Page 119 of Crownless King

After lunch, we joined the Royal Council in the meeting room where a seat was reserved for me, also on the king’s right.

The councilors brought the king up to date on everything that had happened while he’d been trapped in the vines.

I listened carefully while trying to figure out where I fit into this part of Voron’s life. No one questioned my place next to the king. Though uncrowned and unmarried, I was treated as the queen already. Such was the power of the magical bond between us. It gave me all the rights a marriage would and more. But I wished for my position to be more than just honorary, I wanted to be useful as well.

Listening to the councilors, I found the projects Voron was funding out in the country endearing. I’d spent many months on the farm, unable to visit the town. But through Bavius, I’d seen the challenges farmers faced. I knew what the life of a farmer was like, and I wished to improve it in any way possible.

For once, I saw a true purpose for me in the future. Being Voron’s mate came with exciting opportunities to apply myself in other ways, in addition to being his mate and Aithen’s mother.

When someone started talking about the politics of High Lords and reciting some financials, I found my attention slipping. It’d been a very intense couple of days. I’d stayed up through the night and had powered through the day, fueled mostly by adrenaline and the intense need to be close to Voron. But the exhaustion had caught up with me.

No matter how hard I tried to stay alert through the speech of the councilor delivering long strings of numbers in a monotonous voice, my eyelids kept drooping. I hid a small yawn behind my hand, but Voron noticed my struggle.

He called for the session to pause and took me out of the room.

“You’re tired,” he stated. “Come, I’ll take you to bed.” He swept me off my feet and into his arms.

“I can walk,” I protested, even as my body already curled against his broad chest and my tired muscles melted into his warmth.

He gave me a self-assured grin. “Why walk if we can fly?”

He pushed off the open window, diving into the open sky beyond. The fresh autumn air lapped at my skin and combed through my hair as Voron took me up to the tower with the royal rooms.

He landed gracefully onto the same terrace that Dove had taken me from in my escape from King Tiane. The memory didn’t affect me as much as it once did. I didn’t even have so much as a pinch in my chest this time. All of that was in the distant past now, unable to hurt me ever again.

Voron kissed me, walking me backwards into the room.

“As much as I wish to be selfish and keep you at my side,” he murmured against my lips, “I also want you well-rested.”

“And why is that?” I smiled.

“Because I will keep you awake at night.”

Kissing my mouth, my face, my neck, he kept walking me backwards until my back pressed to one of the bed posts. He groaned, tearing his mouth away from mine and gripped the post above my head.

“I have to go,” he growled. “Fuck this crown for taking me away from you.”

I scanned his face. Was it just a figure of speech on his part? Or did he really mean it?

“Would you give it up?” I challenged. “Would you leave the throne to be with me?”

His dark eyebrows jumped up in shock. “You don’t want to be the queen?”

“What if I didn’t? Would you leave with me?”

The string of questions exchanged between us grew longer, and with it, the tension stretched like a rubber band threatening to snap.

He drew in a breath, straightening his back. His gaze ran around the room behind me, as if assessing everything he’d have to give up.

“All right.” He met my eyes again with a smile. He took the priceless Sky Crown off his head and casually tossed it onto the stand at the foot of the bed. “Let’s go.”

“Where?”

“Wherever you wish. Vensari? That farmhouse? Anywhere you’ll feel at home, dear Sparrow.” He took my hand in his, heading to the doors of the patio, his wings spread wide.

I tugged at his hand, stopping him in his mad dash out.

“Just like that, Voron? Would you really leave it all behind for me?”

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