She'd tried to ignore the duke sitting close to her, but the space was cramped, their bodies brushing against each other even as she tried to keep her distance. Lord Dowly and Lady Naome sat opposite, happily curled into each other, whispering to one another about things that Rhosyn didn't catch or didn't understand.
It had been the better part of the journey and Rhosyn still couldn't relax. The carriage shuddered and her fingers glossed over her pebble—anything to calm her nerves.
She could feel Karsyn's gaze on her, her skin prickling and she found her breath catching. It was the first time he turned his attention on her in the day and a half they'd been travelling, and she polished her pebble between skittish fingers.
"What's with the rock?" he finally asked quietly, his voice loud in the small space.
"It's a pebble," Rhosyn snapped back, feeling foolish immediately. "I was given it."
"By someone special?" Karsyn questioned, curiosity tasting on his tongue.
Silence slipped between them as the memory washed over her again. It had been so long, the edges frayed, a vignette lens that time only eroded further. Though the feelings sounded crisp and as fresh as they had within the moment. Her body vibrated in liberation and the man kept her as sharp as the blade strapped to her leg.
"No..." the word soured in her mouth. "But it's quickly become a good luck charm; without it, an arrow would've found me. So, I guess it saved my life..."
Strange to think how something as simple as an odd obsession saved her.
The couple opposite them had snuggled together, trying to find some sort of comfort—though Rhosyn was sure it was impossible in this moving box. But there was something about the way the two fawned over each other that needled her and she wondered if her parents ever acted that way.
"You should get some sleep too," Karsyn said softly. "We'll be there in no time and you can get out of this box." It almost sounded sweet—but she couldn't let herself think that way about him.
If exhaustion didn't sap her, she might have retorted just for the sake of it, but being witty required energy she didn't have. So she conceded—for once—and leaned against the rickety carriage frame as if it was a cushion and closed her eyes.
Surprisingly, sleep could snatch at anyone when they were tired enough. Even those using a ninety degree angle wooden wall as a pillow. And just as Karsyn said, darkness found her, drowning the sound of the carriage and she fell into some deep space in her mind.
The world slowly came back to her through the fog. Warmth wrapping around her along with the scent of leather and cedar, edged with cold air. Her hand fisted fabric and she became awfully aware of the firm chest underneath.
Rhosyn stiffened.
With her eyes pressed close, she registered an arm curled around her waist, holding her close. The soft, slow motion of his chest, her rising and falling with each breath.
Rhosyn knew she'd fallen asleep, but last she remembered, she was curled against the harsh wooden frame of the carriage. The space was cramped and uncomfortable, but she refused to believe that she simply turned into Karsyn deliberately. Her heart drummed, the thought sounding more and more plausible as she turned it around in her head.
His fingers tightened around her waist, her breath caught and he froze.
Rhosyn's eyes fluttered open, revealing Dowly and Naome asleep curled into each other in the same fashion she supposed her and Karsyn was. It explained the silence in the carriage, the heavy lull that hung around them. She turned her gaze to meet Karsyn's and she was extremely aware of how close their faces huddled.
Breaths came more deliberate. Their eyes communicated something words had no use for and Rhosyn felt herself start to fall.
And then she caught herself.
"I'm sorry," she murmured, pushing at his middle to retreat and he didn't let go.
"Don't be," he purred and she leaned into the sound.
He had a way of travelling across her skin that even the cold found difficulty achieving. He sent shivers down her spine and curled in her middle. But she stubbornly refused to give in.
Suddenly, the carriage stuttered through them, wheels on cobblestones and a new anxious jolt through Rhosyn. They'd entered the road leading towards Hemsgate Palace. Soon, they'd pull up to the building and she'd have to face Edrien again.
Dowly and Naome startled awake and Karsyn's hand slipped from her waist allowing her to escape. Settling back into her seat before the couple opposite noticed anything unusual, Rhosyn could finally breathe a full breath.
"You dropped this while you napped," the duke said softly, holding out his palm to reveal her blue pebble.
Cautiously she took the offered stone, her fingers brushing his palm, the contact tingling at her tips and she quickly snatched her hand back.
"Thank you," she whispered, curling away.
When the carriage finally rolled to a stop, everything went strangely quiet and still. The constant jutting and grinding of the vehicle became only an echo of nausea.
The happy, loving couple exited the contraption first, giggles and shared looks that brushed against Rhosyn in a way she couldn't describe. Then, when it was only her and the duke, his gaze caught hers and he moved for the door. Something strangely familiar stuttered to life when his hand appeared as an offer.
Drawing a breath of courage, Rhosyn placed her hand in his and felt his fingers curling in reaction. She slipped out of the cramped box and settled next to Karsyn. Everything felt rigid and uniform in the way they tried to ignore every touch while also leaning into each and every one.
Everything moved too slow, whilst at the same time, she couldn't remember when they'd cleared the stairs and was already stepping through the main doors. The room opened up larger than Rhosyn remembered. Faces looking foreign. A room she wasn't used to viewing from this angle and yet, this was where every one of her choices brought her.
Gossip whispered up like usual—at least some things never changed. Eyes tracking the newcomers with vested interest and Rhosyn barely registered Karsyn chaperoning her down the stairs like he had on her birthday. Though this time, no words bubbled between them. No banter. No fire at all.
It was ice. A stone performance. And then she realised it was all her.
She caught a glimpse of Karsyn, straight-backed, relaxed expression, warmth colouring his eyes. He was performing—of course he was—but he was acting normal. And she realised that tonight knocked her on edge more than she realised.
Like the first time he came to Hemsgate Palace, Karsyn made his way straight for the dais where King Alestan sat.
Rhosyn squeezed her pebble hidden in her pocket like always, and swallowed down her discomfort. She never let anyone cower her, and she won't start now.
"Your Majesty." Together, she and Karsyn bowed before the king.
"Duke Leoric Karsyn of Harrowfen and his betrothed Lady Rhosyn Valewyn of Ravelocke, I didn't expect to see you both here tonight," Alestan taunted, only the hint of a private joke hidden under his tone. "Happy with what you spent on your new Marriage Clause?" he turned to Rhosyn, but his tone wasn't meant for her alone. He was taking a stab—and he was enjoying himself.
"Delighted," she chimed back, her expression not conforming with the word. It was a challenge and she was rising to it.
Karsyn's eyes slid to her, and she felt the questioning gaze without having to look up. But she ignored it and he let her. It wasn't wise to air out dirty laundry in front of your opponent.
"Enjoy the evening," Alestan smirked and with that, they were dismissed.
They turned away, moving off into the crowd and Karsyn leaned in to ask, only pausing when Edrien stepped forward.
"Your Highness." Again, her and Karsyn bowed in unison.