Falling Kingdoms

She closed her mouth as he began to work on her bindings. He was more efficient than gentle with the ropes, and her wrists were more abraded by the time he finished than they’d been to begin with, but she didn’t utter one word of complaint. Then Theon unsheathed his sword and hacked through the chain. He eyed the shackle still circling her ankle. “The rest of it will have to wait until we get to a blacksmith.”

Theon clamped his hand on her wrist and pulled her out of the shack and into the sunshine. Nothing had ever felt so good to her as the bright sun did on her face. Nic fished into her bag, which she’d dropped when Jonas took her, and pulled out her cloak, putting it over her shoulders so she could stay warm. She looked at him with gratitude.

Immediately, they began walking away from her prison and back to the road beyond. There was a village only a mile from here—the same village where Nic and Cleo had met Eirene and stayed with her for the night.

“We can get a ship back,” Nic said. “There’s one leaving tomorrow at sunset if we can make it there in time. You’ll be back in Auranos before you know it, Cleo, and all will be well.”

Her stomach twisted. “All is not well. I never found the Watcher.”

Theon nodded at Nic. “I need to speak with the princess alone for a minute. Would you give us some time?”

Nic looked at her. “Depends. Cleo?”

She nodded. “It’s all right. I should let Theon have his say now. Then when I get home, I’ll only have to be reprimanded by my father.”

Reprimanded was likely putting her future punishment mildly. She wished she could say it was unfounded, but she was prepared to accept her fate.

“Then I’ll head into the village and get something to eat,” Nic said reluctantly.

“We’ll meet you there,” Theon said firmly.

With a last glance at Cleo to confirm that she was all right with being left alone with Theon, Nic turned and took off at a clip. Cleo watched him leave, afraid to return her gaze to her angry bodyguard.

“Despite everything, I’m not sorry that I came here,” she said when silence fell between them. “I did this to help my sister and I’m devastated that I failed. I know you despise me right now and I’m positive that my father was enraged when he learned I was gone.” She drew in a tired breath. “But I had to do it.”

When she finally turned to him, Theon’s expression had changed. Where before it was fury and hardness, there was now something more raw in his expression.

“However, the pain and trouble I’ve caused you personally,” she whispered. “I am deeply regretful for that.”

He reached down to take her hands in his. “I was so worried about you.”

Cleo was surprised that he’d drawn so close to her. “I know.”

“You could have been killed.”

“Theon, I wasn’t thinking straight.”

“Neither was I. And neither am I at this very moment.”

She looked up at him just as he captured her mouth with his and kissed her deeply.

This was not a chaste kiss of friendship. This was a kiss of true passion, such as she’d only dreamed of before. Her heart leapt in her chest and she wrapped her arms around him to pull him closer. When it finally ended, he stepped back from her, his eyes steady on the ground, a deep frown creasing his brow.

“My humble apologies for that, princess.”

She pressed her fingers against her lips. “Please, don’t apologize.”

“I shouldn’t presume. I shouldn’t think that you might feel...” He swallowed. “I’ll ask your father to assign someone else as your bodyguard when we return. Not only did I fail to keep you safe, but I don’t have the right objectivity anymore. You’ve come to mean more to me than the daughter of the king. Such a short time and...you’ve come to mean everything to me.”

Cleo’s breath caught. “Everything?”

Theon raised his gaze to lock with hers. “Everything.”

Tears stung her eyes. “Well, actually, that makes things much easier.”

He frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“It’s obvious. I can’t marry Aron or anyone else. I refuse, no matter what my father says.” Her heart swelled to overflowing. “I—I was meant to be with you.”

Theon’s breath came quicker, but his expression only grew more grave. “But I’m only a guard.”

“I don’t care!”

“Your father will care. Quite a lot, I’m sure.”

“My father will simply have to deal with it. Or I’ll just run away again.” A smile touched her lips. “With you.”

Theon laughed, a deep rumble in his chest. “Wonderful. You’ll tell your father that the guard he assigned to keep his daughter safe has coerced her to break off her engagement and that will make everything all right. I’m sure he’ll just accept it and not throw me in the dungeon.”

“Maybe he won’t accept it. Not right away. But I’ll make sure he knows there are no other answers.”

He was quiet for a moment as he searched her expression. “So you do feel something for me.”

“You saved me. And even before that...well, I just knew, without knowing.” Her heart felt lighter with each word she spoke.

Theon shook his head. “I didn’t save you. Nic figured out where you were. I just knocked out the guards and broke down the door.”