“Marry me,” she said, kissing his ear. “Join our kingdoms. Be my king. Spend every day at my side and every night in my bed, for the rest of your life. You’ll be far from home, but—” “Elma,” he said, interrupting. She could feel the heat in his voice, his excitement in the languorous way he nuzzled her neck. “Home? What do I care about home? I could never see Slödava again and die happy, just for the chance to spend a week of nights in your bed. Even for one night, really. I mean, all you’d have to do was ask. Want me to declare war on my mother? I’ll do it.”
