“Cora, love, listen to me,” he urged, his hand holding mine so firmly I had no hope of pulling mine away which pissed… me… off.
“She’s been rescued?” I asked, my voice quiet and trembling with anger.
“Yes,” he answered and my eyes narrowed. “Orlando was faltering. I sent him a missive and called him to Bellebryn. I met with him and my warriors, in secret from you, and we devised a strategy. They carried this out and it was successful. Rosa was delivered safely to her parents some weeks past. Since then, she has been engaged in the re-planning of her wedding. She and her parents were asking after you but I sent a missive explaining you were not yourself and when you were better, I would take you to her.”
Hmm. It seemed during his days away from me my warrior prince had been busy.
The big, fat jerk!
“She was rescued some weeks past,” I stated softly.
His hand gave mine a gentle tug. “Cora –”
“She was rescued some weeks past!” I shouted and felt the eyes of the customers swing our way.
“Cora, calm down,” Tor commanded tersely.
“Calm down? Are you nuts?” I snapped. “I was worried sick! And you lied to me, telling me nothing had changed! Leading me, I might add, to believe my sister was in the evil clutches of a she-god!”
I felt more attention come our way as Tor leaned closer to me over the table.
“And I did not know that you were you,” he reminded me. “And you did not one thing to stop Rosa from seeing Dash. I know now you didn’t do anything because you had just woken in a new world. I thought then that you didn’t do anything because you were her. I could only assume you did this because you meant Rosa harm. I could also speculate that you were united with Minerva for some despicable purpose. Because of this, I could not give you that information. You must understand that.”
“What I understand, Tor,” I hissed, trying and failing to pull my hand from his which pissed me off even more because I was sick of how bloody, stinking strong he was, “is that we’ve been here and you’ve known I was me for two and a half days and you did not share this information with me!” I was fairly shouting my last and his hand gave mine a rough jerk.
“And why, my love, do you think that is? Perhaps because you’re reacting the way you’re reacting right now? Or, could it be that I had hurt you gravely prior to us coming to this world, so gravely, you fled from me and I watched you tumble down a flight of marble, bloody stairs, smashing your head and bruising your body in the process? Bruises you still carry on a beautiful body that is bearing my child? A child we were both extremely fortunate didn’t abort upon this accident? And, just after that, holding you unconscious in my arms and wondering if you’d ever wake up, suddenly I was in a new world, with you angry and hurt, pushing me away. And, by the gods, I’d just come to understand you were who you are and I was in love with you so perhaps I had other things on my mind than the fact that your sister is happy, healthy and has decided to change her wedding bouquet from orange blossoms and jasmine to roses and daisies because she thinks the scent of jasmine will clash violently with the blossoms?”
I stared at him.
Then I breathed, “You’re in love with me?”
“Gods, Cora, I just told you you’re the other half to my soul.”
“You’re in love with me?” I repeated.
He leaned back in his chair then tipped his head back and looked at the ceiling to which he muttered, “Deliver me.”
“Tor,” I called, tugging his hand lightly and feeling something swelling inside me, swelling fast, so fast, I was going to burst at any second.
He looked at me and raised his brows.
“Everything is right in your world,” I told him quietly.
“Yes, Cora, everything is right in my world.”
“The curse is no longer pending. Rosa is saved,” I went on.
“Yes, love, I just told you that.”
“So if we can get back, get Dash safely married to Rosa, then the land will be safe for our generation.”
“And you married to me,” he stated firmly.
“And me married to you,” I whispered softly.
He glared at me.
“Then all will be well,” I whispered.