40

Cyrus and Greyson stood in the center of the village as they watched a procession travel up the road. Almost six weeks had passed since he'd received the letter from his uncle. Lady Lyra had finally arrived.

A bubbling feeling grew within his stomach as he watched the carriage approach. Now, he and Greyson could get married, leave Woodhurst, and go home. Cyrus sighed. Greyson raised an eyebrow in an obvious question. Cyrus took Greyson's free hand, their fingers interlacing, in response. Cyrus focused on the fine carriage with decorative paneling as the procession halted. The door opened and a tall woman with no curves dressed in a thick fur-lined cloak and dark blue dress stepped out.

With a smile, Cyrus said, "Lady Lyra, welcome."

Lady Lyra smiled in return. Her pale blonde hair was swept up into a bun with a few curls framing her face and her sea-green eyes glimmered. She had strong features and warm sandy-brown skin. "Prince Cyrus, it's lovely to see you."

"I'm surprised you agreed to this placement."

"Well, the emperor did not give me much of a choice. He said go, and I did."

"That makes sense." Cyrus gestured toward Greyson. "Lady Lyra, this is Mage Greyson."

She gave him a coy smile. "Well, well. Where have they been hiding you? You are fabulous."

Cyrus' jaw tightened as he started to bristle at the woman's obvious flirting. A quick glance at Greyson, who looked nonplussed, reassured him. "Greyson and I are together."

Giggling, she placed a hand on her chest and asked, "Did I suggest otherwise?"

Greyson chuckled.

"It's nice to meet you, Greyson." Turning to Cyrus, Lady Lyra said, "Your mother informed me of the plan. I have to admit, Prince Cyrus, I had no idea of your long-standing infatuation. Princess Jade said you were quite mopey and pathetic."

The empress, his cousin, and most of the court referred to the royal couple as his parents and the crown princess as his sister. The only one that didn't was the emperor, and the reason his uncle kept the distinction was so no one thought Cyrus would inherit the throne instead of Jade. An honor he didn't want in the slightest.

"I was not mopey," he retorted, though Cyrus silently agreed with the assessment.

She tittered.

Continuing with the matter at hand, Cyrus informed her, "You will have to oust Lord Darius from his home. Greyson and I are staying in an apartment we're renting."

"I figured that responsibility would fall to me. I have a small contingent of soldiers that will take him to the coast before he is sent to the tower with the monks. Your mother wasn't pleased with his reassignment."

Empress Quinn had a right to dislike Lord Darius. At every chance, he had pressed his advantage toward her. It had been widely known of his unwanted affections and attention, but because he'd done nothing more than make lewd remarks, there was nothing anyone could do. Finally, Lord Darius grabbed her arm and dragged her against him at a party. He was promptly stationed in the Griseo Mountains.

"I imagine she wasn't, but I believe the monks will be good for Lord Darius."

"Sure," she said with obvious sarcasm. "The one benefit is he will be too far away from any sort of society to do any damage."

Cyrus didn't respond, and thankfully, Greyson remained quiet. Lady Lyra would side with Greyson's idea—kill the lord in increasingly horrible ways. "We will have to go over the accounts," he said. "Lord Darius was quite the spender."

"Excellent. If there is nothing else, I would like to go inside and warm up."

"Actually," Cyrus said, tightening his hold on Greyson, "I had a favor to ask."

"What?"

"I was wondering if you would marry Greyson and I?"

"Well, I'm flattered," she said, fluttering her eyelashes, "but I have no interest in entering a throuple at this time, and I don't know either of you well enough."

He rolled his eyes, but Greyson laughed. Cyrus grumbled, "You know what I meant."

"I did, but I couldn't resist."

Greyson leaned toward her and whispered loudly, "Between you and I, I don't share."

"Oh, possessive type are you?" she asked.

"Only when it comes to Cyrus."

She laughed, and Cyrus grinned as heat seeped into his cheeks. Greyson smirked at him.

"Well," Lady Lyra said, drawing his attention from Greyson, "I would certainly be happy to perform the ceremony, but I think it would sadden your honorable parents and sister if you got married without them."

"I have no idea how long it will be before we can go to the capital. I don't want to wait," Cyrus said. He glanced toward Greyson, who nodded in agreement.

Lady Lyra"s lips pursed. "I could say that you ordered me to perform the ceremony, then you could take yourselves off. I'll write to the emperor that I thought you two were secluding yourselves for a couple of weeks in the apartment you rented, but in truth, you ran away to somewhere I don't know about."

"We're just going to Greyson's village," he said.

She covered her ears. "I don't want to know that."

Cyrus lifted his hands in surrender. His uncle would know where he ran to, as he intended to keep writing to his aunt and Jade. "Fine."

"Now that's settled, I'm going inside." She walked toward the fancy house with several soldiers at her side.

Greyson shifted toward him. "Should we go with her?"

"No. She'll be alright."

"So," Greyson started, smiling, "what do you want to do today?"

With pursed lips, he stepped closer. "I'm not sure."

"Is that so?" Greyson raised his eyebrows, smirking. He moved right in front of Cyrus. "You have no plans?"

"None." Cyrus grinned, placing his hands on Greyson's hips. "None at all," he said, but was quickly forming some ideas.

"Hmm." Greyson nodded. "So you wouldn't care if I went herb hunting?"

Cyrus' mouth fell open. Greyson wanted to leave now?

Greyson burst out laughing. He leaned down, and his black hair brushed Cyrus' face. "You make me laugh."

"Apparently, I do," he grunted.

"I'm not making fun of you, love," Greyson said. "You just make me very happy."

He couldn't keep the smile off his face. "You make me happy as well."

