I liked having a sister.
I let the happy vibe in the air fill me as I gave her a squeeze and let out a sigh at the same time I heard the beat of boots on the marble floors behind us.
I let Rosa go and turned to see Tor striding purposefully our way.
God, he was hot.
Tor stopped at us, swept me with his eyes then he looked at his soon-to-be sister-in-law.
“You’ll stay in these rooms, no matter what. Yes, Rosa?” he asked gently.
She nodded. “No matter what, Tor.”
He watched her a second then his eyes came to me. He reached in, took my hand and I sighed again.
“Come, my love,” he murmured, clearly looking forward to this as much I was. “Leave the bird,” he ordered and I nodded.
Rosa’s hand came up and Aggie hopped from me to her.
Without delay, Tor pulled me away from my sister.
Well, might as well get it over with.
As Tor pulled me along, I looked back at Rosa. “I’ll be back in time to help you get ready,” I promised.
“I’ll be here,” she replied on a smile that was half bright, half sad.
She knew where we were going.
Poor thing.
As I hustled after Tor, I gave her what I hoped was a reassuring smile then turned away to follow him through the bedroom and I saw Perdita rushing in carrying a ring of needlework.
“She doesn’t leave these rooms,” Tor ordered.
“Yes, your grace,” Perdita said on a quick curtsy.
I smiled at her and gave her a wink. Perdita smiled and winked back. She did not curtsy to me because I told her not to. I didn’t like people curtsying to me, it weirded me out and enough people curtsied to me everywhere in town, in the courtyard and around most of the castle, I didn’t need my closest servants curtsying to me (in other words, Perdita, all the girls in the kitchens and all the maids who cleaned the castle). So, I asked them to stop doing it.
Tor led me out of our rooms and when we were through the doors and walking down the wide hall, his head bent to me and he caught my eye.
His face was disapproving.
He’d seen me wink at Perdita and he noticed the absent curtsy.
I looked away, biting my lip.
Okay, so, I promised never to vex him and be the perfect princess. And I was breaking that promise.
Hmm.
I gave this a moment of reflection then I mentally shrugged.
Oh well, whatever. He’d get over it.
He always did.
* * *