Page 130 of A Queen's Game
He tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear, bringing her hand up to his mouth. “You are very beautiful, Marietta.”
She didn’t dare breathe as he kissed her knuckles, locking eyes with Marietta.
“Wyltam, what is this?” Keyain’s harsh voice sounded from down the path.
King Wyltam took a step back, Marietta catching the brief smirk that hinted on his lips. “Keyain, what a surprise.”
Marietta’s head jerked towards Keyain as her stomach dropped. Keyain stood on the path with two males, to whom he turned and dismissed before approaching with a burning glare.
“Marietta,” he ground out, “what happened to your trip to the library with Elyse?”
“It was cut short.”
“Yes,” King Wyltam drawled. “Elyse needed to return to work, so I offered to escort your wife. Is that a problem?”
Blood rose to Keyain’s face, and the muscles in his neck tightened. “Not at all, but I can take her from here.” He held out his hand like she was a dog. Marietta forced herself not to scowl.
The King’s hand landed on her shoulder. “That’s quite alright. I would love nothing more than to return Marietta to your suite,” he said, pausing as Keyain flared his nostrils. “Unless you want to take her back instead of focusing on your duties?”
That was the game. Not only was he flirting with Marietta to aggravate Keyain, but making him choose between his position and her. It was a cruel plan; one Marietta couldn’t help but envy the King for concocting.
“I have time before my next meeting. Come, Marietta.” A demand.
Perhaps it was a game for her, too—forcing her to keep up the charade of not wanting to be near the King and trusting Keyain. She wished to curse Keyain, yet her feet reluctantly walked towards him.
The King’s arm caught her, spinning her to face him again. He leaned in, whispering, “Our conversations stay between us.” Though his voice was soft, Marietta felt the threat underneath. “And though this isn’t an adventure book, I believe you’ll find a few of these chapters quite entertaining.”
Gods, he knew about the book. Marietta closed her eyes with a breath and snatched the book from the King’s outstretched hand.
He stepped away, a smirk breaking through his facade. “Go along. You’re dismissed.”
Chapter Fifty-One
Elyse
How should she respond to a smutty letter?
How would anyone respond?
Elyse was still at a loss, even as she read the letter for what felt like the hundredth time. Brynden made what he wanted clear—and gods, she wanted it herself; but how does she put that want into a drawing? How does she convey that message?
Elyse leaned back in the desk chair in her suite’s office. Not having much gold to her name, save for what the King gave her, Elyse hadn’t bothered furnishing it beyond the desk. Pushed up against the window, Elyse stared absently out at the palace walls. The suite she had shared with her father was one of the coveted spots facing out into the Central Garden. However, her new suite was a spare smaller one they had available, thus the lackluster view. She didn’t mind, though. The view wasn’t worth more than putting up with her father.
Staring back at her sheet of parchment, Elyse picked at her nails as she thought. Though she had stopped believing she and Brynden would marry, she still wished tobewith him, to relivethe experience in the piano room. She wished she could give herself to him.
Perhaps she could.
Elyse jumped up from her seat, darting to her bedroom, and grabbed a mirror from off her vanity. People weren’t her strong suit with drawing, but she would at least try.
As she sat at her desk, staring into the mirror, she began drawing.
From inside the King’s study, silence encased Elyse. She sat at the desk with her eyes closed, breathing deep, as she practiced the mental exercises from Wyltam’s books.
Over the past two weeks, Elyse had worked through the stack Wyltam had left for her. The first listed breathing and mental exercises, like the one she now practiced. Each day, she had taken breaks to sit in silence, clearing her mind of any thought, any emotion.
The book had warned that it could be difficult but not to become frustrated. Each time Elyse’s mind had drifted, the book instructed her to acknowledge it, then pull it back. Every day, she would inhale through her nose, releasing it slowly through her mouth. Over and over, until her mind had emptied.
Elyse’s first attempt failed miserably. Not only had her thoughts wandered, but she became aggravated from letting it happen, yet she continued to try twice every day and learned to sit with a clear mind.
