Page 28 of Brighter Than Gold

She ignored me as she dug back into her meal.

Once she was sated, she pushed the chair back and lay her hands on her stomach. There was a tiny bulge beneath her hands, only from the meal, but still it brought a stark awareness to her condition.

“How far along are you?” I asked.

“Why do you care?”

I rolled my eyes at her latest slicing comment and decided patience was the best course of action. “Sort of seems like the kind of thing a husband would know about his wife.”

She sighed. “Around eight weeks,” she said, keeping her focus on her belly.

“Do you feel any different?”

“Do you mean the future of the Realm on my shoulders, or rather, in my womb? Or the heavy gold band wrapped around my finger that marries me to a King I’ve spent more time with on my back than in actual conversation? Or did you mean since I found out I was pregnant?”

Well fuck.

“Imeantthe pregnancy.”

“No. Except for the nausea, but thankfully it seems to have subsided slightly.”

“I’m glad for that. Is this your first pregnancy?”

Reyah glared up at me. That was probably out of line. I wasn’t used to much conversation with women, and I was discovering I was pretty shit at it. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean…”

“It is,” she said defiantly. “Do you have children?”

“No.”

“So certain?” she prodded.

I snorted. “Very.”

Reyah savoured a deep sip of her coffee.

“He’s thrilled, you know. Burke. He’s always wanted children.” The timing of this child was an undeniable disaster, but I knew how much this meant to him.

She could only nod, she’d gone empty behind the eyes, looking lost and forlorn by what I’d just said.

“Do you want to hear another joke?” I offered.

A smile cracked over Reyah’s lips at that. “Gods, no.”

I chuckled.

“So, what should we do to pass the time?”

Reyah debated a moment. “I want you to teach me more about how to read people.”

“You’re really that interested?”

“I am.”

“All right. Tell me a lie.”

Reyah thought a moment. “I had a pet cat named Oliver when I was a child.”

I cocked my head as I narrowed my eyes at her. “Are you testing me, Reyah?”

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