Page 67 of Rise of a Fallen Man

He sat in silence for a moment.

“What is this world that you came from?”

“Does it really matter?” I asked, a little confused by his reaction.

He blinked, smoothing down his hair.

“No. I suppose it does not.” He got up from the couch.

“Would you like to spend the day together tomorrow?” I offered.

“A whole day?”

“Well, I have some meetings scheduled, but we can have breakfast and lunch together. I may even find some time for a brief walk in the gardens. Just you and me.”

“If you sleep with me tonight, we can have breakfast in bed tomorrow,” he pushed.

I refused to leave my safe place behind the couch. Now that my mind had placed Leafar as an aggressor, I couldn’t relax in his presence again. Even my offer for him to sleep in my bed while I took the couch no longer seemed viable. My skin prickled with impatience as I waited for him to get out of my personal space.

It was a setback. But I clung to the hope that we could still fix it and move past it together.

“I’d rather have breakfast served on the patio downstairs,” I suggested. “It offers such a lovely view of the gardens.”

“I’ll think about it.” He headed for the door, his bottom lip pushed out in that petulant, childish expression of his.

“Or we could go to the games together.” I wouldn’t give up on trying to save the situation. “Father wishes to see the games if he’s feeling better. You can come with us. Would you like to see the games?”

“Maybe.” He pushed the door open. “Don’t bother escorting me to my rooms, Your Highness. My perfect reputation is beginning to feel more like a burden, anyway.”

He left, slamming the door a little harder than was necessary.

Struggling to breathe, I rushed to the patio doors and swung them wide open. The cool night air rushed in, blowing out the candle flames.

I felt many things at once—frustrated with Leafar, angry at the people in his party who kept adding pressure to our already complicated relationship.

But most of all, I felt disappointed and even disgusted with myself, because as my upset husband had just stormed out of my room, instead of rushing after him to try smoothing the things out between us, I stared at the hedge deep in the palace gardens. It hid the stables from view that once served as slaves’ barracks.

Chapter 18

Ari

“Careful, please.” Mother rushed forward, catching the end of Father’s robe that had draped from the chair in which he was being lifted into the carriage.

Walking still proved uncomfortable for Father. Even getting up from bed left him exhausted and panting for breath. But he insisted on coming to the games today.

“It was almost worth getting hurt,” he chuckled, “to have Your Majesty fuss over me all this time.”

Mother shook her head. “You should thank Ari for taking over most of my responsibilities. I wouldn’t have been able to spend this much time with you otherwise.”

Father grinned at me through the open door of the carriage where one of the seats had been removed to accommodate his chair.

“Thank you, sweetie. I’m immensely enjoying the queen’s undivided attention every day.”

“Just try not to get hurt again, please,” I retorted. “If you want to spend more time with Mother, just ask me to free some of her time for you in the future. There is no need to throw yourself under a horse again. Deal?”

He laughed, making a smile tug on my lips in response.

As Mother climbed into the carriage after Father, I walked over to the one I was to share with my husband.

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