‘So tell me then. What nice thing were you going to say about me?’
She rolled her eyes when he still didn’t budge. ‘I was just going to say that black stands for constancy, too.’
‘Ah.’
‘Because you’re loyal.’ She sounded faintly embarrassed. ‘To the Empress, I mean.’
He frowned at the implication. She’d said something similar earlier.
‘To you as well. You’re my wife, Juliana, I pledged my loyalty to you, too.’
He glanced down at the light smattering of snow on the ground beneath him, as if the words he wanted to say might be written there somewhere. He felt faintly ridiculous, but now that he’d started, he had to finish.
‘Will you marry me?’
Her mouth dropped open. ‘I don’t understand. We are married, aren’t we?’
‘Yes, but I didn’t ask you the first time. Your father did. So I’m asking you now. When I sent Ulf to the village this morning, I made other arrangements as well.’
‘What kind of arrangements?’
‘For a proper wedding with a feast.’ He cleared his throat self-consciously. ‘I want to do it properly. There were no witnesses before.’
‘Are you afraid that I’ll try to deny it?’
‘No, but for the avoidance of doubt it would be better if we made the vows formally, in case it’s ever called into question in the future.’
He wondered briefly if he ought to tell her about the Empress’s plans for him in that future, before deciding against it. He had a suspicion that mentioning Matilda’s name wouldn’t persuade her of anything.
‘Trust me, Juliana, it’s for your own safety. I want everyone to know that we’re married. There are plenty of men like Sir Guian in the world, but this way, if any of them dare to touch you again, I can maim them with a clear conscience.’
‘Well, when you put it like that...’ Her lips curved in that breathtaking smile again. ‘When have you made the arrangements for?’
‘Right now, if you’re amenable.’
Her eyes widened and he felt the band around his chest tighten again. Damn it all, how did she do that to him? He seemed to have no control over his own body any more.
‘If you don’t want to—’
‘No,’ she interrupted him, ‘it’s not that. It’s just... I want to do it properly, too. Give me one hour.’
Chapter Twenty-Five
‘What do you think?’ Juliana ran her hands over the front of her best gown, smoothing out the wrinkles as Alys and Maud exchanged dubious glances. ‘What’s the matter?’
‘It’s just...’ Alys sounded as if she were trying her hardest to be tactful. ‘It’s not very pretty.’
‘It’s my best dress!’
‘That doesn’t necessarily make it the best choice.’
‘Doesn’t it?’
She dropped down on to her bed with a dispirited sigh. Her coffer was stacked high with practical tunics in sensible shades of brown and green, none of which seemed remotely suitable as a wedding dress. Hard-wearing and functional, yes. Pretty, no, and she wanted to look pretty for her wedding. She wanted her husband to think she looked pretty, too, though as to why it should mean so much to her...
‘It doesn’t matter anyway.’ She kicked the side of her coffer resentfully. ‘He already knows what I look like.’
‘Perhaps if we decorated it with some flowers?’ Maud came and perched beside her.