Page 58 of The Princess's Chosen

"In private," I said, holding his gaze. "Never in front of the council. You know I listen to you, what your opinion means to me. But these men want to puppet me, and I can't ever look as though I'm someone else's mouthpiece."

Aric nodded once. "In private, I promise."

I sighed and softened back into his chest, curling my legs up on his lap and smiling as his arms circled me.

"What more needs done today?" he asked.

I blinked and let my heavy eyes fall shut. "I'm not really sure. Wendell would know."

"You need rest," Aric murmured, turning his head and pressing a kiss to my forehead. "You saved a man's life last night."

I huffed a laugh and melted as Aric turned us on the couch, draping me over his chest.

"Tea will grow cold," I mumbled into his shirt.

"I'll heat it up when you wake."

"How?"

"Magic, princess," Aric whispered. "And then we'll make some more."

19

Wendell

Three-hundred seeds to the West Hambach hills. Five-hundred to Indiva for the northern fallow fields.

I scribbled the notes down and paused, frowning. The Indiva seeds would need to be sent soon. Who knew what Bryony's magic had done to those fields, and there was a decent chance they wouldn't even be fallow. Easier to plant the trees now that way.

The seeds would be sent with some of Bertha Umber's samples of pastries our dinners had been blessed with, hoping to inspire local bakeries. There was just the matter of growing the treesquicklywithout too much suspicion.

My scratching paused at the sound of footsteps in the library and I glanced up, dropping the pen altogether at the sight of Aric. He was staring up at the painting on the ceiling with appalled amusement. He was dressed casually, only dark pants and a loose white shirt that either didn't have very many useful buttons, or he just didn't care to use them.

"Did she do this?" he asked aloud, and I hadn't realized he noticed me until he glanced in my direction.

"We think she just uncovered it. Some of it has changed a little, more wildlife and flowers than when we first saw it," I said.

"Hm…can't say for sure those helped," Aric mumbled before shrugging and shaking his head.

"We haven't mentioned them to her. Her power spooks her more often than not," I said, watching Aric's reaction.

He flinched and nodded. "I don't want that for her, and I'll work to improve it," he said.

"Good. We all…we all have some measure of influence over her, but yours is different, more immediate." His expression turned grave, and in spite of my remaining ire, I tried to soften my words. "We all knew you'd be a bit of a favorite when you finally came around."

Aric huffed but his lips twitched, expression brightening. "Have you seen her?"

"No, I assumed she was with you." And that was why he looked so disheveled.

He shook his head and smiled, moving toward the table. "She bounced out of bed early this morning. I thought I'd enjoy research all day, but instead I find myself wandering about, missing her."

I relaxed back into my chair, nodding, relieved Aric was willing to be that open with me. If he was with me, he'd be even more so with Bryony and she deserved that from him. "She feels like a slave to the Hunger sometimes, and worries about using it to force us, but sometimes I wonder ifwearen't the ones using the Hunger to catch her attention."

I fought my grin as Aric looked down at his own open shirt and grunted, frowning again.

"You're working though," he said, glancing at my papers.

"Planning the apple orchards we're starting through the north," I said, showing him the paper. He skimmed the list, and his eyes looked up over the page to me.

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