Page 11 of MidKnight
“What?” Declan asked.
Ugh!I stomped back over to Ginnifer, who didn’t yet have the backbone of a long-term maid. My old maid would have grabbed me by the arm and physically restrained me in order to get me ready on time. Of course, that had been on mother’s orders, before I became queen.
I sighed, the memory of mother pulling me back to reality. Quinn sensed the change in my mood. He came over and planted a kiss on my head.
I’m going to go see what trouble I can stir up with Isla’s entourage.
Not too much.
It’s never too much with me, Dove.
I think your scale of ‘too little to too much’ is a bit skewed.
He just turned and waggled his tongue and crossed his eyes before walking out the door. I sighed.
When Connor walked back in, he had his guidebook and he was all business. That’s when Declan left me. I supposed he’d been waiting for a hand-off, unwilling to leave me alone after what had just happened.
Connor got straight to business, “Okay, so the heralds will go first. Title. Title. Boring traditional first monarch visit speech from me. She’ll approach, you’ll come down from the throne … same level. Mutual respect, blah, blah. You’ll grasp her hands and say, ‘Well, met, Your Majesty.’”
I stared at him, waiting for my next line. “Is that it?”
“For you, yes.”
“My mother always spoke for several minutes with visiting royals.”
Connor’s eyes sparkled, and he leaned forward to confide, “Queen Gela always liked to make the nobles wonder what exactly might have been said. It kept them on their toes.”
My eyes widened. “I might actually like that strategy.”
My knight ran a hand through his curly hair. “She was quite clever about it. Just do be careful. Isla’s a sharp old bat. And her timing with this visit is …”
“Unfortunate?” I asked. Typically, new monarchs did receive or go on state visits within the first month of their reign from the surrounding kingdoms.
“Incredibly quick,” Connor concluded. “She did keep in regular correspondence with your mother. But still, the day after your coronation seems … abrupt.” He was searching for his court-appropriate words, already practicing for the evening.
“I will try to keep my tongue under control.”
Connor rolled his eyes with a smile. “I think I know better than to hope for that.”
“What?” I said with mock indignation.
“Bloss Boss, since you’ve returned you’ve shot off your mouth to nearly everyone.”
I sighed. “That’s true. How about I’ll just keep you by my side all evening then?”
“That,” Connor leaned closer, “is the one part of the evening I’m looking forward to.”
He gave me a crooked little grin and then held out his hand. I grabbed it. To my surprise, he led me through our secret handshake, one we’d invented when we were eight-years-old. One we hadn’t done since I’d returned home. As he smacked his knuckles against mine to end the shake, Connor turned to Ginnifer, who was waiting to put my jewelry on.
Very sternly he said, “Ginnifer, you’re the only living soul who’s seen that handshake. If it gets out, I’ll know it was you.”
Ginnifer’s eyes widened. “Oh, My Lord, I’d never tell anyone!”
He wagged a finger at her and then winked. “Now you know a state secret.”
He kissed my hand. The way the light danced in his eyes and his sweet grin made my heart beat quicker. Of all my knights, Connor was still the one who made me feel the most nervous, the most uncertain since I came back. But sharing our secret handshake gave me hope.
“My Lady,” Connor bowed over my hand like some ridiculous noble fop.
