Chapter 45

Exhausted and raw, Jovie bathes in the palace and resolves to skip the public dinner. Beau appears with a wardrobe, explaining that Stassia’s fright has the maids refusing to serve Jovie, so Beau will escort her. Jovie declines dinner, urges Beau to rest, and notes the unsettling leer of a hallway guard before locking her door and drifting to sleep.

Jovie dreams of a grand banquet where Acker entertains courtiers. Half-clothed, Jovie confronts him about parading her through the city and leaving her to face the king alone. Acker deflects, then concedes some fault, insisting custom required the audience and asserting Jovie can stand before anyone. Their flirtation turns heated as Acker warns her not to appear unclothed again, stoking their mutual desire.

The dream twists into multiplying rabbits with fangs and a snowy greenhouse, then Jovie wakes in darkness. She moves to bed just as Acker quietly arrives, strips to his underwear, and insists on sleeping beside her to ensure she rests, honoring his prior promise despite gossip.

In intimate conversation, Acker reveals he tried to corner the king at dinner to annul his betrothal but the king never appeared, signaling ongoing obstruction. Acker justifies the public ride as a declaration of favor toward Jovie and asks patience for fearful citizens. Physical closeness softens Jovie’s hurt; they reconcile and share a deliberate kiss, deepening their bond while the political impediment remains.