“Take your time,” the queen said graciously. “The trip isn’t until the end of next month. By then I’ll expect an answer. You are excused.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.” I stood and curtsied.
When I was halfway to the door, she said, “He’s in the library.”
I blushed and thanked her.
My hands were shaking when I entered the library. Mr. Northberry’s snores weren’t nearly loud enough to mask the heartbeat pounding in my ears.
I rounded the corner to the east end. Ash’s lean form was sprawled over the armchair, drowned in a pile of books and loose papers.
He sat up when I approached. “Ah, Amarante! I wanted to ask you something,”
“Ask away,” I said, forcing myself to sound calm.
“You said witches could grow crops three times faster than normal,” he said. “We could use that for the troops stationed at our borders. Food supply is always an issue amongst regiments there.”
I was glad for the distraction. “Magic grown food won’t be as filling,” I said.
“Of course. But it will sustain them until their stocks are replenished, won’t it?” Ash said.
I sat on the armrest of his chair, as I always did when we met at the library. His proximity felt different this time.
“You’re right,” I said. “Ferdinand is looking for a job, actually. And he worked his magic in the fields before. You could consult him.”
“Perfect!” Ash scribbled something in his notebook and tucked it away, giving me his full attention. The smile on his face was bordering radiant. “I never realized how much Olderea was missing when it didn’t have magic. Did you know there hasn’t been a single attempted robbery in the treasury ever since Miriam came and conjured that dark tunnel?”
A smile crept over my face. His enthusiasm was contagious. “That’s great,” I said, bumping his shoulder. “What else have you been occupied with?”
“I have been spending more time with Father and Bennett, developing the new policies with them. Nice to be included,” he said with a lopsided grin. “And you?”
I recalled Queen Cordelia’s offer and what I was here to talk about. The trip to Aquatia was a wonderful opportunity, but I would miss Ash horribly whether I considered him a friend or something more. My smile dimmed.
“What’s wrong?” Ash said.
“Well,” I said slowly, “Queen Cordelia wants me to go with her to Aquatia. For a visit. Maybe a year or so.”
He blinked. “Really?”
“She said she wants to observe how magic plays a part there. And reconnect with her family. She’s been dying to see them, I’m sure. Did you know you have two cousins? I never really knew mine but I suppose that’s just negligence on my part—”
“Amarante, you’re rambling.”
I snapped my mouth shut, feeling blood rush to my cheeks. Why was I so nervous? I was telling him about a trip, not proposing. The thought of proposing to Ash made me blush even more.
“So, the trip. You said it’ll be a year?”
“That’s what Her Majesty said,” I said. “Unless she decides to stay longer. I heard there’s all sorts of different creatures in Aquatia. I’m sure it’s very charming in person. Not to mention my aunt would love to visit.”
Ash chuckled. “You really want to go, don’t you?”
“Oh! Of course I do,” I said, throwing my hands up. “But I love it here. Olderea is my home. I’ll be leaving Genevieve and Tori and Olivia and my nannies and Papa and... and you.”
He looked up, as if surprised he was included at all. I didn’t wait for a reply before continuing, “And magic is just being reincorporated into the kingdom. It’ll be silly of me to leave right now. There’s still a long way to go and I want to be there for it all. And Miriam is renovating her shop, which desperately needs help—”
“But you still want to see what Aquatia has to offer,” Ash interjected before I further made a fool out of myself.
I groaned and twisted my fingers in frustration, garnering another laugh from him.
Ash gently pried my hands apart. After a moment’s hesitation, he pressed something into my palm. It was his Season ribbon, slightly creased and discolored from wear.
The palace had hosted another Choosing Ceremony a few days after the masquerade. Several matches were made, including Cedric and Genevieve. My sister wore her ribbon-entwined bells with pride. Most others discarded their tokens, as they didn’t want to remember the disaster they’d experienced at the ball. It seemed that Ash had kept his. He could only mean one thing by giving it to me.
“Amarante. I don’t know if I’ve made it clear, but I like you. I like you a lot,” he said, intertwining our fingers. His voice didn’t waver. I was simultaneously stunned by his directness and horribly jealous of his courage. “I could love you, if you give me the chance. Blazing fires, I’m already halfway there.”
I braved a look at him. Ash was staring at our conjoined hands. “I only want to know if you feel the same way.”
His cheeks had the slightest flush when he met my gaze. I was sure mine was three times redder.
“I’m sorry,” I said, easing my hand out of his and wiping it on my skirt. The ribbon fell onto his lap. “I’m sweating all over you.”
Ash looked askance. “Apologies. I didn’t mean to pressure you.” Mortification was written all over his features as he fiddled with the ribbon.
Then, it was as if my limbs grew a mind of their own. I grabbed Ash’s face and kissed him full on the lips, nearly falling on top of him in the process. He responded instantly. It was a clumsy kiss, but it was a proper one nonetheless—one that melted me to my very bones.
We stared at each other, lips swollen, breathless and dazed. A loud whoop sounded from behind a shelf.
“About time!”
“Mr. Northberry?” Ash sputtered.
The old librarian emerged with a stack of books in his arms. It was jarring to see him standing and even more so to hear something other than
