His hands dropped to her shoulders, rested lightly there. “Remember the night before your coronation, when you were having second thoughts? I told you that you didn’t have to do it, that we could run away together, go wherever you liked.” He looked at her, dead on. “I meant what I said. The offer still stands. Let them squabble over the remains like carrion crows.”

Raisa’s thoughts swirled, sweeping memory and emotion along until a few thoughts settled out like pebbles at the bottom of a clear pool.

A choir of clamoring voices had shrilled that there was no way for her to have what she really wanted—that she needed to accept that love was not in the cards for her. The cacophony in her head had distracted her, preventing her from knowing the truth.

She leaned in toward him so their lips were inches apart. She couldn’t help staring at his lips.

“That night before my coronation, when I was having second thoughts?” Raisa said.

Han nodded.

“It wasn’t because I was worried about being queen, though maybe I should have been. It wasn’t that I was reluctant to wade into the mess my mother had left behind. For years, I’d been frustrated because I saw the queendom falling into ruin and I was helpless to change things. Now, for the first time, I’d have my chance, win or lose.”

She paused, but Han said nothing, waiting for her to go on.

“The truth is, I had second thoughts because, deep inside, I knew that accepting the crown meant losing you.”

Han’s blue eyes searched Raisa’s face as if to verify what he’d just heard. “And yet you went ahead,” he said carefully.

She nodded. “I went ahead because I thought there was no chance I could have you, and at least this way I would have one thing I wanted.” Tears burned in her eyes and spilled down her face.

And suddenly they were kissing, Han’s lips fierce and hot against hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her tears wetting his face.

“I love you,” Raisa said against his neck, his beard stubble rough against her skin. “Hanalea help me, but I do.”

“Hanalea,” Han murmured into her hair. “There has to be a way to rewrite this.”

“What?” Raisa pulled away and put her hands on either side of his face, looking into his eyes. “What did you say?”

“Never mind,” he said. “I don’t want to waste our time together talking about other star-crossed lovers.” He smiled a feral, ferocious smile. “If you were to give up your throne, I’d do everything I could to make sure you don’t regret it. Whatever kind of life you want, we could create it together.”