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She’s not the only one who’s shown interest in Agnar though. “Elowyn likes you a lot. She’s always watching you.”

“Only when she’s drunk on dragon’s blood.” Agnar hides his face in his hands, groaning.

I shrug while thinking of the fortified liqueur distilled from the fruit of the same name. It’s potent enough that a few cups have even the most reserved nobles dancing on tables. The fruit itself is so sweet most people won’t eat it, but dragons and winemakers love it.

I pat Agnar’s arm. “That doesn’t mean her interest isn’t genuine. Dragon’s blood just gives her the courage to show it.”

“Exactly. Don’t knock a little liquid courage. Lark was half drunk the first time she⁠—”

Knowing what Sterling’s about to say, I cut him off with a warning look. As much as Sterling loves to remind me of the night I snuck into his instructor’s quarters at Flighthaven following a drinking game with my friends and threw myself at him, I doubt that’s what Agnar needs to hear.

“But liquid courage isn’t real courage.” Agnar straightens, running a hand through his coppery hair. “And who wants a woman who has to rely on alcohol in order to have a relationship beyond that first kiss?”

Sterling nods in silent agreement. “What about Brynn? She’s smart and capable.”

“And devoted to her studies.” Agnar shakes his head. “She barely knows I exist, and what she does notice doesn’t impress her.”

I remember the fiery redhead who recently became a royal guard. “Serilda? She’s a skilled fighter.”

Agnar’s already frowning. “Pretty sure she’s got her eye on Helene.”

We continue like this, where Sterling and I name eligible women and Agnar finds reasons why each wouldn’t work. It would be annoying if his arguments weren’t so sound that I agreed with them. With every name, his shoulders tense even more, until finally he raises a hand to stop us.

“I don’t want pretty and party.” His eyes flick between us. “I’m ready for something more.”

“You want what we have.” I almost feel bad admitting that truth. “I know.”

Agnar peers down at his hands. “Someone who sees me. Not just the soldier, not just my sarcasm. But all of me. Is that too much to ask?”

Sterling leans forward to grip Agnar’s forearm. “It’s not too much. And you’ll find it. But rushing into it with the wrong person won’t get you there faster.”

“The right person is out there.” I start reflecting on all the women I’ve met since coming to Tirene. “And when you meet her, you’ll know.”

Agnar glances up at me, a small smile touching his lips. “How did you know? With him?” He dips his chin toward Sterling.

I ponder those first few encounters, the tension and the anger and the unexpected pull I felt toward him even then. “I didn’t, not right away. It was…complicated.”

Sterling’s laugh is low and warm. “That about sums it up. Let’s just say we had a love-hate relationship for a while there.” He squeezes my hand, and I squeeze back. “But I always respected you and admired the way you kept fighting for what you wanted. No matter the consequences.”

A comfortable silence falls between us, and I realize with a start how far we’ve all come. From enemies and strangers to this. A queen, her prince, and their most trusted friend sitting together in the fading light, discussing love and future possibilities.

Agnar clears his throat. “Kind of thinking you two have missed your calling because I’ll be honest, I feel a thousand times better than when I walked into this room. And right now, I’m ready for this adventure I’m about to go on. With one of you. Which one will it be?”

Sterling and I exchange a glance. In that brief look, I see everything I need to know. His determination, his silent plea to let him protect me and our kingdom, his unwillingness to risk losing me again.

I dig my nails into my palms and release them. “Sterling goes.” I remain steady despite the flutter of anxiety in my chest. “Tomorrow. First light.”

Agnar nods, accepting the command of his queen and friend without question, though his eyes harbor a thousand questions about how we came to this choice.

Sterling leans over and presses a soft kiss to my temple. Tomorrow, at first light, he’ll leave me behind. But tonight, we still have each other. And somehow, that will have to be enough.

The door closes behind Agnar with a soft click that seems to echo in the sudden silence of our chambers.

Sterling’s eyes find mine from across the room. Their dark and questioning in the fading light. I’ve made my decision. He will leave tomorrow at dawn. I feel the distance between us—just a few steps but somehow vast—and I long to close it.

“Are you sure?” Sterling’s voice is a low rumble. “About me going instead of you?”

I cross over to him, breaching that small yet infinite gap. My hands find their way to his face, tracing the strong line of his jaw, feeling the slight stubble that scratches pleasantly against my palms. “Yes. You’re the right choice. The kingdom needs me here.” I swallow around the lump in my throat. “But I will miss you. Every hour. Every minute. In every room you’re not in with me.”