by Cait Marie
“Yes,” he whispered.
Nodding, Shane took his hands, lacing their fingers together. “I love you, Phillip. This might be our last night in this life. I want to go into this battle tied to you in every way possible.”
Phillip let out a breath. He wanted that too. More than anything—more than his title as Captain—he wanted to know Shane was his forever.
“You mean more to me than any crown. I would sooner give up my throne than you. If you’re not standing by my side, I don’t want it,” Shane said. “Should we perish in this upcoming fight, I want to know that we will be reunited in whatever may come after.”
Phillip didn’t know what to say. His chest was too tight, and tears had spilled down his cheeks. He barely managed to mutter out another, “Yes.”
Shane’s brow furrowed in clear confusion.
Phillip chuckled. He loved this clueless man. His heart fluttered in his chest, racing as he closed the remaining distance between them. He placed his hands on Shane’s waist as he leaned in. If he needed to spend the rest of their lives spelling things out for him, he would. Taking a deep breath, he said, “Yes, I will marry you.”
The king grinned, but Phillip covered his lips with his own. He kissed him with everything he had, willing every ounce of love to show Shane just how much this meant to him. To show that they belonged to each other in every way.
And he didn’t care how many people saw them.
Chapter 18
Loxley
“What’s wrong?” Lee asked as he walked into the cabin after Ada. He’d seen her talking to Shane and wondered how much she told him about what they’d found. The king deserved to know the truth, but Lee wasn’t going to make that decision for her.
He followed her to the bed. When she reached down for her book, he sat beside her. The book fell open in her lap, revealing the cards he’d once thought lost. It was still hard to believe that the painted images had all faded when the curse broke. They’d noticed the next day when looking for answers about Ada’s immortality. To see his crew’s paintings all but gone helped it sink in. They were mortal once more.
Now, the majority of the cards still had faint traces of the men and women, but only one was bold enough to see the details. Lee gently picked up the one with a vague resemblance of himself painted on the front. He traced the familiar symbols along the corners—the same ones matching the tattoos splayed across the left side of his chest and around his shoulder.
“I don’t know if I can do this,” Ada whispered.
Lee closed his eyes and let out a breath. It wasn’t fair that so much had fallen to her. She was so young. And now, because of him, she’d never grow older. He looked over and put the card back in the book before placing it all on the floor.
“Even if we somehow find Ddadwneud… how am I supposed to kill him? He was…” She trailed off, the pain clear in her eyes. “I loved him.”
Cursing, he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close. He understood all too well how it felt to be betrayed by the one you loved. Unintentional as it might have been, Mariella’s actions were what led him and his crew to be captured and cursed. It was painful enough when she married Henri, despite loving Lee. But for her to lie to him and stand by as he was cursed…
Lee shook his head, bringing himself back to the woman at his side. This was about her now. He’d shoved thoughts of Mariella aside for over a century and knew what they had wasn’t true love. It was comfort and friendship. He was meant to be with Adalina, even the stars above deemed it so. And right now, she was scared in a way he’d never seen her.
He’d worried about her ability to kill the false king too, but he hadn’t voiced the concern because they didn’t have the dagger. If he’d known that was what she’d feared these past few days, he would have tried to reassure her. That blade was long gone. Vaguely, in his mind, he could see the ornate handle of a dagger he’d once carried, but he’d given it away sometime in the past century; he didn’t remember the kingdom he’d been in at the time let alone the person he’d gifted it to.
“You are not alone in this, love.” He brushed a finger along her jaw, tilting her face up to him. “No matter what happens, I will be with you.”
She met his eyes, and he saw the questions, the doubts, lingering in her gaze. Sliding his hand to the back of her neck, he closed the distance between them. His lips met hers, and she shifted to deepen the kiss quickly. As if she was as desperate for his touch as he was for hers. Her mouth parted, letting him in.
He moved, pulling her onto his lap. His hands slid beneath the hem of her shirt and up her back as she pressed herself fully against him. Her fingers twisted up into his hair.
But just as he went to shift them to a more horizontal position, the door banged open.
Ada squealed, jumping back. If it wasn’t for Lee’s quick reflexes, she’d have fallen to the floor. He grabbed her around the waist, holding her until she found her balance. She stood, a string of colorful words leaving that pretty mouth of hers that was now slightly swollen.
“We need you,” Shane said as he and Phillip made their way into the cabin, shutting the door behind them, oblivious to what they’d just interrupted.
Had it not been for their ridiculous matching grins, Lee would have thought something was wrong by the way they’d barged in. He failed to hide his usual smirk. “You know, if you keep doing that, one of these days, you’re going to walk in on something you don’t want to see.”
Phillip coughed to cover a chuckle, but Shane looked murderous. His eyes narrowed, the previous joy completely gone. “You might be immortal, Prince, but I can still hurt that pretty face of yours.”
At Lee’s side, Ada groaned before saying, “Enough! We just talked about this. What do you need?”
Shane looked at Phillip who nodded. The king turned back to Lee and said, “Will you marry us?”
Ada audibly gasped before lunging at her brother and wrapping him in a hug. She let out a shriek of delight Lee had never heard from her, and he laughed. Their previous anger at the disruption had completely vanished.
