Page 143 of A Queen's Game
“If you are so accommodating, then why couldn’t I keep my guards from Reyila?” Bitterness laced her voice with more emotion than she had intended. They had been her one hope at having familiar faces in Satiros, but Wyltam killed that small joy.
“I have my reasons.”
“Do you now?” Valeriya took a step towards her husband, not hiding her scowl. “What reasons would those be, because that would be the first I’ve heard of them.”
A ripple of irritation swept through his expression, the brief furrowing of his brows and lips tugging downward. Looks like her husband was capable of showing emotion. “Go on your walk then.” With that, he turned from her and took off down the hall.
That’s what she thought—there was not a real reason. Always a pleasure and a delight to talk to her husband. The door slammed harder than she intended as she stepped into the hall. How dare he act like she was the unreasonable one? What did he forfeit in this marriage? What life did he have to leave behind? He lost nothing and only had an alliance to gain. How unfortunate for him that Valeriya and Nystanya were working against that boon.
The night air remained warm, though darkness shrouded the Central Garden. She nodded her head at a group of courtiers enjoying the evening, offering a small smile. Vile, most of them. Clawing their way to the top of their menial hierarchy. Perhaps that was why she had a soft spot for Elyse. Though skittish, the girl never showed interest in gaining Valeriya’s favor for a higher standing. If the situation between her and Az resolved, then she would be a wonderful asset to her future court.
At the center of the garden, Valeriya checked for persons nearby, satisfied when she saw none. She stepped off the path and into the shroud of trees that blocked her from sight.
Closing her eyes, she pulled at the aithyr around her as she cleared her mind of all thoughts and emotions. A twig snapped, causing her eyes to pop open. For a moment, as she stared at the direction the sound originated and saw the face of an unfamiliar male with dark skin and black hair pulled back into a tail. The next moment, he was gone. She knew that blip, what it meant. Shit. A mage was trailing her.
Chills raced up Valeriya’s spine as her heart thundered in her chest. Keeping her eyes on the spot where the male had been, she focused enough of her attention on the aithyr around her to send a message to her contact.No drop tonight. I’m being followed.
Chapter Fifty-Six
Marietta
Marietta woke the following morning, still naked and curled up on Keyain’s chest as golden morning light filtered into the room. She brushed her fingers over his muscles. She shouldn’t have thought of King Wyltam; she should’ve stopped when he wouldn’t leave her mind. The game she played with the King was already dangerous. To then think of the King when he wasn’t present—when another man was inside her—was troubling. More than troubling.
“Good morning, my love,” Keyain said, his voice gravelly with sleep. She pushed herself up onto him, sitting on his stomach. “Didn’t get enough last night?” Keyain smirked as his hands reached up and held her hips.
“I will never get enough of what happened last night,” she said, technically not lying.
Keyain lifted his hips against her, his eyes sleepy but ready for more.
“Don’t you have to leave?” she asked. “You’re usually long gone by now.”
Keyain jerked up, his arms wrapping around her to keep her from falling. He swore, realizing the time. “I need to go.”
He left the bed and walked to the bathroom. Running water filling the tub sounded from the room, followed by a loud thud and Keyain’s swearing.
“Anything I can help you with?”
“No, I just have a meeting I need to get to,” he said impatiently.
A few minutes later, he left the bathroom and dressed. Keyain was still pulling on his shirt as he walked into the dining room. Marietta threw on a gauzy robe from her closet and followed him.
In his office, Keyain unlocked a drawer and dug through its contents, pulling out a stack of files. “You’ll need to wear something else, so you don’t tempt me to skip this meeting and spend the day with you,” he said with a smirk, glancing up at her.
“Perhaps that’s what I’m hoping for,” she teased, leaning against the doorframe. It wasn’t, but the comment deepened Keyain’s smile.
When he finished, Keyain closed the desk drawer and strode over with a kiss. “When this war is over, I promise to give you every second of my time.”
“And until then? You’ll be better about not leaving me alone all day, every day?” Marietta smoothed the fabric on his chest.
“I promised you last night, didn’t I?” Keyain kissed her again and then walked past her back into the dining room.
“Will you take me into the city?” she asked, following.
“Into the city? Why?”
“I’d like to go to a play or dinner,” she said, twirling the end of her hair. “We could have Elyse and Brynden join us.”
Keyain set his papers down on the dining table, looking towards Marietta. “That’s a very random request. I don’t see the point since they’re no longer to be married.”
