raife offered to do the dishes, insisting that bringing another person into our “safe” kitchen was a risk.
I frowned, setting the plates in the sink. “You’re the king. Have you ever done a dish in your life?” I asked.
He shrugged, picking the dirty plate up and eyeing the scrub brush. “I’m the most educated man in this castle, how hard can it be?” He grabbed the bar of soap and rubbed it over the plate, making small circles and causing the food to mash into the soap. I tried to grab my mouth and to cover the laugh, but a snort came out and Raife glared at me.
“I’m sorry, my love…” I practiced the pet name. Raife and I agreed that even alone we should pretend to be engaged and in love so that we didn’t get too confused with the roles. “The soap goes on the brush, then the brush goes on the plate and makes bubbles.”
He scowled. “There are two ways to do everything.”
I nodded. “But this is the only way that keeps the soap clean and free of crumbs.”
Reaching into the running water, he flicked some at me playfully, causing me to shriek and stumble backwards. “You’re sexy when you’re acting like a know-it-all,” he said.
My chest heaved. This was above and beyond the acting. Right?
Best friend, he called me his best friend, I reminded myself.
“I try.” I shrugged cutely, unsure what else to do. Hearing Raife Lightstone call me sexy had caused all the blood to rush from my head to another place.
Raife looked over at me. “Are you okay with this last-minute engagement party? Sorry I didn’t have time to ask you.”
He was so thoughtful, checking in with me. I nodded. “Yes, but I have no idea what to wear.”
Raife chuckled; he knew how much I loved fashion. “Why don’t you take the rest of the day off to go and see Samarah and pick out your design and fabric.”
“Really?” I squealed.
He nodded and I rushed forward, popping onto my tiptoes to brush a quick kiss onto his cheek.
I felt his body stiffen beneath mine, and then I tore out of the kitchen in search of the seamstress. I needed a dress that would blow a kingdom away, or at the very least Raife Lightstone.
THE NEXT DAY PASSED QUICKLY. We had meetings and healings up until the very hour before the party. The event was catered by a local company who was delighted to have the honor of doing so in the head chef’s absence. Raife and I both agreed it was too risky to eat at the event and that we would eat before, which we just had.
“I need to go get ready,” I mentioned.
He nodded, looking over some parchments. “See you there, love,” he said offhandedly.
There was a butler in the room taking our plates so I knew this display was for him, but I couldn’t deny hearing him call me “love” did strange things to my stomach.
I rushed back to my room to find that two of Samarah’s assistants were there, waiting to dress me.
“Oh, bless you,” I told them as we all rushed inside.
I quickly stripped to my undergarments as they hoisted the large deep purple dress over my head.
As they began to tighten the corseted back, I peered down at the intricate beadwork and artistry. “You must have been sewing all night,” I murmured in awe.
One of them yawned and nodded. “Samarah is asleep now. We will be right after.”
I reached out and grasped both of their hands. “Thank you. I really appreciate you.”
They both beamed at me. “Of course, Kailani. It’s a great honor.”
After they had me in the dress, I slipped into some silver heels and then sat down while they intricately braided my hair.
There was a knock at the door and one of the handmaidens answered.
“A gift from the king,” a male voice I recognized said.
A gift from Raife?
I peered over my shoulder to see one of Raife’s trusted Bow Men at the door. The assistant took the gift from him and brought the small package to me.
It was wrapped in pale blue silk. I untied it to reveal a beautiful glass bottle of perfume.
There was a note.
Thought this would smell amazing on you – Raife
My heart hammered in my chest at the romantic gesture. The girls doing my hair must have peeked over my shoulder and read the note because one of them sighed. “That’s so sweet.”
I smiled, unsure if the perfume gift and desire to smell it on me was genuine or all part of the lie.
When the girls were done, they left and I sprayed two puffs of the fragrance, one on my wrist and one on my neck. Inhaling deeply, I smiled. It did smell good.
There was a knock at the door and I strolled across the room, pulling it open.
Raife stood there in a dark gray silk tunic with a high collar. His hair was slicked back into a ponytail at his nape, and I suddenly forgot to speak.
“Wow,” he said, as he looked me up and down.
I grinned. “I got your gift.”
Stepping forward, I held my wrist to his nose. He clasped my hand in his and pulled me closer so that I was only inches away from his body. Leaning his nose into my wrist, he inhaled and sent a shiver down my spine.
Emotions were coming off of him strongly, and none of them had to do with grief or anger as they normally did. These were all desire and satisfaction.
“Ready, my lord?” a Bow Man asked in the hallway, and I was snapped from my trance.
Raife dropped my hand and slipped his fingers into mine, again stroking my palm as he did. It was a subtle signature move that I wasn’t sure he knew caused me so much delight.
Walking the hallway hand in hand, we nodded to the staff who had lined up to get a look at us.
“Congratulations, my lord,” one of them said.
“Wishing you many years of happiness, Your Highness,” another said.
He thanked them and smiled and waved until we stepped up to the open doors of the large ballroom. Hundreds of voices could be heard inside, and I suddenly became nervous, my palms going slick with sweat.
Raife looked sideways at me. “Is the woman who once took a slave trader to the ground… scared?” I reached over and lightly punched his arm, causing the Bow Men to tense beside us.
“No. I’m just… nervous.”
Raife grinned. “Same thing.”
“Is not,” I argued.
Before we could talk about it any further, Raife had pulled me into the room. Then over a hundred pairs of eyes were on us.
Maker help me. I hated crowds. I just wanted to go home and curl up with a good book.
As if sensing my desire to bolt, Raife tucked me closer to his side and brought his hand up to wave at the now clapping masses of people.
Everyone was dressed in their finest silks; live music was playing, and two large buffet tables lined the edges of the walls. There were even decorations of silver silk streamers and purple flowers. I was amazed the castle staff was able to put on such a grand event with such short notice.
People rushed to form a line and greet the king and I. They spoke with excitement about the upcoming wedding and wished us happiness and many children. Raife handled all the talking and smiling like a champion. He was born for this. I, however, leaned into him, smiling shyly and thanking people with as few words as possible.
The entire time, Raife had slowly been leading us to the middle of the dance floor, and once we got there the band stopped mid-song and started up again. This time it was a slower tune, something very romantic.
The crowd took the hint and backed away, forming a large circle around us. Raife clasped my hips and then leaned forward into my ear. “Dance with me,” he whispered.
My body melted at his touch. Without a word, I draped my arms behind his neck and pulled back to look into his gray-blue eyes, letting him lead the dance.
He was peering at me with an intensity I couldn’t decipher. I could feel the emotions stirring within him. The most predominant one… was fear. I wanted to ask what he was afraid of, but now wasn’t the time.
He leaned forward then and whispered against my neck. “Promise me something, Lani,” he huffed.
“Anything,” I said quickly. I was like clay in his hands, under a spell that I hadn’t even realized he’d cast. Everything was blurring. Fake or real, I didn’t know. I just wanted to stay like this forever.
“Promise me you won’t fall in love with me,” he breathed, and I stiffened as he pulled back to look into my eyes.
Fake. This was all fake. I needed to remember that. He was warning me of that.
I nodded, and then rested my head on his shoulder so he wouldn’t see my eyes tearing up.
Thinking I could be fake-married to Raife Lightstone without getting hurt was starting to look less and less likely.
Oh Maker, what had I gotten myself into?
