Page 69 of War Queen
She shrugged. “Why shouldn’t I? It’s notmywedding.”
He chuckled.
Phillip approached, and Caspian gave her a small bow and left them to take a position against the far wall.
“Congratulations,” she said warmly as Phillip stepped beside her.
He glanced sideways at her with a slight smile. “Thank you.”
“You’re a married man now.”
“And everyone is finally happy,” he added.
She looked at him, his face pleasant and kind as usual, yet a sadness seemed to linger. One that unsettled her.
“But you’re not happy?” she asked.
Her words seemed to hit him strangely, but she couldn’t decipher why.
His blue eyes caught hers. “I’m as happy as I’ll ever be,” he said finally. He gave a respectful bow. “Enjoy the evening, Queen Norah.” Then he stepped away to other guests who came to offer their congratulations.
She watched him go.
What didthatmean?
“I think Phillip is in love with me.”
Soren snorted as they stood in her chamber. “Not everyone just falls in love with you.”
Norah puffed a breath of annoyance. “This isn’t my ego speaking. He’s acting very strange. He still seems bothered I broke off our marriage.”
“You did promise him an alliance that would help him get revenge against his brother, and then you ran off and married his brother’s ally.”
“I didn’trun off,” she cut back. “I was abducted. You know this, you were there.”
Soren shrugged. “You still dumped him and married his brother’s ally.”
She shook her head. “No, there’s something else there. It’s like I’ve personally wounded him.” Norah pushed open the doors of her balcony and breathed in the morning air as the sun warmed her face. “I think we were close. I feel like there was some kind of connection between us. I just can’t remember.”
She gazed across the city. Norah liked the buildings of Aleon: the tall arched windows that let the sun spill in, the airy colors that bounced the light. Everywhere around her seemed bright and beautiful.
As she looked down, a sight caught her eye. Princess Daiyona’s army had assembled—Phillip’s new bride was preparing to depart, the day after her wedding. How strange. Was something wrong? Why was she leaving?
“Soren,” she called back to him.
He stepped out beside her.
“The queen’s leaving.” She leaned slightly over the railing, as if it would give her a better view. “Already.”
“Are you sure?”
She waved to the scene below. “Well, what does it look like?”
He gave a yielding shrug. “Like she’s leaving.”
She stepped back into her chamber and pulled her cloak over her shoulders. “I have to go find Phillip. I have to find out what’s happening. You stay here.”
“All I’ve been doing is staying here,” he protested.
