Serpent: Book II of the Asterian Trilogy

by Sarah Olson

  He returned the smile and cocked his head toward Roy. "And now him?"

  "I didn’t run off with Roy, if that’s what you are asking," I said, raising an eyebrow. "We met when I decided to go on this voyage. I left Asteria sometime after the wedding was canceled because I needed to get away from it all. I took the name Norah and traveled with some friends and my handmaiden to Malan where I got on a ship that was supposed to take me back home eventually."

  "And your mother has no idea where you are . . . "

  I noticed how he had omitted my father from that sentence but decided to let it go.

  "They probably do now," I replied. "I shouldn’t have left, though; I know that now. I don’t even try to imagine how worried they probably are."

  Richard nodded, and I could tell that he was deciding what to say next. He couldn’t reprimand me and he knew that. He may have been my birth father, but he had lost his parenting privileges long ago.

  "Does Roy know who you are?" he asked, changing the direction of the conversation.

  I shook my head. "But I will tell him when he wakes."

  Richard smiled and stood. "Well, I have a couple of things to get done before I get to bed, but I just wanted to check in on you."

  "Thank you," I said.

  He gave me a smile. "Good night, Aria."

  "Good night."

  After Richard left the room and Rebecca came in to change Roy’s bandages, I supposed it was late enough to get some sleep. I left the candle burning beside the bed again and sidled up next to Roy. I leaned my head on his shoulder and watched the rise and fall of his chest until I drifted off to sleep.

  Something touched my cheek, and I brushed it away, not wanting to leave the dream world I had entered—a world where I was safe in the castle and Ethelyn was still with me. A world where I didn’t fear my feelings for Roy.

  "Norah." It was a soft whisper.

  Who’s Norah?

  "Norah." The whisper again followed by a light touch on my cheek.

  My eyes flew open.

  The candle had burnt out, but a soft glow from the moon filled the room.

  "Norah," the voice whispered once more.

  It was Roy.

  I looked up, my head still on his shoulder, and met his gaze.

  He smiled. "You were really out."

  "You’re awake," I said, barely believing my words. Was I still dreaming?

  "I guess I am," he said, a teasing grin on his face. "But I plan to be unconscious a lot more if it means waking up beside you."

  I propped myself on my elbow and looked down at him. "Don’t get used to it."

  He laughed and then winced when the movement caused him pain. At least he seemed like his normal self.

  "How long have I been out?" he asked, trying to sit up.

  "No," I said, sitting up and placing my hands on his chest to stop him. "Don’t get up."

  He gave an annoyed sigh but relented.

  "And to answer your question," I continued, "about two days."

  "Is it that bad?" he asked.

  "The wound is looking better, and your fever is gone," I assured him.

  "What about everyone else?" he asked. "Are they all right?"

  I looked away not wanting him to see the fear and sorrow in my eyes when I thought of the others.

  "I don’t know. We were the only ones to wash up on the shore."

  He took my hand that I now realized still lingered on his chest.

  "There’s always a chance they made it," he said quietly.

  I gave him a sad smile.

  "Are you all right? Were you hurt?" Roy asked.

  "Nothing I couldn’t handle," I returned. I moved away from him and slid off the bed. "Do you want water?"

  "Please," he replied.

  I poured him a glass from a pitcher that had been left on the table and brought it over to him. "Here," I said, as I helped him lift his head so he could drink.

  He sighed in relief when he finished the glass and lay his head back onto the pillow. "Where are we?"

  "Blue Isle. The family that found me took us in." I didn’t feel like rehashing everything that happened between Richard and me just yet. The truth could wait until the morning.

  "Well, aren’t we lucky," he grinned.

  I knelt beside the bed so our faces were even. "How do you feel?"

  "It doesn’t hurt as much as it could, I guess."

  I smiled, and he hesitantly reached out to brush a lock of hair from my face. When I didn’t pull away like I had the last time I saw him on the ship, his hand lingered on my cheek.

