I awoke to Clarkson whispering in my ear. It was as if my body just knew to respond to him, and I wasn’t even startled. Instead, I was gently stirred by his voice, and it was the sweetest way to wake up in the world. “Do you?” I rubbed my eyes and looked at his impish smile. He nodded. “Shall I tell you?” I giggled in reply, and he bent his head again to my ear. “You are going to be the next queen of Illéa.” I pulled back to see his face, searching for any hint of this being a joke. But, truly, I’d never seen him calmer. “Do you want me to tell you how I know?” He seemed pleased with himself, to have surprised me so. “Please,” I breathed, still not believing his words. “I hope you’ll forgive my little tests, but I’ve known for a long time what I was looking for.” He shifted in the bed, and I sat up so we were facing each other. “I liked your hair.” Instinctively, I touched it. “What do you mean?” “There was nothing wrong with it when it was long.
