“Not completely.” He chuckled before leaning in to kiss her cheek in farewell.
“See you at the wedding.” Jax returned the gesture before stepping toward her awaiting carriage.
“Whose? Mine or yours?” he said with a joyful laugh before he raced back to Annette’s outstretched arms.
Jax suppressed a giggle as she waved once more to her aunt and grandfather, to whom she’d bid goodbye inside the warm halls of the castle.
Duke Landon Lysandeir and his brother stood at the mountainside entrance of the stables to watch the last of the delegations depart, their red hair blowing like flames in the light wind. They had been gracious hosts while coping with the death of their father, having arranged for everyone to stay long enough to attend Landon’s formal coronation a week after his father’s passing. It had been a more joyous celebration than Jax had expected, especially remembering how she felt attending her own crowning. It seemed the triplets were relieved to be free of the guilt and pain their father burdened them with, both physically and emotionally.
Perry’s father had left last night after the party with promises to be in Saphire at least a week before his son’s wedding, and the other leaders set off for their homelands as the sun rose over the snowy mountains. Only the Cetachi, Mensina, and Saphire delegations waited until after a filling breakfast to make their leave.
Grinning at Perry, Hendrie, and George, who were already bundled up tightly on their horses, Jax hurried to the carriage door, Jaquobie’s hand extending from inside to help her up the steps.
“This is cozy.” Her eyes shone brightly as she gazed around the coach. Uma, sitting at her side as lady-in-waiting, masterfully hid a small giggle from everyone but Jax. Across the aisle sat Jaquobie, his hands entwined with those of his fiancée, Lysette.
The young woman looked radiant, her pink cheeks flush from the biting cold and, Jax suspected, from the adoring looks the stately High Courtier sent her way. “Thank you for making this happen, Duchess,” Lysette trilled, squeezing Jaquobie’s hand in excitement. “It always seemed like such an unattainable dream for us to be together.”
The tame look in Jaquobie’s eyes conveyed that he, too, felt the same gratitude for all Jax had done so they could be wed during yuletide. In reality, Jax knew she couldn’t take all of the credit, for Landon had been more than happy to allow his sister to travel to Saphire with the man she loved. All Jax had done was ask the newly crowned Duke to approve the engagement.
She chuckled at the sight of the beaming couple. There indeed was someone for everyone out there, it seemed. Gazing out the window, she locked eyes with Perry, the only part of his face she could see under all the layers of warm clothing. His beautiful eyes crinkled, revealing the grin hidden beneath his wool scarf. As much as she longed to see it in that moment, she planned to give him many more reasons to smile in the years to come.
THE END
Acknowledgements
Many thanks to Bettye Underwood for her copyedit and review, making sure my words thoughtfully illustrated the jumble of feelings I have about all my characters.
Thank you to Elizabeth Orlando and her second-grade class for making me feel like a real author for the first time in my life.
A special thank you to Mihail Uvarov for bearing with me through the cover design process. Going a different and new direction can be hard!
Cover design by www.Ecover.pro.
Dedications
To the Duchess’s growing fanbase
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A Summit in Shadow Page 17