The Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood and Ash 3)

“Sorry.”

My eyes narrowed. “You don’t sound sorry.”

He bit down on his lower lip, but the corners of his mouth curved up. Not one but two stupid dimples appeared.

“You’re so annoying,” I muttered.

“Endearingly annoying,” he corrected, and his father sighed.

“More like it’s a good thing you’re pretty,” I grumbled under my breath.

Casteel tugged me back to his side, folding an arm around me. Before I could protest, he lowered his mouth until it was only an inch or so from mine. “More like it’s a good thing you love me unconditionally.”

“That, too.” I sighed.

Casteel lowered his head, kissing me, and there was nothing quick or chaste about the way his lips claimed mine. It might’ve even been a little inappropriate—or a lot—but so was the way I sank against the length of his body.

I jerked as howls and cheers erupted from the wolven and the Atlantians in the yard and from the city, mingling with catcalls and hoots.

Casteel chuckled against my lips as he pressed his forehead to mine. “Our people are really into displays of public affection, in case you haven’t noticed.”

“I noticed.” Face surely the color of a blood tree, I looked out at the city—to our people.

Willa turned back to the crowd, which had quieted once more. “From the Blood and Ash and the Kingdom of Flesh and Fire, our King and Queen have ascended the throne, sworn to defend Atlantia from enemies known and unseen. To rule with kindness and strength, and to lead with compassion and justice. From this moment to their last moments, they are your protectors.”

Casteel’s brilliant amber eyes caught mine. He took our joined hands and lifted them high into the air, and the people…the people celebrated.

The people of Atlantia were still celebrating the ascension of the Crown based on the joyous noise that could be heard faintly from within the Royal Chambers.

And Kieran had not been joking when he’d said that our rooms were the entirety of the east wing. The foyer opened into a sitting area, and on either side, doors led to his and her spaces. I wasn’t sure why they needed both, but there was also a private dining room furnished with a round table still large enough to seat several people. An atrium outfitted with comfortable chairs and settees was also present, with plush rugs and night-blooming roses that had opened their delicate petals at the first sign of the moon.

The bedchamber was…excessive.

A canopy bed sat in the center of the room, and it took up nearly the entirety of the space. The curtains were tied back, revealing fresh linens and a mound of soft pillows. There were only two chaises situated in front of the doors that led to a private terrace and garden, and a large wooden chest sat just inside the bedchamber. The wardrobes were housed in a room the size of my bedchamber in Masadonia. Casteel had explained it was called a walk-in closet, and I thought it could very well be a live-in closet.

The bathing chamber…well, it made the one in Saion’s Cove appear paltry in comparison. The toilet was hidden behind a wall, and there were two vanities, an indecently large soaking tub, and the life-changing shower stall that boasted multiple showerheads and stone benches.

And there were many indecent things I could think of taking place in there.

From the main entryway, a door opened to the staff hallway and the private stairs that led upstairs to rooms reserved for guests of the King and Queen. Those who had traveled with us were now settling in, and Casteel’s parents had just left after advising that if there was anything we wished to change about the quarters, we only needed to let Rose know.

Since very few items in the space could’ve belonged to either Eloana or Valyn, I had a feeling that many of the things already in the rooms were new and that they had planned for this moment from the second they returned to Evaemon.

While Casteel spoke with one of the staff members to have food sent to our quarters, I roamed the rooms, searching for the personal items that had been sent over in advance.

I found them sprinkled throughout: an adorable stuffed bear that had surely seen better days rested on a shelf. Several leather-bound books lined the shelves in the main sitting area—some were children’s books, and the rest appeared to be a collection of fables. There were no textbooks to be found. Grinning, I discovered two training swords hanging in the hall between the sitting room and the dining area, their blades dull. Several paintings hung in the dining room, and the one of lilacs, gray stone, and clear blue waters had to be Casteel’s.

It was the cavern.

In the walk-in closet, I found the clothing we’d brought with us, and the things that had been sent ahead, already hung up and folded. Inside the chest was a trove of weapons that pierced flesh and stone, some made of a golden metal, some steel, and others bloodstone. On the other side, between the doors to the bathing chamber and the closet, were two raised, stone podiums with a thin ledge. Inherently, I knew what they were for, having a wispy memory of spotting something similar in Wayfair Castle.