Page 163 of The Princesses of Ruin
Finally, I’m home.
Chapter fifty-six
Alastair
“No, that’s no good,” Lily says as she pulls the city plans closer. “You see this choke point right there—that’s going to cause loads of traffic.”
I stand over her shoulder and look down at the map. It’s true. Several of the wider roads narrow down before rejoining the main streets to allow for larger estates to have better gardens. While I would tell them we need serviceable streets so to hells with your garden, Lilianna takes a gentler approach.
“I love these big, huge displays. It screams refinement and culture, but perhaps we can ask the lords to surrender a portion of the backmost lots so that we can have roads that don’t bulk up with full carts. Their gardens won’t be places of peace if they have screaming merchants just beyond their fence line, yes?”
“Yes, my queen,” the designer says. “You’re quite right. I’ll find the title holders and make the request.”
The man rolls up his map and strides from the room. Lily sits back in her chair and groans.
“This is why I didn’t want to rule. So muchwork, no time for dirty jokes or filthy poetry.”
She reaches up for me to embrace her. I wrap my arms over her chair and kiss her temple, letting my hands cradle her swollen belly. She grabs the back of my neck and holds me against her, sighing contentedly.
“There once was a woman from Nimpoi, who had a peculiar limpoi,” she starts.
“That doesn’t work,” I say, cutting her joke short.
“Why not?” she asks, sitting forward with more speed than a woman five months pregnant should be able to.
“Because,limpoiisn’t a word,” I say.
“It’s almost a word. I couldmakeit a word. I am queen,” she says, settling back against the chair.
“You’d make a word all for the sake of your joke?”
She scoffs. “Have youmetme, Alastair?”
I chuff. “Yes, I suppose you would. Finish it, then.”
“There once was a woman from Nimpoi, who had a peculiar limpoi. When asked why she shuffled, she heartily chuckled, ‘It’s all because of my simpboi!’”
I shake my head. “Terrible.”
“I know. I’m out of practice.” She sighs again. “Too much work, like I said.”
It has been a lot of work. Getting Fynren back up on its feet has been no small thing. So many of the wealthy lords and merchants fled, taking their money with them. With no way to pay anyone for work, we’ve had to rely on a lot of charity and promises to get things done.
My mother has pulled some strings, of course, touting how we defeated the dark goddess like gospel all across the five kingdoms. Every bard has a song for it now.
“Let’s take tonight off,” I say. “I want you to experience the new and improved Cherry Kiss.”
She pouts. “But I can only have one beer. That’s not enough. Little Vine will take it all anyway, the greedy girl.”
She rubs her belly affectionately, and I cover her hands with mine. “You will havenobeer, but there is a new tonic that Zane has concocted—”
She groans loudly. “No, not another.”
“He promises this one tastes better, and it will help improve the development of the baby.”
She leans forward, and I pull her chair back so she can stand. I grab her hand and tug her toward me, settling her head against my chest as her belly keeps us from coming together fully.
“We want her to be the strongest she can be,” I murmur.
