Page 9 of The Ruthless Fae King
The king looked my body up and down slowly, his gray eyes caressing my skin so that I could almost feel it. “I was hoping to have more children than that, especially since you stated you will only lie with me when making children.”
Piper’s snort-laugh came from the corner, and I turned over my shoulder to glare at her. Heat traveled up my cheeks and I knew that they probably resembled the color of my hair.
“The number of children can be discussed later.” I fanned myself and stepped away from the fire.
“A hundred acres. Done,” he said.
“As far as horses, we have twenty elders in Fall Court. I would like you to gift each one a new stallion. They do most of our farming and this will help—”
“Done,” he interrupted me. “Anything else?”
I looked at him incredulously. That had been way easier than I thought. He was saying yes without hesitation. “Will I be able to see my family?” My voice broke as I thought of Libby.
“Of course.” His lips pulled into a frown. “Whenever you like. They are welcome at Winter Court anytime. We have a lovely guest house I can have ready at a moment’s notice.”
I had planned to tell him that if he ever hurt me I would tear his body in two with the strongest wind imaginable, but now I felt that might be too unkind of an assessment. Had he done bad things in his past?Yes—he admitted to the Great Freeze. But there was something else there, a gentleness I couldn’t describe, an eagerness to please, to be loved. It held me in confusion and tempered my anger towards him.
I knew that dowries were sealed with a handshake, so I stepped forward and extended my hand.
“I look forward to the upcoming nuptials and serving our people as queen,” I told him.
He smiled then, taking my hand into a strong, firm grip and shaking it. “I look forward to spending the rest of my life with you, Madelynn. I hope I can make you happy.”
I stopped breathing for the umpteenth time. The way he spoke was… so intense, so real. He leaned forward and pressed a small kiss to the top of my hand before gently dropping it, and I was almost sad to see it go. The winter king then crossed the room, tipping his head to Piper as he went. When his hand rested on the door handle, I called to him. “King Thorne!”
He turned back to look at me, and I met his steely gaze.
“I could have asked for more, couldn’t I?”
The slow halfcocked grin that spread across his face made my knees go weak.Good night, he was handsome. “There is nothing I would have denied you.”
He turned then and shut the door softly. Probably to go in search of my father and put all of this in writing.
I stood there stunned as Piper peeled herself away from the wall and stood before me.
“Do we still hate him?” she asked with a frown. “I’m so confused.”
I shrugged. “What the Hades just happened?”
She chewed her bottom lip. “I kind of liked everything about him.”
So did I.
So. Did. I.
TWO
While the king put everything in writing with my father and signed it, Piper and I were in the drawing room, reading and waiting for the purity test. I dreaded what came next. The healer would check to make sure I was indeed intact for my king. My mother told me it would feel awkward for a moment but would be over quickly.
The door opened suddenly and a male elvin healer walked in wearing a white healer’s robe. King Thorne stepped in behind him. I hadn’t expected a male healer. I shared a look with Piper and gulped, clenching my thighs at the thought of a strange man looking between my legs.
“I saidno. I told you not to come,” the winter king growled at the healer.
My father and mother had not yet returned and so I would have to navigate this myself.
The healer wore a typical white robe and carried a black healer’s bag. “Your father has demanded it,” the healer said.
The room was suddenly plunged into coldness as frigid temperatures coated my skin. “My father is no longer king,” he barked at the healer. “The only man I want seeing her naked is me. If you touch her, I’ll freeze your hand and break it off. Understood?”
