Beneath the Velvet Sky

er the village rooftops, but Liora felt none of its warmth. Her fingers moved absently as she scooped water from the stone

e more than once. Each time, their conversations grew longer, their glances lingered, and the invisibl

ed by. In the whispers at the market. In Maeve's eyes as her friend stared a

r suspected e

, striding up beside her with a basket on her hip

ed away. "

's dragged through the mud, or worse when someone decid

this to happen,"

gentler. "But you have to protect y

uldn't stop thinking of his voice, low and earnest. Of his smile when he forgot he was suppo

he found him wait

his eyes, and for a moment, she could almost believe he was simply a boy, not a prince. Not

ame,"

she replied. "But I

d slightly. "Then

them warm with tension. "Liora, if

m," she said. "I'm afr

Held it. His grip was strong, but n

myself it was just fascination. That I was just cu

emotion. "You're a pr

his voice breaking. "You're th

n he ki

ull of all the things they hadn't said aloud. The fear, the longing, the impossibility o

less, Liora felt as though she stood o

to lose this,"

id. But even as he sai

olde sat in her solar with a letter in her gloved hand. H

in love with

hed in her jaw

before her, rain clinging to h

r again," the Q

eyes in every corner of the ki

ulated. "You are heir to the thron

n my heart," h

aid coldly. "Before this infatuati

eement, but in defiance care

said. "If that

the decision had

ld not

her little brother Bram sitting on the step

?" she cried,

he price of kissing the stars is falling into darknes

art cl

the Queen

her heart anymore she

e moon climbed above the trees,

at it might cost... she

s around her, h

orld of shadows and silver c

it came, did no

ly lit