Blinding Beauty (56 page)

“
My mother saw her yesterday,” she
told Gigi, “and she says the child will come any day. The man in
the next room over, though, will need to stay quite a while longer.
His leg will take longer to heal than her convalescence will last.”
Isa sighed. “I wish we had more rooms down here, instead of having
to keep so many in the greeting hall. Ever suggested using some of
the guest rooms, but they’re too far apart to see to everyone’s
needs.”

“
You leave those worries to me and
the healers.” Gigi took Isa’s arm and guided her elbow so that they
were heading towards Isa’s own chambers. “You have done far enough
and more than what could ever be expected from you.”

“
It was a nice change from
Bronkendol’s chaos. Now, what exactly am I doing? I thought we were
going to the stables.”

Instead of answering, Isa was
hurried into her own chambers. Two voices could be heard from the
connecting sitting room, and it was impossible not to
overhear.

“
Do you think she’ll need any
looser clothes?” A young woman’s voice gushed with hope, and Isa
felt her cheeks turn pink.

“
Of course not.” Cerise’s words
were sharp. “They’ll only be gone a week. Now please focus on what
you’re doing. You’ve just rumpled that gown.”

“
Are we nearly finished?” Gigi let
go of Isa’s arm as they rounded the corner to find the two young
women filling a travel bag with Isa’s things. Isa didn’t miss the
look of rebuke Gigi sent the younger servant.

Before she could get a better look
at what was in the bag, however, Cerise dragged her over to her
mirror, where she was bathed and dressed in a new riding outfit.
The gown was trim and easy to move in, and there were only a few
layers of petticoats beneath the skirt, something Isa would have
liked for most of her gowns. The deep green was exactly the color
of the rose stems in her favorite garden, and her boots were new as
well.

“
When did you have time to make
these?” Isa was in awe.

“
We didn’t.” Gigi grinned. “I had
them made five and a half months ago.”

“
Whatever for?”

“
For the night that should have
been ours.” Ever’s deep voice came from the door. When she turned,
Isa caught her breath. Ever walked towards her, also in a new
outfit of dark red and brown. Red was a color he didn’t wear often,
and Isa thought it looked quite dashing on him.

“
You were right when you said I
chose others over you.” He came to a stop just before her, and took
her left hand in both of his, examining the blue crystal ring that
burned brightly from her finger. “I cannot change our first night,
as much as I’d like to, but I can offer you a new beginning in its
place.”

Was he being earnest?

Ever seemed to sense her doubts
and fears. With a small smile, he pulled a delicate bracelet from
his cloak. Isa gasped as he placed it on her wrist. Purple stone
roses glittered from a gold chain. In awe, Isa looked up to thank
him, and to her surprise he reached up and gently tilted her chin
back. Before he could lean all the way in, Gigi squeaked and pushed
them apart. “There is a reason your horses are loaded down with
clothes and food and wine. Now go, before you forget where you
are!”

Ever sent Gigi a scowl before
leaning down and kissing the top of her white head. Then, in a
flurry of people and horses and last minute instructions, Isa and
Ever somehow made it down to the stables, where Garin was waiting
with their horses’ reins in hand.

Isa hadn’t seen much of the
steward in the last few weeks, with the exception of quick
exchanges about Launce. It was good to see him looking less harried
and back to his typical calm.

“
Thank you, Garin.” Ever helped
Isa up onto her horse before climbing astride his own.

“
You’ll watch out for Launce,
won’t you?”

Garin smiled knowingly. “Of
course, my queen. Now, both of you, go!”

Finally, they were on their way.
Isa was bursting with questions, but Ever was strangely silent, so
she decided to hold back. Besides, it was too beautiful a day to
clutter the air with words. The first powdery snow of the season
had fallen the night before, and the wind was nowhere to be heard.
Scarlet cardinals sat on bare branches, and the sun glistened off
the snow until it nearly hurt to open her eyes. There were few
sounds, aside from an occasional seasonally late
chipmunk.

Isa wondered how Everard knew his
way without the visible trail, as they had seemed early on, to veer
from the usual road, into the forest itself. But Ever rode
confidently, as usual, so she didn’t ask. Although the more she
studied him, the more she realized he looked... nervous. Every few
minutes, his eyes would dart to her, but they wouldn’t remain long
enough for her to catch them.

After about an hour of riding,
they came to a little wooden cabin that looked like it was dusted
in sugar.

“
It’s beautiful!” Isa exclaimed as
Ever helped her off of her horse. When Ever didn’t respond, she
turned to find him staring at her. A strange mix of emotions
swirled about in his fiery, gray eyes. And Isa stared back. What
was he thinking? Was he sorry they were away from the Fortress
after all? But she didn’t ask as he returned to putting the horses
away in silence, confusion and sorrow and curiosity lingering in
his eyes.

Still, Isa’s patience had nearly
worn out by the time he’d finished putting the horses away. Before
she could say anything, however, his face broke into the most
beautiful smile she’d ever seen. After throwing their supplies over
his shoulders, he bent and lifted her so that his arms were beneath
her shoulders and under her knees. Isa squealed with delight as he
carried her over the threshold and into the cabin
itself.