“You can do that, right?” Phillip asked as Ada moved to grab him too. “As the captain of the ship, you can marry people?”
“Yes, I can.” Lee couldn’t fight his own smile. When no one moved, he asked, “Now?”
Shane nodded, but Ada gasped again. She backed away, shaking her head. “No! Not in this dingy little cabin. No offense.”
Lee laughed again, holding up a hand. “No, I agree.”
“We should do a ceremony up on deck,” she said, clasping her hands together under her chin. She started rambling about lights and music, mentioning how his crew had decorated for her birthday months ago. Phillip glanced to Shane nervously, but when the king put an arm around him and kissed his cheek, the former visibly relaxed.
Ada had mentioned Phillip wanted to keep their relationship a secret, and Lee had promised not to say anything around his crew, but their love for one another was so tangible he’d be surprised if they didn’t all at least suspect. They’d be thrilled to have a wedding. It had been so long since any of them attended such an event.
Rolling his eyes at his sister’s excitement, Shane agreed to let Ada do this. They all knew what was coming in the next few days. There were no guarantees they’d all make it through this battle with Rayerna. Except for Lee and Ada.
Lee patted Phillip on the arm as he moved to follow Ada out of the cabin. Above them, the sky began to darken as the sun dropped toward the horizon. But the clouds had cleared, and he knew it’d soon lead to a beautiful sunset. Lee yelled out orders to lower the anchor. Running up the nearby steps to the wheel, he told Brienne what was happening.
After a moment of him watching Ada directing his crew, Brienne said, “You need to tell her the truth.”
Lee looked over at Brienne with a creased brow. He didn’t have any more secrets from Ada.
“About how you feel,” Brienne clarified. “Stop this ridiculous back and
forth game.”
He shook his head in confusion. “I told her I love her. I’ve said it many times.”
“Yet, she doubts everything the second you slip up about losing everyone you love.” Brienne sighed. “Lee, you told her you loved her after she sacrificed herself for you. All of this has been about some prophecy. Can’t you see how she might think you’re not sincere?”
His mouth dropped open. He snapped it shut and looked back out at the girl in question. Did she really not believe him?
“Go,” Brienne said, nudging him toward the stairs.
He thanked her before heading to the main deck. Ada was in a flurry, setting up anything that could be used as chairs while others lit the strand of small lanterns hanging around the area. Lee stopped beside Shane, who stood watching near the door to the captain’s cabin.
“Where’s Phillip?”
Shane laughed. “She made us separate to get ready. He’s down below, and she had me get ready in your cabin.”
“She’s ridiculous,” Lee said with a grin.
“Always. But we love her anyway.”
Lee nodded to himself.
“Listen,” Shane said, turning toward him more, “I know we haven’t really seen eye to eye since I joined you all on this trip, and I am sorry about that. She’s my little sister. I just… she’s gone through so much in her life. I want to take care of her like I always have. It’s hard to let that go.”
Lee faced the king. “You’re the only person she’s had her entire life, other than Phillip. You are her family—the most important person in her life. Since meeting her, every one of our quests before this one was about you—about helping you with Detmarya or saving you from the Kald. She loves you more than anything in this world. I never want to take that away or come between you two.”
Smiling, Shane crossed his arms. “You really do love her, don’t you?”
“More than anything in this world,” he said, repeating his own words as he glanced back at her. Brienne was right, he needed to make sure Ada knew that.
Shane clapped him on the shoulder. “I’m glad she found you. Not because of,” he waved a hand around, “everything, but because I know she loves you too. I see it in the way she looks at you.”
As if on cue, her blue eyes met Lee’s, and she gave him a soft smile. He would do anything in his power to keep that smile in place.
If the prophecy came true though, he knew there was a chance he’d never see it again.
Their time was running out. All he could do was pray to the stars that he’d made the right decision and found a way to save her and Shane both.
Chapter 19
Shane
As the sun began to sink beyond the horizon, Shane bounced on the balls of his feet, fighting the urge to pace. Adalina had made him move into the captain’s cabin to wait, but he didn’t know how much longer he could take this. His hands writhed together while he began to pace. He felt utterly out of control as various waves of emotion slammed into him—joy, fear, longing. They ran together, whirling through his veins, overwhelming him. But then, the door opened and those hazel eyes he loved so much met his, and Shane realized he was wrong. This was him taking control, deciding what his future would be should they make it through the coming battle.
Shane let out a breath at the sight of his best friend. He could do this. For Phillip, he could do anything.
Adalina walked in right behind him, nodding that it was time.
Hooking an arm through both of theirs, she ushered them from the cabin and out into the dying sunlight. The sky had turned bright shades of swirling pink and orange. Across the ship deck, small lanterns were hanging, already lit. With the help of the crew, Adalina had brought out boxes, buckets, and anything else that could create rows of makeshift chairs.
With Shane on one side and Phillip on the other, Adalina led them down the aisle, to the bow of the ship where Lee stood waiting. Shane’s heart pounded in his chest with each step. When they reached the end, Adalina turned to Phillip and whispered something in his ear while hugging him. Then, she turned to Shane, tears shining in her eyes.
