Fairest: The Lunar Chronicles: Levana's Story

and she wondered if she would ever get used to this feeling. Being desired. Being wanted, when she’d spent her life believing that no one would ever see her as anything but a bizarre science experiment.

“I fear tomorrow will be even more difficult for you, Sir Clay. Do try to think of me when you can.”

“Try, Princess?” He smirked, meeting her gaze again. “I can’t seem to think of much else.”

“You should hate me. I’m an idiot. I made a mistake.”

“You may be an idiot, but I assure you, you’re quite a lovable one.”

Love is a conquest. Love is a war.

Here is what I think of love.

“I love you,” she whispered. “That much has always been real.”

“You’re always so desperate to make this work, to turn our marriage into something it isn’t. Haven’t you ever just stopped to wonder what else might be out there? What you might be missing out on by trying so hard to force this to be real between us?” He squeezed her hands. “I told you a long time ago that by choosing me, you were giving up your chance to find happiness.”

“I figured that eventually you would tire of me, and I would take Winter far away from here, and it would be over.”

Levana’s heart throbbed. “It’s been almost ten years.”

“I know.”

“And now? Are you still waiting for it to be over?”

His expression softened. The anger was gone, replaced with something infuriatingly kind, though his words were heartbreakingly cruel. “Are you still waiting for me to fall in love with you?”

She braced herself, and nodded. “Yes,” she whispered.

His brow wrinkled. With sadness. With regret. “I’m sorry, Levana. I’m so sorry.”

“Maybe the princess can save herself.”

“That sounds like a pretty good story too.”

“Trust me,” Levana said emphatically, even as her vision blurred. “It’s better this way. I’m better this way.”

“That’s the problem,” he said, unable to look at her as he took a sip. “I don’t trust you. I don’t even know how to start.”

From this day forward, you will be my sun at dawn and my stars at night, and I vow to love and cherish you for all our days.