Page 36 of The Lost Nation

Erik laughed, wiping his hands on his breeches. My eyes followed the movement of his muscles, and he went quiet, noticing me watching him.

“Why are you here?” I asked instead, glancing up at the sunlight that filtered through the open holes in the roof.

Erik raised an eyebrow.“I am a mere peasant, though a glorified one thanks to you. No one cares where I go. But why areyouhere? Queens don’t frolic in the dust motes.”

My eyes narrowed. “And how many queens have you known?”

He smirked, and in the dimness his blue eyes glowed as they studied me.“Touche.Escaping the nobles?"

It was on the tip of my tongue to chastise himfor his boldness—after all, Iwashis queen. But the stress of the last few weeks weighed heavily on me, and to my horror, tears leaked out of the corners of my eyes. I wiped them angrily with my sleeve.

“Nothing thatyoucould help with.”

I sat down on the ledge and dangled my legs over the side, not protesting when he sat next to me.

“Did you know that witches frequently have multiple partners?” He said casually.

The mention of witches had my guard up, and I resisted the urge to touch the sapphire embedded in my crown. I was never without it now, except when I was sleeping. Erik gazed at the city spread out below us, unconcerned about my growing anxiety. When I didn't respond, he continued.

“Something about always looking for the one to give them the strongest chance at a witch child. It’s an instinct.”

My fingers grasped the extra fabric of my dress, twisting and winding it through my hands. “Why are you telling me this?” I tried for the same air of nonchalance he held and failed.

Erik shrugged. “That’s likely why you feel the way you do. About her."

My shoulders went stiff. “And what would you know about how Ifeel?”

He chuckled darkly, setting off goosebumps along my arms and neck. Erik didn’t come off as a dangerous man, but I had a feeling he could be dangerous tome.

“I know you’re obviously not like most women, who are content to let others tell them what to do. You organized the tournament that allowed me to move up in life, so of course I’m thankful for that.”

Erik turned towards me, and I caught a whiff of leather polish sweetened by vanilla. He was a soldier who’d likely already made friends with the cook. I don’t know why, but something so simple and childish brought a smile to my face.

Erik shrugged. “Of course, there is the fact that there aren’t many walls near your wing. Your voice carries with remarkable ease once it hits a certain pitch. It means more people hear your...disagreements than you probably realize. Then they gossip to everyone else. I'm sorry she left you like that."

I winced. Perfect: everyone in the castle likely knew Zara had left me.

I wondered if we would have been able to last. We clearly had varying viewpoints of what a relationship with each other meant. Different expectations for different people.

I brought my knees to my chest, and rested my head against my arms.

Erik shrugged. “I think you’re holding up pretty well, all things considered,” he finished, jumping down from the ledge and holding out a hand to assist me.

A strange tightness seized my throat and chest, and I could only nod blurrily as I put my small hand in his.

“Thank you,” I said, putting far more meaning into the two words than I’d ever had in my life. He grinned, and I fully expected him to press his advantage while he held onto me. Instead he tucked my hand into his side, and drew me into intelligent conversation about what the kingdom’s next few steps should be to ensure that we thrived.

???

That night, my head was whirling with the possibilities Erik had presented during our long talk earlier. Ways to improve trade with Cantrada and stabilize them (and thus stabilize our own economy), and even sending scouts out west to see what lay beyond the great deserts. It was exciting and thrilling. Bold.

“If I suggest any of it, it will be dismissed. Coming from you however, it will have more weight.” He'd argued.

To test his theory, I watched during the next council meeting as he offered a suggestion for something small, such as having men in the royal guard assist the townspeople in cleaning up from the flood. The idea was sound to me, since it would help out with recovery efforts while giving my men something productive to do.

“You win a silly contest and somehow think we care what you have to say?” One noble sneered.

My eyes widened, but I only gripped my chair harder. I wanted to see how Erik would react. To his credit, his eyes only tightened at the corners, and he lifted a mocking brow.

---