  "May I kiss you?" he whispered.

  The part of me that didn’t want to be touched after the attack seemed to vanish now that Roy was awake. His touch was the only thing that kept me from wondering if I was dreaming.

  I swallowed nervously and nodded.

  Roy slipped his hand behind my neck and gently pulled me toward him. Our lips met, and I was filled with that same rush of heat and excitement I’d felt with our first kiss. He moved his lips slowly against mine as if wanting to savor every moment. I instinctively wrapped my arms around his neck as he slid his arm around my waist to hoist me up onto the bed. He had pulled me halfway up before I could stop him, and our kiss was shattered by a sudden curse from his lips as our bodies met.

  "Damn," he said, his breathing heavy. "Didn’t think that one through."

  I moved slowly so as not to hurt him more and slid back off the bed.

  "Probably shouldn’t do that again," I said, trying to hide the ridiculous smile on my face.

  "At least until I’m better," he teased.

  I felt my cheeks warm.

  He must have seen it on my face because he began to laugh, which was again cut short by a whispered curse when he aggravated his wound again.

  I shook my head. "I would say my presence is causing you more harm than good."

  "Your presence is the only thing I want right now," he said seriously. "Would you get back in bed?"

  I didn’t move, suddenly unsure of whether or not it was a good idea. I hadn’t thought much of sleeping beside him when he was unconscious, but now that he was awake . . . it was improper by any standards, though a part of me didn’t care. Nothing was going to happen anyway, nothing other than sleep.

  "Please," he said when I made no move to join him.

  I bit my lip nervously and nodded. "But only for tonight."

  He gave me a wicked grin. "I’ll take that."

  "If you don’t behave, I’m gone," I warned, as I walked around the bed to the side I’d been sleeping on.

  "I have been warned," he assured me.

  I slid into the bed, shoving aside all thoughts of how inappropriate this was. I meant to stay on my side, but Roy was ready to pull me into him as soon as I was under the sheets. I let the comfort of his touch and his warmth tame my thoughts and found myself pressed against his side.

  He tilted my head so it was inches from his.

  "I could get used to this," he murmured.

  As if moved by some invisible force, I closed the gap between us and pressed my lips to his. He tangled his fingers in my hair as he tightened his hold on me. I closed my eyes as his lips began to travel along my jawline, savoring every feeling and emotion he lit in me.

  His hands on me loosened, and he lay his head back onto the pillow. "I could probably die happily now if that were my fate," he whispered.

  "Don’t say things like that!" I snapped all too harshly.

  His fingers caressed my cheek, and he smiled. "You make me happy, Norah, you have no idea how much joy you’ve brought into my life."

  There was that name again. That name that kept him from knowing the real me.

  I sighed and lay my head down on his chest as he wrapped his arm around my waist.

  I may not have known where Ethelyn and the others were or if they had survived, but tonight was not a night that I would ponder on that. Tonight was the night that I was going to sleep in Roy’s arms be
cause he was alive, and nothing was going to take that relief away.

  Chapter 27

  A S FAR AS I KNEW, Rebecca didn’t come in that night to check on Roy, which was probably good, considering how close I was to him when I woke the next morning. For reasons I didn’t want to contemplate, I cared what she and Richard thought of me.

  I slid out of bed silently and changed behind the dressing screen very aware of the fact that Roy could wake at any moment. There was a soft patter of rain hitting the windows, and I looked out to see that the sky was gray and dreary.

  Roy was sound asleep when I came back, but he looked more alive now.

  I stepped over to the bed and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead. His eyes fluttered open at the touch.

  "Good morning," I said.

  He gave me a sleepy smile. "That it is."

  "I’m going to fetch Rebecca so she can check your wound," I said before he continued down a road of flirtation.

  "Rebecca?" he asked, confusion creasing his brow.

  "She saved your life," I said. "We’re in her and her husband’s house. Without any of them, I don’t know what I would’ve done."

  "I guess we washed up on the right island," he joked, pushing the sheet away so he could look at the bandages around his torso.

