The Kingdom's Crown (Inheritance of Hunger #3) - Kathryn Moon Page 0,131
an eyebrow.
Aric grinned and kissed my brow. "Mm. I think I was proved wrong first. You were too sweet when you greeted us all. Too nervous and shy. I hated being proved wrong, and you were the prettiest and most tempting puzzle I'd ever met."
I smiled and let my eyes fall shut as he kissed his way down my nose to my lips. I might've argued his point. He'd managed to be pretty disinterested for plenty of time, but I liked the compliment too much to refuse it.
"I thought you'd shuffle me out of your Chosen once you'd found your footing with Owen," Cosmo said.
I drew back from Aric and whipped around to face him. Cosmo shrugged, and I shook my head. "Never. I may not have had the Hunger the day of my choosing, but I had divine luck when I met every one of you."
"We were worried too," Wendell said, glancing at Thao.
"To be honest, I held my breath until you finally had her writhing on your tongue the night of the festival," Thao said, winking at me as I gasped.
"I knew you'd be queen the moment you cut Sir Hubert down to size," Cress said.
"And Lord Roderick," Daniel added.
Owen just grinned at me. "I never had a doubt."
My heart split at its seams in that moment, sharing itself with each of my seven men, and yet still pounding in my chest. They'd given me as much, if not more, in return and there was no one else I trusted with myself.
A knock on the door echoed in the room, and I jumped, suddenly remembering why we were here and what we were waiting for.
Morgan opened the door, her hand over her eyes. "Stop whatever it is you're doing."
"Nothing, you mean?" Aric asked.
Her fingers parted, and she sighed. "Oh good, it's time for you lot to wait by the dais."
I considered briefly running and slamming the door shut on Morgan in order to hole up inside the room with my Chosen, continue to let their faith in me bolster my own, but it was too late. My men were ready for me to be crowned, even if I wasn't quite sure yet.
Aric cupped the back of my neck, pulling me closer and pressing a firm kiss to my temple. "Princess."
"You'll have to stop calling me that," I said, laughing nervously.
Aric smirked. "I don't think I will. I never meant it as your title."
He'd meant it to tease me, calling me spoiled. Or maybe he'd meant that I should be spoiled and cared for, treated delicately and teased terribly. I would be queen soon, but that wouldn't stop Aric from correcting me when he felt I was wrong or commanding me when I needed someone to put a path in front of me before I lost my way.
He squeezed my fingers and headed for the door. One by one, they kissed me, wished me luck, and left the room. Owen and Cosmo hovered as the others left, waiting until we were alone.
"I wish you could make that walk with me," I whispered.
"You don't need us," Owen said.
I caught my breath and shook my head. "I do. More than anything. But you're right, not for this."
Owen wrapped his arms around me, disregarding my fine gown and my carefully arranged hair and the feathers of my cape as he drew me to his chest and pressed a firm kiss to my lips.
"I love you, Mistress," he said.
I sighed, reaching up between us to cup his jaw and kiss him again. "I love you, my Chosen."
He squeezed me and headed for the door, and Cosmo quickly took his place, mouth against my ear and one hand cupping my throat.
"I was born for you, little muse," he whispered, and shivers ran through me at the ache in the words and his breath on my skin. "And you were born for this."
He kissed my cheek, and then I was alone in the room.
Stillness returned, but this time it was calm, the seconds ticking loudly by on a small clock on a window ledge.
Tick, tick, tick??/p>
A heartbeat for each of my Chosen.
Tick, tick, tick??/p>
One for each of the women of my line whom I'd conquered in my own way to gain the crown. My grandmother and her prejudice against me. My mother and her ignorance. Camellia and her greed.
And when the trumpets and the strings blared to life beyond the door, my heart hammered fastest and loudest in my ears. For Kimmery.