The inside was just as idyllic as
the exterior. A wooden headboard carved with roses and ivy
overlooked the bed that took up nearly half of the room. Across
from the bed was a large hearth with a fire already lit, two plush
chairs, and a small table with four books stacked on it. Two
windows filled each wall except the one the headboard stood
against, and each window had twelve panes, which could be covered
or uncovered with curtains of red lacy gauze. Even the planks of
wood were a light, cheerful maple wood.

“
Oh, Ever!” Isa sighed. “It’s
perfect!” Then she laughed. “You can put me down now.”

“
I don’t think I want
to.”

Isa laughed again at his ornery
expression. “How did you find this place?”

“
It’s a little known secret that
Fortress kings and queens need rest, too. My
great-great-grandfather had this cabin built so he and his wife
could escape for even just a few hours from time to time.” He
finally set Isa down, and she began to wander.

“
Do the others know where we
are?”

Ever made a face. “If the kingdom
decides to go up in flames, Garin can find us, but I will wring the
first person’s neck who seeks us out with a declaration or a treaty
that needs signing.” He shrugged off their supply bags. “I also
knew I could never convince you to stay away from your brother for
too long.”

Isa, who had been walking slowly
through the little room, touching things to try and convince
herself that this wasn’t a dream, walked back to him as though in a
daze. He placed his hands in hers and led her over to the warmth of
the fireplace.

“
I need to tell you again how
sorry I am.” He shook his head, a look of disgust on his sharp
features. “The Fortress continues giving me chances to learn, and I
continue to throw them away by thinking I know best.”

“
Ever, you really
needn’t”—”

“
No, I mean it. If I had allowed
you to develop your own strength instead of trying to force you
into mine... who knows how much sooner we might have stopped
Bronkendol?”

“
You weren’t the only one.” Isa
placed her hand on his chin and lifted his face so he had to look
at her. “I thought the same.” She gave a little laugh, although
there was little humor in it. “Can you imagine me doing all of that
running while pregnant?”

Ever’s eyes flashed. “That’s not
funny.”

Isa just shook her head and
smiled. “But the Fortress knew better. It knew what I needed, and
it pushed us so that we had to learn. You had to see that I was
meant to be beside you, not behind.”

“
And what did you have to
learn?”

“
That Garin was right.”

Ever smirked as he played with a
lock of her short hair. “He usually is. But about what?”

Isa pressed Ever’s shoulders down
so that he sat in one of the chairs, then she sat in his lap and
wrapped her arms around his neck. “I had to learn that it doesn’t
matter what I feel. Whether I feel like the queen or not doesn’t
matter. What is most important is knowing the truth. I think that
was why my fire disappeared. At least, from our sight. It was there
all along, but as I lost faith in my place, my fire dipped lower
and lower, until only the Fortress could convince me to believe I
belonged once again.”

To demonstrate, she held out her
hand, and a small tongue of blue flame sprung up inside her palm.
Gently, she placed her palm over his heart. Ever’s mouth dropped
and his eyes widened as the flame moved into his chest.

“
What was that?” he asked
breathlessly.

“
Bronkendol was wrong about many
things, but he was right about my power. That means that my power
works in ways I’d never even imagined. I just took the love I hold
for you in my heart, and I sent it straight to yours.” She paused,
watching him carefully. “Now you cannot doubt how much I love you.
I promised to love you forever, and even if we don’t always feel
it, the love is still there, waiting.”

“
Do you know that I love you?”
Ever’s voice was suddenly throaty, and his breath came faster on
her face.

“
I don’t know.” Isa grinned and
looked deep into the fiery rings inside his eyes that burned with a
sudden intensity. “I might need some reminding.”

“
And how would I do that?” His
lips brushed hers as he spoke, and his hand was buried beneath her
hair, bringing her face close to his.

“
As everything good and worthy is
best begun.”

“
Which would be?”

“
Simple,” Isa whispered. “With a
dance and a kiss.”

Ever didn’t answer. He was too
busy following her advice.

***

Dear Reader,

I want to thank you for journeying
with me through
Blinding
Beauty
. If you enjoyed this book, please
consider going online to
Smashwords.com
or
Goodreads.com
and
giving
Blinding Beauty
an honest review. Reviews help other readers find my books,
allowing me, in turn, to keep writing!

***

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For the next book in
The Becoming Beauty Trilogy
…

CHAPTER
FIFTY-SIX

Coming Soon...

Beauty Beheld

The Becoming Beauty Trilogy, Book
3

When the children of Destin begin
to disappear, King Everard and Queen Isa go searching for answers.
What they find, however, leaves them reeling as ghosts from the
Fortiers’ past return to wreak havoc in the lives of the royal
family, as well as throughout the entire kingdom of Destin. Even
Garin, the Fortress’s faithful steward, has secrets of his own that
will finally need to be faced.

With still no heir, and a powerful
enemy at hand, everyone wonders what will happen to the Fortier
line, should Everard and Isa fail. But when two abandoned children
appear, with ties to both Everard and the enemy, Ever and Isa will
have to choose whom to love, whom to trust, and whom to cut off
forever to keep the Fortress and kingdom from falling into the
wrong hands.

Beauty Beheld, the third book in
The Becoming Beauty Trilogy, is a retelling of Hansel and Gretel.
Beauty Beheld is also the third book in the Classical Kingdoms
Collection, a series of fairy tales retold to help readers
discover, once again, the long lost world of magic and destiny.
Rediscover today the fairy tales that taught you to wonder as a
child.

CHAPTER
FIFTY-SEVEN

About the
Author