  "You have no idea." I walked to the door before he could ask what I meant. "I’ll be right back." I ran into Rebecca just as she stepped out of her room.

  "Good morning, Aria," she said, a smile lighting up her face. Her straight brown hair was loose and fell just below her shoulders.

  "He’s awake," I said, too excited and impatient to return her greeting.

  "How wonderful!" she exclaimed clasping her hands together. "When did he wake?"

  "Sometime last night," I replied. "I know I should have fetched you sooner—"

  She raised a hand to stop me. "No need to explain, I will check on him right now."

  Rebecca hurriedly brushed passed me when I grabbed her arm to stop her. I lowered my voice, "I haven’t told him who I am yet—he still thinks I’m Norah."

  She nodded in understanding. "I won’t say a word about it. How about while I check on him, you go downstairs and let the cook know to send something up. I’m certain he must be starving."

  "Of course," I said as she turned and headed for the guest room. I waited until she entered the room before I climbed down the stairs.

  The kitchen was quiet when I stepped through the doorway. The cook seemed so intent on whatever she was preparing she didn’t notice my presence until I cleared my throat.

  She looked up suddenly and narrowed her eyes. I couldn’t tell if that was her expression for when she was curious or annoyed.

  "Could you send something up to the guest room?" I asked.

  "For you?" she asked, looking back down into the bowl she was stirring.

  "No, for my friend," I replied. "He’s awake."

  The cook didn’t bother to look up again. "I’ll have something brought up in a few minutes."

  "Thank you." I turned around and headed back up to the room not wanting to be away from Roy a moment longer.

  "You were very lucky," I heard Rebecca say as I stepped into the room. "It could have been much worse. I’m so happy my girls found you and A—Norah."

  She just barely stumbled over my name, and I was thankful that it didn’t look like Roy caught her mistake. She glanced over at me apologetically.

  "Is the cook sending something up?"

  I nodded.

  "Excellent. If you’ll excuse me, I need to go make sure the boys are awake."

  "Thank you for everything," Roy said as she headed for the door.

  She smiled. "It was my pleasure."

  When the door closed softly behind her, I met Roy’s gaze. He was sitting up now and had such softness in his eyes for me that it felt as if my stomach had flipped.

  "Are you hungry?" I asked, sitting in the chair beside the bed.

  "Very," he replied. "I suppose that happens when you haven’t eaten in two days," he added with a wink.

  "It would seem that way," I laughed. The grin on my face dropped as I remembered what he had said in the cave. I was desperate to know if he meant it but feared he didn’t remember.

  Roy frowned. "Is something wrong?"

  So many things . . . where would I even begin?

  "No," I lied.

  He reached out and took my hand. "Come on, Norah; you can tell me."

  I pulled my hand away at the name and stood quickly so I could turn my back on him.

  "If I said something wrong, I apologize," Roy said. "Just please don’t shut me out. We need each other now."

  I took a deep breath and turned to face him realizing that if I didn’t tell him the truth now, someone else would. "I—I have to tell you something," I stammered.

  Roy’s eyes were full of concern.

  "I’m just afraid you’ll hate me for it," I said, realizing how true those words were. His opinion and how he felt about me were more important than I wanted to admit.

  "I won’t hate you," he said. "I can’t."

  I looked up at the ceiling. "You say that now because you don’t know."

  "Then tell me."

  I began pacing the room, unable to look at him. "From the moment we met, you’ve assumed that I am a lady, someone from a family of importance—you weren’t wrong. I lied about who I was for my own protection."

  Roy shrugged. "That doesn’t surprise me."

  I stopped and met his gaze. "But I’m not just a lady. And my name isn’t Norah."

  "Then what is it?" he asked, still unfazed.

  I sucked in a deep breath and closed my eyes. "Aria. My name is Aria." When he didn’t respond, I opened my eyes to find that his were wide with realization.

  "Aria . . . as in—" he began.

