My Unchosen Ex Chases Reborn Me (Soren and Fiona) novel Chapter 19

Chapter 19 Ridgetop Honors

Chapter 19 Ridgetop Honors.

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Emperor Aldric chuckled, the sound echoing among the waiting courtiers. “Princess Aurora once again lives up to every story ever whispered of her skill. And Fiona, as well, has earned our admiration. Let each of them receive a proper reward.”

A gift from Emperor Aldric was an honor heavier than gold.

Fiona dipped in the saddle and said, “Thank you, Uncle Aldric.”

Princess Aurora followed with an elegant bow. “Thank you, Your Majesty.”

Emperor Aldric turned toward Xavier, eyes crinkling with approval. “You have a talent for instruction, Xavier. In time, I may ask you to guide the princes and princesses of the court.”

“Your Majesty flatters me,” Xavier replied, his tone steady and neither humble nor proud.

Fiona stole a glance at him, wondering when he had arrived to witness the match.

She could imagine worse futures than tutoring princes and princesses. A future promotion to royal preceptor would bring respect, a generous stipend, and–most importantly–a calm life.

Searching the crowd, she found Vincent and Yolanda exhaling the same relieved breath, and her own shoulders loosened in quiet sympathy.

The bout against Princess Aurora had thrust Fiona into sudden prominence, a name now murmured beyond the campfires of the hunt.

Once she had been free to linger in forgotten corners. At that moment, every movement drew notice, and because Princess Aurora had asked for her company, the opportunity to meet Xavier alone vanished like mist at sunrise,

Had circumstances been kinder, Fiona would have liked to hear how a man of so few words chose to compliment her.

Riding beside Princess Aurora on various excursions, Fiona absorbed new tricks of the rein and stirrup, each lesson sinking deep into muscle and memory.

One morning, they reached the summit of a low ridge, where Princess Aurora unfurled a travel blanket and set out pastries, intent on resting above the rolling forest.

“Tell me, have you accepted a proposal yet?” Princess Aurora asked, curiosity bright in her

eyes.

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Chapter 19 Ridgetop Honors

Fiona shook her head. “Not yet.”

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“So there is someone you fancy!” Princess Aurora exclaimed, leaning conspiratorially close. “Is it that Mr. Xavier? He looks the sort who would keep you smiling. He may seem aloof by day, but I wager he is quite… pleasurable once the lamps are out.”

Bold words indeed; had Fiona not carried the memories of a married woman in her bones, she might have flinched beneath such frankness.

She touched the bridge of her nose, the only reply a silent, ladylike smile she hoped would satisfy Princess Aurora’s playful interrogation.

Princess Aurora tilted her head, the chain of emerald ornaments at her temple chiming softly as she moved. “Tell me, Fiona–do you know why I traveled all the way to Duflana to pick myself a husband?”

“Why?” Fiona asked, genuinely puzzled.

Princess Aurora let out a low, knowing laugh, then leaned closer as though sharing a forbidden court secret. “In Brorchester, the sages whisper that Duflanan men are unmatched when nighttime curtains fall. The men in Brorchester may look impressive, yet they collapse like embroidered cushions the instant things grow serious. Only a man with a waist as taut as Lord Soren’s can truly master a woman’s body.”

The image struck Fiona without warning–sheets tangled, moonlight spilling across Soren’s bare shoulders. Heat flooded her face until even the tips of her ears burned, and she ducked her head, praying Princess Aurora would not notice.

With a flourish, Aurora produced a slender bottle wrapped in snow–white silk. “Come, I brought something worthy of a stolen afternoon. This is a type of wine reserved for the Brorchester throne–lychees harvested in May form the base, while the first dates of July lend their perfume. Apart from the tribute sent to His Majesty, this bottle is all that exists.”

Fiona had never cared for wine. Duflanan ladies were trained to avoid alcohol, yet rebirth had sharpened her hunger for unfamiliar sensations. Why not taste a little adventure?

She lifted the tiny crystal cup, its rim catching late–spring sunlight. “Then I shall gladly accept, Princess Aurora–thank you.”

The first sip burst across her tongue with the crisp sweetness of freshly peeled lychee, as if a cool spring bubbled in her mouth. When the liquid slipped down her throat, a shy heat blossomed, carrying a whisper of fermentation that urged another taste.

Entranced by the contrast, she drained one cup, then a second, then a third before the warmth behind her ribs turned languid. Fiona, unskilled in such indulgence, drifted into a rosy haze

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Chapter 19 Ridgetop Honors

without realizing she was drunk.

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Princess Aurora, ever the reckless spirit, matched her swallow for swallow and soon tumbled past the edge of consciousness.

High on the mountain slope, the two women reclined beneath whispering pines, utterly content. Down below, the camp dissolved into panic as dusk painted the sky crimson.

When attendants discovered that both Princess Aurora and Fiona were missing, their faces blanched the color of paper, and they sprinted to deliver the dreadful news.

Public alarm was forbidden; Emperor Aldric quietly ordered several princes to search the mountain under the cover of night.

Ulrich’s heart tightened the instant he learned Fiona had vanished into the wildening dark.

The Sixth Prince, Zephyr, laid a steady hand on Ulrich’s shoulder. “Ms. Fiona strikes me as someone who keeps her wits about her. Besides, Princess Aurora knows a measure of swordplay. Most likely, they simply lost their way.”

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