Page 140 of Heartbreak Prince

Both of the men bow to Vawn. “Your Majesty.”

“I trust arrangements have been made as I requested?” Vawn asks.

“Yes, Sire.”

“Please explain all the security protocols to my lady here. She likes to know every detail.”

I cast him a grateful glance, and he grins down at me, pleased with himself.

The guards take their time explaining all the security features of the inn and the precautions they’ve taken for our stay here, after which Vawn slips them each a few coins and says, “Thank you for your service. Have a drink on me.”

“When you’re off duty,” I suggest.

“Of course, ma’am,” reply the guards.

“I’m sure they could still do their jobs with one drink in their bellies,” Vawn murmurs to me as we enter the inn.

“Maybe, but I’d rather not take the chance.” My jaw drops as we move through the entrance and deliver our bags to the servants who stand ready to receive them. “By the fates, Vawn—it’s beautiful.”

Stained-glass windows catch the incoming light of the sunset, flecking the shiny golden wood of the floor with shards of color. The vast common room boasts comfortable furniture, multiple fireplaces, and brilliant paintings.

“This doesn’t seem like your sort of place,” I say.

“I like many sorts of places,” Vawn replies. “My favorite is always the one where you are.”

“Saccharinely adorable,” mutters Severin from behind us. “I suppose it’s time for me to be stuffed in my case?”

“Actually, they have special berths for magic carpets.” Vawn smiles at him. “Silk or velvet-lined—take your pick. There are lights in the berths, too—tiny glass globes filled with the hair from unicorn fetlocks. They provide illumination and they recharge your energy more quickly. If you need cleaning or brushing, or if you want your tassels combed or your handles re-plaited, they provide all those services, too. Just ask for whatever you need. It’s on me.”

Severin’s glow increases noticeably. I’ve never seen him brighten like that, and it’s a thrill to know that he’s pleased.

“Enjoy yourselves, humans,” he tells us. “Take your time. I’ll be quite comfortable.”

He flutters away in the company of an attendant, while Vawn leads me through the common room. We’re briefly greeted by the inn’s hostess, who guides us to something called an elevator. It has a set of gears and weights that enable people to rise from floor to floor without using stairs. I’ve never been in one before, and it feels like magic.

The elevator takes us to the top floor of the inn. “There are only two suites up here,” the hostess says. “One of them is yours, and the other is empty. You have complete privacy. The food you ordered will be delivered soon, Your Majesty, and then we will leave you undisturbed, as requested.”

She opens the door to the suite and ushers us inside.

The main room has a sunken area with a bench running around it, replete with cushions and soft fringed blankets. In the center of that space is a table of thick stained glass, purple and blue. Upon it sits a bouquet of blood-ivy in an ebony vase.

I know Vawn requested that bouquet. It’s a subtle message that even our most terrifying days were special to him. And the marble tray of dice near it confirms what I suspected.

This is the night he promised me—a night of games, sex, and one all-important question.

My heartbeat trips over itself, and I clasp my hands to my chest, but I don’t speak yet. I want to take everything in.

West-facing windows fill the entire wall beyond the sunken seating area. Each window features clear glass except for one central pane set with the stained-glass crown of Belavrin. Curtains of blood-red and royal purple cluster at the corners of the room, cloaking part of the walls and giving way to tall paintings of the Red Mountains, the river that runs through Kyr, and the Lyre & Vice.

The room is luxurious without being ostentatious. Above all, it exudes comfort, beauty, and safety. I can relax here. Except… the matter of the question burns in my mind, stirring my heart into a frenzy of expectation.

The hostess retreats from the room with a quiet smile, closing the doors and leaving us alone.

“I don’t know what to say, Vawn,” I whisper. “It’s beautiful.”

“You are beautiful,” he says. “And when I say beautiful, I don’t mean just your shape, or your face, or any of that. I mean your strength, your sense of duty, your humor, your loyalty. I’m talking about your tenacious mind, your quick instincts, your passionate nature. The way you cared when it felt like no one else did. The way you pulled something out of me that I didn’t even know was there.” He touches his chest with a soft laugh, as if he still doesn’t quite understand it. “I’m going to ask you the question now, love, because I know you’re expecting it, and you won’t be able to enjoy yourself until it’s settled. Please know, darling, that you are free to respond however you wish. If you would rather remain as we are, I will accept it. I simply want you in my life. I will take what I can get.”

He sinks to his knees on the soft crimson carpet and takes an ebony box from his pocket. When he opens it, a large ruby flashes in the golden sunlight streaming through the windows.