Page 30 of Knightfall
What in the shite hell?
“—were thinking that you might need additional help, what with the current issues with Sedara.”
I shook myself. Something was happening to me. I was having delusions. Hearing voices. Seeing things. Did it relate to my power? Had my father seen these things?
“—with Willard. What do you think dear?”
Lady Agatha had droned on this entire time. I had no clue what had been said.
“Of course,” I responded, smiling widely. Shite. I hoped she hadn’t asked for me to declare war.
“I’ll have the steward arrange for a meeting time for the two of you tomorrow.”
A meeting? I could handle a meeting. I caught myself before I sighed in relief.
Lady Agatha patted my hand and walked away, but as she did, another mental image flooded my mind. She was still naked, still on her knees. This time one of her husbands held a leash.“Bark for me!”he snapped.“Aarf!” “Aarf!”she yipped.
My faced turned eight different shades of red as I tried not to burst into laughter. If this was delirium, if this was how my death came, I’d gladly take it.
I inhaled and calmed down. Then I stepped into the fray. I smiled and repeated my mother’s false story ad nauseam, complimented the women’s dresses and the men’s hair and bit back insults regarding the paltry provisions half of them made for the farmers under their care. Those issues would come up soon enough.
Connor stood next to me, touched my shoulder when he passed, smiled at me when someone asked about my return. He was a wonderful actor. But there were no secret moments. He didn’t link our pinkie fingers or whisper sweet things in my ear to make me blush. He always used to let me know what I meant to him in little moments.
I was back. I was staying. I was staying for Avia at first. But Mother had given me a way to protect Connor. Protect my husbands.
I looked at Connor, laughing over some joke about corn and ‘seedy’ men that had been said a thousand times before. But his laugh was so pure. So beautiful. He lit the world around him.
I’d thought of Connor every day for four years. I’d written him. On nights when I’d wanted to quit my quest and give it up and go home, I’d pressed on. Because of him. When a Queen dies, her knights go with her.
I could never condemn Connor to that fate.
For years, I’d worried and planned and searched for ways to keep him alive.
My mother had given me an out. A way to cover for my husbands if something happened to me.
As I watched Connor, I realized I had to use the same tenacity I used on my quest.
I had to get him to fall back in love with me. Because life without him was not an option.
* * *
Idecided to start small. I crossed his path more than necessary, just so I’d have an excuse to trail my fingers over his back.
With the curse, I’d have thought we would have had to stand side by side, but with the crush of nobles so eager to speak with the newly returned princess, it was quite an effort to stay near Connor.
When one of the more beautiful courtiers flirted with Connor, I gave in to my natural jealousy and hugged him, planting a kiss on his cheek right in front of her. Mother would scold me later about decorum when she heard. I didn’t care.
I gushed about him and his prowess with a bow when I spoke with several noblemen planning a hunt. They invited him to join and I pestered and teased and cajoled him until he gave in with a begrudging laugh.
“Please! I haven’t had venison in ages! I’ve been stuck eating half-frozen fish up north.”
“You don’t need me to eat venison.”
“That’s true. Why do I need you again?” I winked saucily. “Oh, I remember.”
The other nobles laughed uproariously and one of them said, “Just like newlyweds again.”
“Maybe we should lose our wife to a dragon hunt for a few years, huh?” They laughed.