  "As in Princess Aria of Asteria," I blurted out.

  He blinked back at me as if he were trying to comprehend my words. Along with surprise and wonder, fear and pain flashed across his face, but I couldn’t be certain since it was gone as quickly as it came.

  "Say something," I whispered, unnerved by the silence filling the room.

  "I just—I had no idea. I never would’ve guessed," he said quickly. "I don’t know what to say."

  Sorrow welled up in my heart. "I’m sorry for lying to you, Roy. I understand if you don’t want to forgive me. I let you believe I was someone I wasn’t."

  Roy frowned. "Why would I not forgive you? You think that means I don’t want to be with you?"

  My heart sped up at his words. "You still want to be with me?" I asked, the shock in my voice evident.

  He gave me an incredulous look. "I knew from the beginning you weren’t honest about who you were—I’ll admit I didn’t expect to find out you are a princess—but that doesn’t change the way I feel about you."

  "You mean that?"

  He nodded and motioned me to sit beside him.

  I lowered myself onto the edge of the bed so he could face me.

  Roy took my hand. "So, you’re a princess."

  I nodded.

  He averted his eyes as if thinking hard about something. "Your parents must be beside themselves not knowing where you are."

  It was my turn to look away, so I dropped my eyes to our linked hands. "I know. But the reason I had to leave was the truth. My engagement ended with Lord Thomas, and I needed to get away."

  "How could anyone ruin a relationship with you?" Roy said almost to himself.

  I smiled. "So you aren’t angry with me?"

  "No." He gently lifted my chin so I could look at him. "Your title may be different and far grander than anything I imagined, but that’s not what has drawn me to you. I have fallen in love with you, with your laugh and your smile—with your stubbornness and adventurous spirit. Princess is just a title passed down through your family, but that’s not who you are. You are so much more than that."

  My head was reeling at his words. Love? Roy had fallen in love with
me? Had he truly meant it that day in the cave?

  "You barely know me," I whispered. "How could you be in love with me?"

  His blue-green eyes sparkled in the dim light. "I know my heart and what it wants. It wants you, Aria."

  I felt my own heart racing in my chest. This was too fast, and I knew it, but somehow, beneath it all, it felt right. Roy felt right—like he was the only one that could piece me back together after Thomas. After the heartbreak I thought would last a lifetime.

  He leaned toward me. "For all I care, you could be the lowliest commoner, and I would still want you," he said, slipping his free hand behind my neck, guiding me towards him. "I love you."

  The words were barely a whisper before his lips met mine.

  Roy kissed me slowly, and I could feel the truth in his words. My heart suddenly didn’t ache the way it had in Asteria. I wondered if this was the way my mother felt with James—if he had healed her broken heart as easily as Roy was healing mine.

  The door opened, and I heard Regina gasp in surprise.

  I pulled away from Roy and stood. My face was hot and my lips tingled.

  "Regina!" I exclaimed, trying to recover from everything that had transpired in the minutes before.

  "I’m sorry for interrupting," Regina said, probably just as red as I was. "Mama told me he was awake, and I wanted to meet him."

  "Of course," I said, chancing a glance at Roy to see if he was as embarrassed as I was. If he was, he hid it well with a friendly smile.

  "Regina this is Roy; Roy this is Regina."

  Regina scampered to the side of the bed and stretched her hand out to him.

  "Nice to meet you," she said excitedly. "I'm Aria’s sister."

  I felt the blood drain from my face.

  "What do you mean, her sister?" Roy asked, shaking her hand.

  "Well," she continued dramatically, "my father is her father—so we are half-sisters. Mama and Papa told me last night."

  Confusion creased Roy’s brow, as he looked up at me.

  "Regina," I said, needing to end this conversation sooner rather than later. "Would you mind going down to the kitchen and seeing if Roy’s breakfast is almost ready?"

  "Of course!" she exclaimed. "I’ll be right back." She sprinted from the room, slamming the door behind her.

  "Why would she say she is your sister?" Roy asked.