She might be older than the usual bride, but she was just as happy as Adara or me. I didn’t know whether it had been Yara or Rowan who had first spoken up, but I knew Rowan’s accident had been the spark. After his near death, they couldn’t go on telling themselves that their comfortable friendship and shared life was enough.
Now they were married and had an apartment in the palace servants’ wing, in keeping with their new royal roles in the kitchen and stables.
“Congratulations from me as well,” Layla said with a brisk nod. Unlike the other two, she had chosen to stay with Mariam, and I worried she might be lonely without her old friends. But she gave no indication of discomfort whenever she visited. Hopefully she would be happy with her new mistress.
According to Navid, she was indispensable in the house due to her expertise in keeping the peace between Mariam and Nyla, so maybe she liked knowing she was valuable and needed. And her task should be easier now that Navid was betrothed to Adara.
Since the eventful dinner party, Nyla had already half-forgotten her old objections to her husband’s relations. Their upcoming marriage alliance with the royal family would ensure the final transformation. I had no doubt Nyla would soon believe she had invited Ali, Mariam, and Navid to join her household out of a true sense of family connection.
“Where’s your friend, Kalila?” Adara asked when Yara, Rowan, and Layla moved away. “I was hoping to finally meet her.”
My face fell. “She isn’t here. I have a letter explaining why not, although half of it didn’t make sense. It seems she got swept up into her adventure a little earlier than planned.”
“Adventure?” Xavier popped up, his twin not far behind. “I’ve been thinking of just the same thing myself. And since you’ve decided to shirk your family responsibility, sister, it seems it falls on us to be the dutiful children and seek marriages of alliance in the Four Kingdoms or even beyond.”
“The two of you are thinking about getting married?” I gave them a skeptical look.
Xander returned my gaze, his own full of earnest sincerity. “Naturally we wouldn’t risk our kingdom by marrying for any but the truest of loves. So we may be searching for a long time.”
“Averylong time,” Xavier added. “So it’s a good thing there are so many kingdoms to be explored.”
“Visited, brother,” Xander said solemnly. “You mean visited.” He looked back at the rest of us. “As Xavier said, we are ready to do our duty.”
Adara and I burst out laughing at the same time. The twins gave us identical hurt looks and sailed away, muttering about ungrateful relatives.
“Somehow I don’t think they’re planning to go as part of any official delegation,” Rek said wryly when we finally stopped laughing.
I mopped at my eyes. “No, I don’t think so.”
“We may even have to rescue them at some point,” Rek said to me.
I slipped my arms around him and started laughing again. “And perhaps have an adventure or two on the way? You have more of your brothers in you than you like to admit, my love.”
He chuckled. “So do you. And that’s why I need you by my side.” He stole the briefest of kisses. “For the moments of good sense and the moments of adventure.”
“And may we have a great many of both,” I said with a sigh of perfect satisfaction.