He pulled her into his arms. If she started crying, there was a good chance he would too.
“I’m so happy for you,” she said softly before kissing his cheek. She slid a brass ring into his hand.
“How?”
“One of the crew members.”
“I love you,” he whispered, worried his voice would crack if he spoke any louder. He slid the ring into a pocket.
“I love you too.” She guided him toward Phillip and took her seat in the front row beside Brienne.
Phillip’s hands enveloped his, and Shane met his gaze once more. Lee began speaking, but the entire world seemed to vanish around them. All Shane could see was Phillip. All he could feel was Phillip’s thumb brushing the back of his palm. That mixed with the calming bob of the ship soothed Shane’s racing pulse.
Someone chuckled, and Shane blinked, finally looking around. Phillip squeezed his hands with a grin.
“Sorry, what?” Shane asked, heat creeping up into his cheeks as he glanced to Lee.
Lee simply smiled and asked, “Do you want to say any words?”
“Oh, um…” He cleared his throat and licked his lips, trying to figure out how to say all he felt. Meeting Phillip’s eyes, he took a deep breath, but his heart wouldn’t slow.
“Are you all right?” Phillip whispered, taking a half-step closer.
Shane nodded, grateful for how well Phillip knew him. In that gesture, he relaxed, realizing, once again, that this was right. There was no one in the world he’d rather have by his side. If Phillip could put aside his fear of people seeing them together in such a big way, he could tell the man why he loved him.
“You’re my best friend,” Shane began, remembering the words he spoke the first time they were alone after he was cured from the Kald—the first time they’d kissed. “You’ve been my best friend for as long as I can remember. You’ve been here through the darkest times in my life—a beacon of constant light. Though it took me a bit longer to realize just how much I love and need that light to exist. For so long, I believed I would marry for my kingdom, not for love. But today, I’m standing here doing both. Because I know the people of Detmarya love you nearly as much as I do. They’ve seen your heart, and there’s no one better suited to be their Prince Consort.”
Phillip’s mouth dropped open, his eyes widening, as if he hadn’t considered the title he would receive.
“I know this is scary for a multitude of reasons,” Shane went on, taking a step closer and pulling out the ring. Placing it on Phillip’s finger made his stomach flip. “But as long as you’re by my side, I feel invincible. Together, we can face anything.”
After a pause, Lee said, “Phillip?”
“How am I supposed to follow that?” Shaking his head slightly, Phillip visibly inhaled. Shane didn’t think he’d ever seen such happiness come from him. Phillip seemed to glow with it, and his grip on Shane’s hands tightened slightly. “My entire life, the only secret I ever kept from you was how much I loved you. Only in my wildest dreams did I dare imagine this possible. I once told you that with or without my oath, I would protect you with my life.”
Shane blinked back the stinging in his eyes, remembering that dark day at Mr. Lavens’s graveside. Phillip had been inducted to the royal guard days after his father’s death. His father had been Captain of the Guard, and Phillip had wanted to share the moment with him. When Shane found him collapsed against the fresh dirt, it broke something inside of him. Looking back, he could see just how entwined their lives had been. Phillip had always been more than a friend to him. He was his entire world.
Phillip slowly slid a similar bronze ring onto Shane’s finger. “Now, I am making another vow. Every piece of my heart is yours; it always has been. And I will thank the stars for the rest of my life—no matter how long or short that may be—that you love me in return.”
A tear finall
y managed to fall down Shane’s cheek. His chest constricted at the love in Phillip’s eyes, and he wondered again how he’d missed it all these years.
Pure joy filled him as Lee finished the standard words announcing them married. “You may now kiss your husband.”
A breathy laugh escaped Shane’s lips just before he pressed them to Phillip’s. His hands went around Phillip’s back, pulling him closer to deepen the kiss. For weeks, they’d been careful not to let anyone see them. To hold him in front of all their friends…
“I love you,” he said when they finally broke apart.
“I love you.” Phillip kissed him again.
Then, their friends were upon them, congratulating them and hugging them. Shane kept one hand in Phillip’s though, not wanting him to be dragged away as the celebrating began.
The sun disappeared as drinks were poured and instruments were produced. Shane danced with Phillip close in his arms before the others joined in with the quicker-paced tunes. Someone brought up food, and they all ate and laughed and shared stories between dances. Shane and Phillip each danced with Adalina, but the majority of the night, Shane held onto Phillip.
“Tomorrow, when we—”
Shane kissed Phillip, cutting off his words. They swayed back and forth, lost in their own bubble while the others carried on. “Not tonight. No worrying tonight, please.”
Nodding, understanding filled Phillip’s gaze as he said, “All right.”
With a smile, Shane grabbed Phillip’s hand and twirled him around. Laughter floated across the night breeze, and Shane pulled his husband toward him again. Husband. “You’re my husband.”
“That, I am.” Phillip’s mouth brushed along his.
Shane trailed a hand down Phillip’s side, letting his fingers skim across his waist. He kissed Phillip’s jawline up to his ear then whispered, “How long do you think we need to stay up here? Think they’ll notice if we disappear?”
