Page 194 of A Queen's Game
That’s beside the point—it was wrong. Gods, it was for the best that the King stopped such a kiss. It would have been both wonderful and terrible, equally terrifying and thrilling, and utterly reckless. She forced herself to stare down the hall, ignoring the King’s gaze upon her.
They walked in comfortable silence. Holding onto the arm of the King, she savored the closeness of him, for it would be as close as she could ever be. Beyond the inappropriatenessof kissing him, it simply made little sense. King Wyltam was vexing, often stoking her temper or leaving her frustrated. Though, often he seemed to leave her breathless as well. He was confusing and contradictory, as unpredictable as a storm cloud, yet she wouldn’t trade his company for any other. Such a confession made her chest lighter.
The halls remained empty as they walked, devoid of any person. “Is everyone asleep?” she joked, breaking the silence.
“Not quite,” he said with a smile. “I just know the best ways to avoid people.”
“That sounds like you.” Marietta laughed, and turned to him with a grin. For a moment, Wyltam’s smile faltered into a look of awe before he cleared his throat and looked ahead.
“You know,” she said, attempting to get his attention once more, “I like that about you. It’s entertaining, the way you are a public leader but hate the public.”
“I don’t hate the public. I hate the attention.”
“All attention?” she teased. “Even mine?”
“Never yours.”
“Good, because I like giving it to you.”
He laughed, glancing down before looking at her. “I’ll take every drop of you I can get.”
Locked together, their gazes refused to drop as they approached the door to the Noble’s Section. The King paused a moment, then turned and held the door open for Marietta.
Grasping his arm once more, they made their way to the stairs as voices sounded from a room. “Looks like not everyone is asleep,” she murmured. In the doorway to one of the common rooms, a few people watched them make their way to the stairs. What a sight for them to behold: a pilinos at the arm of the King. She laughed at the thought. Perhaps they should get used to that.
The voices faded as they climbed the dark stairwell to Marietta’s floor. On one of the landings, the King stopped. Hehesitated, then placed his hands on her hips. Out of instinct, she tried shifting away, but he held tight. “Entertain me for a moment, Marietta.”
In the dark, she could see the faint details of his face. Without another thought, she brought her arms up around his neck. “Is holding me your idea of entertainment?”
A smile curled onto his lips with a laugh. “Wynn was right—you are acting quite brash this evening. But please, I enjoy being close to you,” he said. “Just enjoy this moment with me.”
“That’s all you want—a pleasant moment with me in a dim stairwell?”
“I’m a simple man; I’ll take any moment with you.”
Marietta’s heart skipped a beat at his words, making it hard to hold herself back from him. “Aren’t you a male, not a man?” she asked, attempting to change the subject.
“Don’t you say man and woman?”
“So you’ve noticed.”
“Of course, you’re from Enomenos, Marietta,” whispered the King, his hands squeezing her hips. “Practically the Princess of Enomenos.”
“Princess?” She shook her head with a laugh. “I’d rather be its queen.”
The King stilled with his lips parted. His hands slipped from her hips and up her back as he pulled her closer to his body. A thought trickled into her mind from his treatment of her, from his words. If he could be tender with her, then what prevented him from treating pilinos better? Perhaps there was a part of him that could understand, that would push for change.
“I wish you cared as much about the half-elves and humans of this city as you do me,” she whispered. “Perhaps if you cared about being king—”
King Wyltam’s hands released her waist, one coming to her chin. “I care more about Satiros and its people than youunderstand. Change cannot be sweeping with such hate deeply instilled in the elven community, Marietta.” His free hand reached up, brushing a hair from her face. “I’ve been King for less time than you’ve been alive, and I’ve made small, gradual changes working towards a better future for the pilinos who live here.”
“You’re lying—”
“I’m not, Marietta. Look at me.” For the first time, he wore his emotions clear on his face, brows furrowed, lines bracketing his mouth. “Your last words to me at the sculpture garden have hounded me day and night. I can’t stop thinking about them—about you.”
“But the pilinos who are here, who are still hunted by the other city-states—”
“Do you understand how many less used to make it here? In my mother’s reign, most who escaped to Satiros from other city-states died. My mother hated pilinos and placed the strictest restrictions on humans and half-elves,” he said, his words coming quick. “I act like an apathetic king so it looks like things slip through the cracks, that I’m not paying enough attention to those who seek refuge here.”
