![The Princes Bound [The Princes Book 1]](/res/cobbf/book3.jpg)
to her throat. “Oh, I couldn't!"
"Yes, you can.” He strode toward a side table and opened an engraved jewelry box. “The valuable jewelry is stored with the royal collection, but some of her inexpensive trinkets are kept here. You may borrow from this box as well."
He chucked Nadia under the chin, which he knew she hated, but he continued to do it just to be perverse. “You will bewitch my brother with your beauty."
She opened her mouth as if to protest, but he held up a hand to silence her. “You do not have to explain yourself to me, Nadia. The only thing I ask of you is to make sure my brother remains at N'ior until the wedding. Can you do that for me?"
At once, the bashful woman disappeared, and his loyal soldier remained.
"Yes, Your Highness."
"I have some work to finish up downstairs, but I look forward to seeing you tonight."
He left the room and took a moment to brace himself before going down the stairs. It had been many years, but the pain was still fresh. Just as his father's death haunted him, his mother's painful death filled him with misery.
He'd been sixteen, almost a man but not quite, and he'd been unable to help her. No one had.
He remembered hearing his father pace up and down the halls at night, unable to sleep as his wife lay dying in her bed. Her sons had not been the only ones to suffer. His father's grief had blinded him to impeding danger, and he'd died at the hand of a vicious assailant.
He and Mathis had survived, but death continued to threaten their kingdoms. Talin would do whatever was necessary to protect it all.
With the help of a maid Talin had sent, Nadia prepared to dress for dinner.
She'd chosen the simplest gown from the selection inside the trunk, and she still thought she was overdressed. Her dresses had always been serviceable cottons and poplins, intended for comfort and endurance rather than beauty.
Tonight she was dressed in a rich silk, which was the color of the sun. She'd never dressed in yellow before, but she'd chosen the dress because of its simplicity. The only adornment was a small line of ivory lace at her hem and wrists.
The skirts swished when she walked, and the fabric felt decadent upon her skin.
"This color looks perfect on you,” the maid remarked as she dressed her hair. “With your black hair, and those glorious eyes, you will catch the attention of every man present!"
Nadia preferred to ignore the maid's prediction. The last thing she wanted was the attention of men.
She glanced at her reflection in the looking glass and tugged at the bodice of the dress. “Are you absolutely sure it fits?"
She was quite a bit more well-endowed than the late queen. She feared that any moment she was going to burst out of the bodice.
The maid shooed Nadia's hands away for what had to be the twelfth time. “Just keep your head up and your shoulders straight and you will be fine. If you slouch, you will cause quite the distraction."
The maid's eyes met Nadia's in the mirror. “Unless that is your intention? Have you set your eyes on a certain young man?"
Nadia blushed. She couldn't seem to stop doing so. “I merely lost a bet and have to appear at supper tonight in a dress."
The thought made her want to groan out loud.
The maid smiled and continued to dress her hair.
In no time at all, the maid had created a masterpiece of wavy curls that fell to Nadia's waist. The sides had been pulled back from her face and held with pearl encrusted combs, which had also been borrowed from the late queen's belongings. They perfectly matched the pearl earbobs that dangled from her ears.
Nadia stood and examined her image from all angles.
The dress clung to her curves, emphasizing her trim waist. Her hair, easily her most notable feature, had been brushed until it crackled.
When she joined the army, Nadia had debated cutting it to a more serviceable length but couldn't bring herself to do it. The long length of ebony hair was her only concession to vanity and
"Yes, you can.” He strode toward a side table and opened an engraved jewelry box. “The valuable jewelry is stored with the royal collection, but some of her inexpensive trinkets are kept here. You may borrow from this box as well."
He chucked Nadia under the chin, which he knew she hated, but he continued to do it just to be perverse. “You will bewitch my brother with your beauty."
She opened her mouth as if to protest, but he held up a hand to silence her. “You do not have to explain yourself to me, Nadia. The only thing I ask of you is to make sure my brother remains at N'ior until the wedding. Can you do that for me?"
At once, the bashful woman disappeared, and his loyal soldier remained.
"Yes, Your Highness."
"I have some work to finish up downstairs, but I look forward to seeing you tonight."
He left the room and took a moment to brace himself before going down the stairs. It had been many years, but the pain was still fresh. Just as his father's death haunted him, his mother's painful death filled him with misery.
He'd been sixteen, almost a man but not quite, and he'd been unable to help her. No one had.
He remembered hearing his father pace up and down the halls at night, unable to sleep as his wife lay dying in her bed. Her sons had not been the only ones to suffer. His father's grief had blinded him to impeding danger, and he'd died at the hand of a vicious assailant.
He and Mathis had survived, but death continued to threaten their kingdoms. Talin would do whatever was necessary to protect it all.
With the help of a maid Talin had sent, Nadia prepared to dress for dinner.
She'd chosen the simplest gown from the selection inside the trunk, and she still thought she was overdressed. Her dresses had always been serviceable cottons and poplins, intended for comfort and endurance rather than beauty.
Tonight she was dressed in a rich silk, which was the color of the sun. She'd never dressed in yellow before, but she'd chosen the dress because of its simplicity. The only adornment was a small line of ivory lace at her hem and wrists.
The skirts swished when she walked, and the fabric felt decadent upon her skin.
"This color looks perfect on you,” the maid remarked as she dressed her hair. “With your black hair, and those glorious eyes, you will catch the attention of every man present!"
Nadia preferred to ignore the maid's prediction. The last thing she wanted was the attention of men.
She glanced at her reflection in the looking glass and tugged at the bodice of the dress. “Are you absolutely sure it fits?"
She was quite a bit more well-endowed than the late queen. She feared that any moment she was going to burst out of the bodice.
The maid shooed Nadia's hands away for what had to be the twelfth time. “Just keep your head up and your shoulders straight and you will be fine. If you slouch, you will cause quite the distraction."
The maid's eyes met Nadia's in the mirror. “Unless that is your intention? Have you set your eyes on a certain young man?"
Nadia blushed. She couldn't seem to stop doing so. “I merely lost a bet and have to appear at supper tonight in a dress."
The thought made her want to groan out loud.
The maid smiled and continued to dress her hair.
In no time at all, the maid had created a masterpiece of wavy curls that fell to Nadia's waist. The sides had been pulled back from her face and held with pearl encrusted combs, which had also been borrowed from the late queen's belongings. They perfectly matched the pearl earbobs that dangled from her ears.
Nadia stood and examined her image from all angles.
The dress clung to her curves, emphasizing her trim waist. Her hair, easily her most notable feature, had been brushed until it crackled.
When she joined the army, Nadia had debated cutting it to a more serviceable length but couldn't bring herself to do it. The long length of ebony hair was her only concession to vanity and
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