‘I’m yours, Elsie,’ he promised raggedly. ‘And I’m never letting you go.’
‘I never want you to,’ she sobbed and clutched him closer still. ‘I love you.’
They remained locked together for a long, long time after the searing cries of relief and of joy and of love had faded. It was an embrace she would never forget and never wanted to leave.
But eventually the worry machine that was her brain flicked back on.
‘What are you thinking?’ Felipe had felt her growing tension.
‘They’re going to say awful things about me,’ she mumbled. ‘Are you going to be able to handle it?’
‘You’re worried about me?’
She nodded. ‘You—’
‘Will not let them destroy anything.’ He breathed in deeply. ‘Nothing more of mine. I’m not losing you.’
‘You won’t,’ she assured him. ‘We can have time out. We can go down to the cave.’
His smile flashed. ‘You like it?’
‘Love it.’
‘Me too.’ He inhaled deeply. ‘We’ll get through it together. All of us.’
‘All?’
‘I talked to Amalia. You were right, I should have done that properly so much sooner. She would like to stay and go to school here in Silvabon.’
‘And what would you like?’
‘For her to stay.’ He nodded.
‘I’m so glad.’
Now his smile was sweet. ‘So am I.’
There was a cautious knock on the door and an oddly high-pitched voice called, ‘Your Majesty?’
Felipe groaned at the reminder, then laughed as he glanced at their total disarray. ‘My aide is both frantic and terrified.’
‘Your guests are waiting for you,’ she said.
He nodded. ‘I could send them all home?’
‘No. You can’t.’ But she appreciated the offer. ‘You need to go to the dinner.’
‘Do you want to come with me?’
‘Not this time. Not yet. Maybe I could have a tray in your room?’ she suggested. ‘I can wait for you there. Maybe I could stay a secret for a little while longer? Just while we...’
He gazed at her intensely. ‘Are you okay with that?’
‘Sure.’ She suddenly grinned up at him. ‘I might find some things to play with in there. I could shred your sheets and make a trapeze to swing from that balcony.’
He laughed. ‘I’ll be done with dinner in ten seconds.’
‘No.’ She turned serious again. ‘They need time to celebrate with you. I get that you have a job to do. I’ll be here and I’ll figure out my own. With you. We have time on our side now, right?’
‘We do.’ His gaze turned smoky but he swiftly stood then held out his hand to help her up. ‘Come on, I’ll take you to my room now. I have to shower and change. Will you keep me company for that? I don’t want to leave you even for a moment.’
‘Is there a secret corridor to get from here to there?’
He flicked his eyebrows. ‘Of course.’
Elsie smothered a giggle as she walked with her dishevelled, half-dressed king of a man along the curling, quiet corridor.
It had been barely one day—one day in which they’d found each other again, in which they’d felt and they’d fallen...
But now they had all the time in the world to be together. They had for ever.