The Firethorn Crown (24 page)
Read The Firethorn Crown Online
Authors: Lea Doué
“Goodbye.” She placed his ring on the cot.
His hand covered hers, lightning fast. “Thank you,” he said, and he let her go.
*
Father wanted to postpone the announcement of her betrothal, wait until news of Runson’s betrayal and the discovery of a sorcerer in Ituria had settled, but Mother overruled him. Or, rather, her decree had. They needed to put a stop to other throne-seekers like Runson and his family, and the announcement would give the people someplace positive to turn their minds.
Lily and Eben stood hand-in-hand on a small dais in the ballroom, wearing crowns of real firethorns and looking out at a sea of white-gowned ladies and black-clad gentlemen. Across the room, Mother’s portrait hung in a place of honor, framed in black and gold. Flowers and ribbons of ivory, cream, silver, and every shade of moonlight bedecked the room, a reminder of the bright future ahead.
As a guard, Eben hadn’t planned to attend The Starlight Ball, and so his newly appointed valet had scrambled to find suitable clothes. Eben already swore the man deserved more pay.
“I think we’ve gone about this a bit backwards.” She spoke as loudly as she dared, barely able to hear herself over the cheering crowd.
“How so?” Eben appeared calm, but his sweaty hands gave away his nerves. He would make a good king someday, but Father would train him personally for at least a year before they would be allowed to marry.
“You didn’t propose.”
“Neither did you.”
She nudged him with her elbow. “I wasn’t supposed to.”
“You’re the crown princess. How is a guard supposed to bring that up? You had the power to send me away, and I wouldn’t risk that.”
Oh.
“Are you sorry?” Even with the noise, she heard his uncertainty.
“Of course not.” She rubbed her thumb along the ring on her finger. “Are you?”
“I’d have said ‘yes’ ten years ago.”
“Scandalous. Crown princesses don’t marry at eleven. I’m glad we waited.”
“Agreed.” He leaned down as if to kiss her, but then straightened. He cleared his throat, and his gaze darted around the room.
“You can if you want, you know.”
So, he did.
Acknowledgements
First and always, I am thankful to my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for His love and grace. Romance is nice, but true love is forever (John 3:16).
A great big thank you to
you
for making it to the end of my first book! I hope you enjoyed reading the tale as much as I enjoyed writing it. If so, please consider leaving a review online. Even a short review on the site where you purchased this book, or on Goodreads, can make all the difference in helping an indie author (that’s me!) reach more readers. No matter what, you’re awesome!
Thank you to my husband for your constant support and encouragement. I really really couldn’t have done this without you. Also, thank you to my boys, who understand Mommy’s need for quiet time on the computer. Love you all bunches!
A big thank you to my beta readers, Shannon Pendergraph, Regina Pike (hi, mom!), and Margie MacDonald, who gave me priceless feedback and the confidence to think that other people might like to read my little story, too. Thank you to my Fabulous Five email group (you know who you are!) for letting me practice my blogging skills on you.
You can connect with me online through:
About the Author
A native of south Georgia, Lea currently lives in Nova Scotia, Canada with her husband, their two boys, a rescue greyhound, and a cat. But, sadly, no dragons. Homeschooling and writing take up most of her time, but she also enjoys directing a small puppet team at her church. The Firethorn Crown, a re-imagining of Grimm’s “The Twelve Dancing Princesses,” is the first novel in the Firethorn Chronicles, a series inspired by fairy tales and other stories.