Page 73 of The Lost Art of Seducing a Mage Warrior

Perian wondered if it was his duty to tell the Queen her daughter definitely wasn’t moving on. He decided it wasn’t. Cormal and Brannal had made it clear it was well known that Renny thought she could converse with her brother. Perian didn’t actually have any new information to provide. His opinions and impressions were certainly not those of an expert. Besides, just because Renny believed that her brother was with her didn’t mean that she wasn’t actually healing from the trauma of what happened.

Perian was definitely not going to say anything.

“I lost my father four years ago,” Perian told the Queen instead. “Everyone grieves differently. Some days and weeks and months are good ones, and others are not. That doesn’t mean we’re not still growing and learning and enjoying life.”

The Queen said, “And yet you found her sad and lonely.”

“That was the impression I had when I first met her, yes. But I have also seen her laugh and find the shapes of animals in the clouds and ask me back for another picnic. I can’t speak to how she is when she’s not with me, of course, but I believe I’ve seen her happy. I’ve seen her reluctant but determined to head to her lessons. I’ve seen her in a rage, and I’ve seen her sob her heart out.” He sniffed. “I’ve seen her frustrated by her illness, and I have seen her determined to persevere. We missed a picnic because she knew she really needed to rest so she could spend time with you a few days ago. She’s fierce, Your Majesty, and like all of us, she’s still learning how to grow in the world.”

The Queen considered him for a long moment, and then she inclined her head.

“You have very decided opinions, do you not?”

Perian admitted, “I suppose so. I think most people do.”

“Perhaps,” she allowed. “Not everyone is willing to share them.”

Perian pondered this. “Is that your way of saying that I should keep my opinions to myself, Your Majesty?”

But she smiled faintly and shook her head. “No. I think, perhaps, that you would do well to continue on as you are.”

Perian couldn’t help but smile at her and think that just maybe, this was going to be all right, and he wasn’t going to wind up in the dungeon.

They were sipping at their tea now, and it actually wasn’t too tense at all. Perian had even risked a biscuit and so far hadn’t choked to death.

There was a knock at the door, and it opened before the Queen could speak.

Perian raised an eyebrow and caught the Queen doing the same.

It was Brannal.

“Excuse me, Your Majesty,” he said with an inclination of his head. “I… wanted to make sure that everything was all right.”

Perian couldn’t help but cross his gaze with the Queen, and she was looking at him with an even more elevated eyebrow. He was pretty sure they were both thinking of that observation that Brannal wasrather protective. He had just burst in on the Queen virtually unannounced, and unless he was worried that Perian was about to do something to the reigning monarch, then he was really here because he was worried about Perian. He coughed to hide his laugh and then tried to take a sip of tea to cover it.

“Everything is quite all right, Brannal,” the Queen said coolly. “Were you concerned I was about to consign Perian to the dungeon?”

A laugh slipped out of him before he could stop it, but the Queen just looked faintly amused, and after a look between the two of them, Brannal’s tense stance softened a great deal.

“Of course not, Your Majesty.” His lip curled up. “I thought you might have got a big enough dose of Perian to be hoping that someone would come to spirit him away.”

“Hey,” Perian protested. “Everyone wants a big dose of me.”

The moment the words were out of his mouth, he regretted them, but while Brannal looked at him like he was an idiot, the Queen just sipped her tea serenely.

“Yes, by all means, spirit him away,” she said with an inclination of her head.

Perian rose immediately to his feet and offered another bow.

“Thank you very much for speaking with me, Your Majesty,” he said.

“Thank you for befriending my daughter,” she replied.

“It’s been my pleasure.”

He set down his cup and carefully backed away, trying to figure out how you took your leave of a queen and if there was anything he should be doing differently. He remembered to retrieve his basket and blankets, and he was nearly at the door with Brannal when the Queen spoke.

“Perian.”

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