Greyson rested his forehead against his. "I could never have imagined this. Not ever. I couldn't have even guessed I would be this happy or that my life would turn out this way."

"Ending up with your enemy?" Cyrus joked.

"No. Being with anyone."

Cyrus closed his eyes. "I pictured you and I together countless times, but it is so much better than anything I imagined."

"I'm glad. I promise I will keep it that way."

He shook his head against Greyson's forehead. "I promise to make you equally as happy."

"I already am."

The fire crackled soothingly, spreading heat throughout the darkened apartment. Cyrus held his hand, breathing evenly. Greyson knew he was awake, but they both remained silent.

Tension resided in his muscles, and it would not relent. Doubts plagued him. He wanted to marry Cyrus, was thrilled in fact, but deep down, Greyson worried it would not be enough for Cyrus. Cyrus was a prince with an entire empire at his fingertips. Greyson had very little to offer. All Greyson had to his name was the cabin in his sleepy village. Cyrus said he wanted to go home with him, but Greyson couldn't help but wonder if Cyrus would change his mind.

Closing his eyes, he sighed loudly.

The bed dipped as the sheets and blankets rustled next to him. A heavy weight settled on top of him, making Greyson open his eyes. Cyrus stared at him, hair falling around his face. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

Cyrus frowned. "You're lying, Grey."

That's new, he thought, though he didn't mind it. Greyson looked at the love of his life and ran a hand through Cyrus' hair, loving the feel of it sliding through his fingers. "I'm scared."

Brow furrowed, Cyrus asked, "Of what? Us getting married?"

"No."

"Then what?"

The worries for the future poured through him. Part of Greyson did not want to talk about them, did not want to open up, but he needed to. Taking a deep breath, Greyson peered into Cyrus' clear, blue eyes. He trusted him.

"I'm scared you'll change your mind."

"About you? That will never happen."

"No. I know you'll keep loving me. I'm worried that when we settle into this life in my cabin that you'll grow bored. What if the emperor never relents? What if you can never go home? What if you grow to regret staying with me and being stuck in the Griseo Mountains?"

Cyrus kissed him. It was hard and unrelenting. Lips brushing his, Cyrus said, "I don't blame you for your worries, Greyson. But I don't share them."

Unbidden, he smiled as he remembered Cyrus saying something similar before he regained his memories. "You're not worried?"

"Let me tell you some things. I'll even do it in list order, as you like. First, I'm thrilled to go home with you. Second, I don't like the hustle and bustle of the capital. Third, if my uncle never lifts the banishment order, I will be sad to never go back, but I won't blame you or regret being with you. Finally and most importantly, you are my home, Greyson. You. It doesn't matter where I live as long as you're with me."

"Do you mean that?"

"I do."

He kissed Cyrus. Greyson could not believe how much he loved him. It felt like every day his love grew stronger, rooting like a tree deep within his soul. He rolled on top of Cyrus, pinning him. Grabbing his hands, Greyson trapped them against the bed. "Marry me."

Cyrus chuckled against his lips. "I'm already marrying you."

Greyson silenced him by pressing his lips against Cyrus' mouth firmly. "Tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? Are you serious?" Cyrus asked, mouth falling open.

"Yes." Greyson had never been more serious in his life. He wanted to marry Cyrus and didn't want to wait another day.

"Yes. Let's get married. Tomorrow."

Smiling, Greyson opened his mouth to speak, but Cyrus kissed him and every thought left his mind.

Cyrus pulled the bottom of his fur-lined vest down as he peeked at Greyson, who was right next to him, his expression completely serene. Lady Lyra was right in front of them. Her eyes flicked between them, then at the snow-covered ground of the village square. Lord Darius'—well, her home stood directly behind her while Validus Peak loomed above them. Villagers circled them, all silently watching.

Clearing her throat, Lady Lyra asked, "You want to get married right here? Dressed like that?"

Laughter erupted from the villagers. Cyrus and Greyson replied at the same time, "Yes."

"Well," she said, "it's your wedding."

Greyson tugged on his hand, replying, "Yes, it is."

He stared at Greyson, buzzing in his ears and his pulse racing, as Lady Lyra performed the ceremony, not hearing a single word. Cyrus couldn't believe this was happening; that, finally, he was marrying the love of his life. It didn't seem possible. He still bore some jealousy for the him that he couldn't remember, yet at the same time, Cyrus was unbelievably grateful. If he hadn't lost his memory, he and Greyson would've never gotten together.

When Lady Lyra said to, he slipped the ring he'd gotten for Greyson onto his finger. Cyrus wanted to drag Greyson into his arms and kiss him, but he refrained from doing so, as the ceremony wasn't over yet.

As Lady Lyra called for Greyson to put a ring on Cyrus" finger, panic shot through him. He hadn't gotten a ring for himself. Greyson removed a band out of his pocket. It was black like his with one, small iridescent blue stone.

"It's tradition," Greyson said, sliding the ring onto his finger. "Because you're marrying me, you're now one of us."

"No one will mind?"

"No, no one will care. You're mine, Cyrus, and I'm yours. You saved my life, multiple times. You saved the Griseo Mountains. You're one of us now if you want to be."

"I do."

"You guys are kind of taking my lines here," Lady Lyra complained, arms crossed.

Cyrus and Greyson both chuckled.

The instant she declared them married, Cyrus cupped his husband's cheeks and kissed him. Greyson's hands went about his back and squashed him against his chest as tears threatened to spill. Eight years ago when he saw Greyson for the first time, Cyrus couldn't have predicted this ending. Oh, how he longed for it over the years, but he never thought it would happen. Now, he was married to the love of his life, and Cyrus would never let Greyson go.