All Chapters of One True Love: A Love Mark Fantasy Romance: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

The wedding proceeded without a hitch, two kingdoms became allies, and the royal celebration began afterward in the dining hall.Anniston fell asleep in my arms, so I reluctantly let a maid take her up to her room. Except once she was gone, I felt empty without her. What was worse, Nicolette abandoned me when Soren’s older children appeared, begging her to play with them. Soren stood across the room, hovering around Caulder as a cluster of council members circled them, and Yasmin held her own court with a group of dignified ladies. Meanwhile, Brentley led his new bride around the room, showing her off to whoever seemed willing to accept an introduction, while his new brother-in-law remained a step behind them, like a silent, overprotective bodyguard.I started having those thoughts again, those thoughts about how lonely he looked in a crowded room, but this time, I empathized. Everyone I was comfortable with and usually talked to was busy; the same went for him. If I didn’t think it

Allera’s smile was overly bright and tense as she gazed up at the prince and batted her lashes. “Why, whatever do you mean, dear brother?”“Don’t play ignorant with me. She’s distressed,” he bit out. I knew he was talking about me, even though he didn’t even glance my way. “I felt it all the way across the fucking castle and outside. What did you do to her?” Accusation gleamed in his eyes as he marched close, glaring at his sister.“Well.” Allera tapped her chin thoughtfully, before answering, “I told her about the dream-sharing thing. So she knows about that now.”His gaze swung to me, his chest still heaving since he was out of breath from the sprint he must’ve run to get here.My eyes went wide. Oh God. I wanted to sink through the floor and die. He knew I’d wanted him to do dirty delicious things to me. Against a wall.His gaze glittered with the knowledge of it, too.This was so humiliating.“And then she told me about the dream you keep having about Jazon,” his sister went

I might have stretched the truth a bit when I’d told Vienne my back wounds were fine. The fact was they irritated the hell out of me. The skin that had knitted back together stretched and burned every time I overextended my arms, like lifting them to remove my tunic.Wincing, I discarded the shirt and spent another minute rotating my shoulders to get the scar tissue used to movement.The first day I’d returned to the back bailey for training, I’d torn one cut open and it had started bleeding like a son of a bitch, so I’d mostly been yelling instructions since then. But I was getting tired of that. I needed action, combat, especially after I’d just watched my one true love depart to her room for the evening with her husband.Convincing myself they were only tucking Anniston into her crib together before Soren went off to his own room far, far away from Vienne’s, I collapsed onto my back on my bed and stared up at the ceiling, feeling empty, only to wince when the mattress’s contact w

“You know,” Yasmin said conversationally as her husband departed the Blue Chambers. She turned to smile at Nicolette. “From what you and Prince Urban said, this woman sounds like she might actually be the real deal. Maybe I should get a tattoo from her too, to prove to my husband they’re not so evil after all and that he is my one true love. Where did you say she was staying again, darling?”“Oh! She’s at the Cotton Maker’s Inn,” Nicolette answered. “The top suite. But she plans to leave tomorrow, so you’d have to visit her today.”“Yasmin,” I started cautiously. “I’m not sure Caulder would appreciate you getting a mark after we just saw the way he reacted to Nicolette’s.”But my sister merely laughed off my concerns and waved a hand. “Oh pish. He can never stay mad at me. Why…” Smile brightening, she added, “We should go together and each get a love mark. Don’t you think, Vienne?” Her sharp smile slid toward Urban. “Maybe your one true love isn’t even the prince, here.”Urban mere

“Good morning, Urban!” Nicolette greeted, bounding up so she could hook her arm through mine and turn us toward Vienne and Anniston. “Happy Donnelly Day! Do you know the history of our realm? I’d be happy to share it with you.”I gazed across her dark curls of hair to meet Vienne’s gaze. My one true love didn’t seem too ashamed to look me in the eye today. In fact, she offered me a small, polite, pleased smile and nodded hello. Relieved that she didn’t seem to be experiencing any regret, I looked down at Nicolette as the princess stayed between us to lead the way outside.“Brentley told me the kingdom’s history, I believe.”“Oh.” Nicolette’s shoulders fell slightly as if disappointed she couldn’t tell me all about the two men who’d been banished from Lowden and eventually discovered the village of Mandalay.“But I’ve never heard of Donnelly Day,” I told her.And just like that, she brightened once more. “You haven’t? Oh, but it’s the best day of the entire year. We celebrate from