61. Cherish

The relief when Ivan didn’t dismiss my little speech was unreal. The sadness when he didn’t recognise the wave of warm love hitting him broke my heart.

Any jealousy I might have had about being his second-chance mate floated away. I don’t need to be jealous of someone who didn’t even treat Ivan the way he deserved. When a small servant in a grey tunic summoned us we had redressed, my hair properly brushed and plaited down my back with my maroon dress. Still an alien feeling to be smartly dressed in front of him. Ivan however, looked so handsome.

“I am a huge fan of the White Forest look.” I murmured, pulling at the strings of his white shirt, revealing the deepest angle of the v-shape cut to me. “If they accept me what do I get to wear?”

“You’ll get a hooded cloak, you’ll have seen them all wearing them.”

“So I wear that and nothing else?” I asked innocently, loving the way his eyes glimmered whenever I teased him with a tempting idea. The little female servant was speedy, a long w