dishes could be brought out.
“I saw you last night, Solara. What were you doing sneaking out of Roarke’s bedroom in the middle hours?”
She turned at the sound of Noele’s voice. Attempting a nonchalant shrug, she said, “I asked him to fetch Garick.”
“You did what?”
She refused to look at her sister. “I asked him to bring Garick back and take me to Greenbriar.”
“I assume he told you that notion was ridiculous.” Did no one take her side? “Yes, he made that quite clear.”
“I’m surprised you would put yourself in a compromising position like that. You know better than to go to a man’s room. You are a virgin Solara, and promised to another.” Solara didn’t respond.
“Aren’t you?”
“You know very well I am promised to Braedon. Your comment did not require a response.”
“And are you still a virgin?”
Solara looked up and scanned the room, grateful that she and Noele were alone. “Aye, I am still a virgin.”
“You play with fire, sister.”
“I play with no such thing. I am resigned to my duties, Noele. Do not fear that I will do anything else to embarrass you or Garick.”
“I do not worry for that. You have done nothing to embarrass us. You are simply confused. I want to make sure your confusion does not lead you to make a mistake.” How easily it would have been to make a mistake with Roarke that night. If he’d told her he wanted to make love to her, she would have gladly given her virginity to him, only to discover later that he cared nothing for her.
As it was, he had made it clear that he couldn’t wait for her to leave Winterland, that she was nothing but a hindrance.
“You do not need to worry. My head and my heart are clear and I will fulfill my destiny.”
“I can only hope you find love at the end of the road, Solara.” She let out a small laugh. “The kind of love Garick gives to you is a miracle, Noele. I do not hold out hope that I will ever be loved like that.”
At that moment Roarke walked into the hall. Solara felt the heat cross her face. Despite her resolve to do her duty, she could not stop her body’s reaction to seeing him, nor could she keep from watching his progress. He nodded to them as he approached.
“Good morning, Roarke,” Noele said, gracing him with a smile.
His face lit up and he stopped, took Noele’s hand in his and pressed a light kiss against her knuckles.
“Good morning, my queen. I trust you slept well?”
“Very, thank you. What are you about today?”
“Shoring up the main gate, training of the guard, sharpening of swords. Typical daily duties. And you?”
“Seeing to the cooking, making sure the linens are changed in all the bedchambers, and tending to my garden, as always. May you have a pleasing day, Roarke.”
“You too, my queen.” He turned, then as if in afterthought, inclined his head slightly in Solara’s direction before leaving the hall.
She might as well have been invisible for all the attention he paid her. Turning away, she grabbed the dishes and began to slam them down on the tables.
“If you take your anger out on my dishes, I fear we will need to replace them.” Noele’s teasing voice did not help her disposition at all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I am merely setting places at the table.”
“I think you are jealous of the attention Roarke pays me.”
“Jealous?” She whirled around to face her sister, only to find a teasing grin on Noele’s face.
“Aye. Jealous. Roarke pays only the appropriate amount of attention to me. We are friends. He is my guardian and my protector.”
He had also been her sister’s lover for one night. Granted, it was elvin custom that the king share his bride with his protector, but Solara would not soon forget that Noele had shared a part of Roarke that she never would.
Noele bent her head to Solara’s and whispered. “What happened with Roarke and I was required custom. One time, and nothing more. You know where my
“I saw you last night, Solara. What were you doing sneaking out of Roarke’s bedroom in the middle hours?”
She turned at the sound of Noele’s voice. Attempting a nonchalant shrug, she said, “I asked him to fetch Garick.”
“You did what?”
She refused to look at her sister. “I asked him to bring Garick back and take me to Greenbriar.”
“I assume he told you that notion was ridiculous.” Did no one take her side? “Yes, he made that quite clear.”
“I’m surprised you would put yourself in a compromising position like that. You know better than to go to a man’s room. You are a virgin Solara, and promised to another.” Solara didn’t respond.
“Aren’t you?”
“You know very well I am promised to Braedon. Your comment did not require a response.”
“And are you still a virgin?”
Solara looked up and scanned the room, grateful that she and Noele were alone. “Aye, I am still a virgin.”
“You play with fire, sister.”
“I play with no such thing. I am resigned to my duties, Noele. Do not fear that I will do anything else to embarrass you or Garick.”
“I do not worry for that. You have done nothing to embarrass us. You are simply confused. I want to make sure your confusion does not lead you to make a mistake.” How easily it would have been to make a mistake with Roarke that night. If he’d told her he wanted to make love to her, she would have gladly given her virginity to him, only to discover later that he cared nothing for her.
As it was, he had made it clear that he couldn’t wait for her to leave Winterland, that she was nothing but a hindrance.
“You do not need to worry. My head and my heart are clear and I will fulfill my destiny.”
“I can only hope you find love at the end of the road, Solara.” She let out a small laugh. “The kind of love Garick gives to you is a miracle, Noele. I do not hold out hope that I will ever be loved like that.”
At that moment Roarke walked into the hall. Solara felt the heat cross her face. Despite her resolve to do her duty, she could not stop her body’s reaction to seeing him, nor could she keep from watching his progress. He nodded to them as he approached.
“Good morning, Roarke,” Noele said, gracing him with a smile.
His face lit up and he stopped, took Noele’s hand in his and pressed a light kiss against her knuckles.
“Good morning, my queen. I trust you slept well?”
“Very, thank you. What are you about today?”
“Shoring up the main gate, training of the guard, sharpening of swords. Typical daily duties. And you?”
“Seeing to the cooking, making sure the linens are changed in all the bedchambers, and tending to my garden, as always. May you have a pleasing day, Roarke.”
“You too, my queen.” He turned, then as if in afterthought, inclined his head slightly in Solara’s direction before leaving the hall.
She might as well have been invisible for all the attention he paid her. Turning away, she grabbed the dishes and began to slam them down on the tables.
“If you take your anger out on my dishes, I fear we will need to replace them.” Noele’s teasing voice did not help her disposition at all. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. I am merely setting places at the table.”
“I think you are jealous of the attention Roarke pays me.”
“Jealous?” She whirled around to face her sister, only to find a teasing grin on Noele’s face.
“Aye. Jealous. Roarke pays only the appropriate amount of attention to me. We are friends. He is my guardian and my protector.”
He had also been her sister’s lover for one night. Granted, it was elvin custom that the king share his bride with his protector, but Solara would not soon forget that Noele had shared a part of Roarke that she never would.
Noele bent her head to Solara’s and whispered. “What happened with Roarke and I was required custom. One time, and nothing more. You know where my
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