Page 25 of Oracle's Reign
He stood. “I can’t live without you, Yslie. What is a title without power compared to that?” He yanked on his trousers. “But I suppose you wouldn’t be able to live with me if I gave up the throne. That’s what you’re really saying, isn’t it?”
His pain and doubt tore at her. “Not because of your title! If you weren’t the prince, then I wouldn’t even hesitate to say yes.”
“Then why hesitate now? If the Assembly allows me to pick my bride, I’ll choose you. If they don’t, then I’ll renounce my title and still choose you.”
“And everything that comes after will be on us,” she said softly. “The crown still has influence, if not overt power. If we walk away, who will take our places? Can we really live happily ever after if we turn our backs on the future of the entire empire?”
His shoulders drooped. “I don’t know. But I am positive I can’t be happy marrying another woman. Do I owe the empire a life of misery? Should I martyr myself?”
“No.” If he had asked her if she should sacrifice herself, her answer would have been different. But she couldn’t tell Peroen that his happiness didn’t matter. It did. She turned back to him, hugging him close and pressing her ear over his heart. She counted its beats, letting the steady rhythm soak into her. “What do we do?”
“We don’t give up. We still have time to convince the Assembly not to take away my choice. Even if that fails, we can convince them that you are the right choice. We fight, Yslie. And if the time comes that we have to make a hard decision, we do it together.”
“Together,” she promised, pressing a kiss right above his heart.
Peroen claimed her mouth with his own, and soon tunic and trousers were back on the floor. They made love with slow deliberation, drawing each moment out.
But they still didn’t make it to the bedroom for quite a while.
