Page 44 of The Rat King
We would, of course, live here, but once I had my magic back, we could easily go back and forth between the Lieden Palace and Ravsted in the center of Ras alhague.
I almost felt a little guilty when she said, “It’s beautiful.”
I knew the estate needed maintenance and when I had my magic all the time, it had taken extraordinarily little effort. Now, everything was a challenge. But according to the witch, Avery would see it in its best form and that, I could be proud of.
Despite the disrepair, vining plants clung to the white marble exterior and wound its way up the expansive three-story building. Much of the banana-colored paint was chipping, but from a distance, the color contrasted beautifully with the white panels that sat on either side of the windows. A blue-grey slate tile roof arched toward the sky with its many peaks and a massive stone staircase rose to the door, wide at ground level and narrowing as one approached the two massive carved doors which stood open.
When I had magic, it was easy to keep the water in the oval fountain at the base of the stairs, but now it sat empty, and I wondered what Avery saw.
“Why is the fountain empty?” she asked, and I decided the first order of business was to get it operational again. “I mean, it’s beautiful, but I’d really like to see it when water was squirting out of those fishes’ mouths.”
“It’s undergoing some maintenance,” I lied. It would take a few days, but I’d have it running for her. Anything for her. I was learning those words were my newly adopted stance, which wasn’t ideal considering I hadn’t even kissed her again. That didn’t mean I hadn’t dreamed of it. Kissing and all the other things I wanted to do to her. “I’ll make sure they finish with swiftness.”
She gave me a reserved smile, and I sensed a shift in her mood which I didn’t think was the state of the palace regardless of how she saw it. I grabbed her elbow and turned her to face me. “What’s the matter?”
She shrugged.
“Talk to me,” I urged.
“I don’t know. I guess I feel this underlying sense of worry. Like everyone on your plane and mine are counting on us. What happens if…” She gestured between us like she didn’t want to say the words aloud.
“You know I won't hurt you, Avery." I frowned down at her.
“That’s not what I meant,” she hissed. Her brow wrinkled in frustration as she looked away, which I found adorable. She was embarrassed.
I had to suppress a chuckle as I ran my hand over the hair at her temple, tucking a lock behind her ear. “You mean what if you can’t fall in love with me?”
She gave me an innocent nod.
My chuckle escaped and she frowned. “Why don’t you leave that up to me, sweetheart.” Taking her hand in mind I drew her toward me and brought her palm to my chest. “I promise you, before our final full moon, I’ll have you so utterly dumbstruck with love you won’t be able to remember how you ever lived without me.” I winked for good measure to which she rolled her eyes. “Come on. Let’s go inside.”
I lowered her hand and tugged her toward the entrance to my home hoping I assuaged enough of her worry she wouldn’t dwell on it.
We entered the receiving hall, and attendants were immediately there to greet us. I handed off Avery’s backpack. “Take this to the queen’s quarters and ready Her Majesty a bath,” I said, noting the attendants didn’t blink before scurrying off.
Avery, the queen in question, stared up at me with a mixture of disbelief and curiosity. “But I’m not their queen any longer.”
Because I enjoyed seeing that expression on her face so much, I reached out, gently cupping her jaw. Her mouth parted as I tilted her head upward, and unable to resist any longer I leaned down and brought our lips together. Hers moved underneath mine and a light shudder came through our connection. So fucking sweet, ready to yield to me like the first time, but instead of deepening the kiss, I pulled away enough so I could lean and whisper into her ear, “Wishful thinking.”
When I stood tall, Avery brought trembling fingers to her lips. Several guards and attendants were unabashedly staring at us. She needed to know that while I’d give her everything she ever asked for, I wasn’t my brother. I also wanted the palace staff to know and rumors to spread about the thing I was building with this woman. That they had my assurance I would succeed, she would be mine and the curse would be broken. And how better than to show them?
“Umm, okay,” she said, as I smiled down at her.
“Go clean up, and rest. This is Jane,” I said, gesturing to the round older attendant who’d become like an occasionally nosy grandmother to me over the years who’d sidled up next to us waiting for her instructions. “She’ll show you to your rooms and provide you anything you may require. The staff will have dinner ready in a few hours. I have a few things I need to deal with, so I’ll see you then.” I didn’t wait for her to respond before I sauntered away, savoring the feeling the touch of her lips gave me. The electricity that had stunned her, too.
With the way things were progressing, the next full moon would be the perfect time to have a party. After the fountain, setting that in motion would be my next order of business.
Chapter 32
Avery
Therewerethreesignificantthings I’d learned since arriving at the palace a week ago. One, Nighval was the only one immune to the witch’s curse. Every attendant, cook, gardener and passing visitor was still in rat form day and night which made my heart ache each time I saw them. Especially Gran Jane, as she insisted I call her, who had nearly as many scars as wrinkles.
Every time I encountered one of them, my sense of urgency doubled. That kiss given to me in the front entry in front of half the staff seemed to have bolstered their hope, so every interaction was leaden with pressure.Fall in love, Avery, they seemed to say. Calculating man indeed, but for whatever reason, I didn’t seem to mind as my own anticipation leapt forward with each subsequent brush of our lips.
Thing two, of those rat-people, it seemed as far as they were concerned, Nighval was still king. I hadn’t learned whether this was a reinstatement, or they never acknowledged his exile, making me wonder what the rest of Ras alhague’s position was on the subject. Either way, this meant Nighval spent much of his time attending to his duties, which included meeting with various rat-people who came and went. Including Sir Richard Musson, who I recalled from Xavier’s dealings. Evidently, the man still needed dealing with and the two times he’d come to petition Nighval, he’d left the meeting in a dour mood.
Thing three, Nighval was definitely not Xavier, who preferred to keep me cloistered and pampered. He proved this by heaping a significant number of responsibilities on me the day after we arrived. It amounted to the typical lady of the house type duties, which I’d been prepared to take on, and planning a full moon celebration. He planned to do it himself, but as I eagerly asked for the task when he’d mentioned it, he gave it to me without so much as flinching. Only suggesting I consult the palace steward, a willowy rat-man named Jonas, for assistance and direction as required in regard to their customs surrounding these parties.
