Page 50 of Untouched Queen by Royal Command

‘But I’ve had a dozen calls this week from people here in your palace, begging me to come and strangle you. At which point I would become their ever so reasonable Queen.’

Augustus snorted.

‘I’d probably have to renounce Theo to do it, of course, and this baby currently in my belly would probably be kidnapped back and forward between palaces until he ran away and joined the circus, but at least your palace employees wouldn’t be suffering.’

‘You’re pregnant?’ She didn’t look pregnant, even if she did look more vibrant than usual. He’d put that down to their argument, or the wine she…wasn’t drinking. So much for his keen powers of observation. Sera would have caught that one within five minutes of being in the room.

Moriana nodded and offered up a tiny but self-satisfied smile. ‘I’m barely nine weeks in. We’re keeping it quiet until I’m a little further along, but I wanted to tell you now and in person.’

‘Congratulations.’ He meant it. ‘Are you well?’ Was she happy about it?

Theo would be ecstatic with an heir on the way.

‘I’m as well as can be, given that I can barely keep dry toast in my stomach before lunchtime. Augustus, I’m so happy. A mother. Me!’

Envy had no place in his heart. His sister was happy and deserved to be. He could wait, and one day it would be his turn to puff with pride and joy because his wife was pregnant. But there was only one woman’s face he could see in that particular daydream. Sera, with her slender frame, luminous grey eyes and flawless skin.

The same woman that had chosen freedom over a life spent with him.

He didn’t blame her.

He’d done everything in his power to set her free.

‘You could go after her now that the accord has been satisfied,’ said Moriana, and he blinked because he thought they weren’t having this conversation, only apparently they were. ‘You always did have trouble with the she was duty bound to serveyou part.’

‘If we’re using the argument that Sera’s now a free woman, she could come back at any time. Do you see her here?’ He didn’t need Moriana’s answer. ‘Neither do I.’

‘She hasn’t returned to the High Reaches,’ Moriana said tentatively.

‘Perhaps she’s sick of serving them too.’

‘I have it on good authority that she’s in Byzenmaach, at Cas’s Winter fortress.’

‘She’s where?’

‘Visiting Cas’s sister.’ Moriana eyed him with blatant curiosity. ‘They know each other. Studied together in the mountains as kids.’

He hadn’t told Moriana about Sera’s parentage. He hadn’t told anyone. He’d tried telling himself that such effective leverage could be used over and over again if he kept it to himself but the truth was he’d never go against Sera’s wishes to keep her father’s identity a secret and he’d never use that particular leverage again. He was done with it. He was done with her.

‘So what are you going to name this baby? Have you given it any thought?’

‘I’ve given it no thought at all yet.’ Her eyes glinted with sharp humour.

‘And the due date is when?’

‘Thirty-one weeks from now, apparently. You could drop in on Claudia or go see Tomas about how to get rid of the remaining owls in the round room. They shouldn’t be too hard to catch, seeing as I have it on good authority that you’re feeding them.’

‘Lies.’ All lies. ‘And the baby’s health? How’s the baby’s health?’ Why couldn’t she be one of those expectant mothers that talked of nothing else?

‘Good try, brother.’ Moriana outright smirked. ‘Should you be fortunate enough to be invited to see beyond the veil of Theo’s outright terror at the thought of becoming a father, I should warn you he will talk of nothing else but baby names, giving birth and raising children. Honestly, I think it broke his brain.’

It was Augustus’s turn to grin outright. ‘Really? Theo’s gone gaga? I’d like to see that.’

‘You have no idea.’

‘I’m thrilled for you both.’

Moriana looked positively tearful as she set her cutlery down and reached for her napkin to dab at her eyes. Their late lamented mother would have scolded her twice over. First for her unseemly display of emotion, and then for inappropriate use of tableware. Such scolding would have once sent his sister spinning into the depths of despair but the new, improved Moriana didn’t seem to care.

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