Page 99 of Brighter Than Gold

“Yes,” I smiled. “I would like that.”

Chapter24

Reyah

The room was so still when I woke in the morning. The rising sun casting warm yellow beams through the balcony window. It occurred to me that I never really saw much of Kaspian’s room during the daytime. It looked somehow less threatening when it was bright.

The King slept soundly beside me. Whenever I’d shifted or rolled at night he’d sought me out, wrapping an arm protectively over me or resting a hand on me as though, even in his sleep, he was scared for me to be too far away from him.

He looked so much younger when he slept, that constantly furrowed brow finally relaxed, his jaw loose and unclenched. He carried so much tension in him that it was nice to see him peaceful like this.

I looked down at his wide hand over my hip, and the heavy gold signet ring that adorned his little finger. My eyes roved up his sculpted forearm, lean and dusted with golden blonde hairs, then traveled up his arm to his shoulders, and down the smooth lines of his chest.

I took in his beautiful face, that high Kingly brow bone, straight pronounced nose and delectable lips. Objectively, he was divine, and I could certainly appreciate that. But it made me miss Callan all the more. More because I ached to have Callan’s rough chest hair against my skin, more because I missed the smattering of sundry freckles on his shoulders. More because I missed the way my heart fluttered when he opened his eyes to find me wrapped up in him in the mornings.

My throat caught and I swallowed back tears. The ache was growing, and how horrible was I to be crying over the man I love while in bed with my husband? No. I would push that pain away for now and concentrate on the man in my bed. He’d only done right by me, and he deserved my best.

I traced my fingers across the ornate B of the signet ring on his finger. Then the corner of my eye caught his, a deep ocean blue staring back at me.

“It’s the same ring each Burke King has worn since the Realms were joined,” he said quietly in a gravelly morning voice. “When a King dies, he’s buried with a replica, but this one has been worn by each of my forefathers.”

“It’s… ostentatious.”

Kas chuckled. “It is,” he agreed. “You’ll have one, when you’re coronated as Queen.”

“IfI’m coronated.”

“When.” He smiled.

“Cressida isn’t coronated yet.”

“No, she isn’t.” Kas stretched and his muscles trembled. “She will be after the baby is born.”

“The baby,” I wondered aloud. “What if it’s a boy?”

Kas sighed and tucked his head between my neck and shoulder. “You see the problem we’re facing then.”

I’d been wondering about it. If Cressida birthed a boy, he would be the heir to the Warrick throne. But additionally, because King Dornan had no natural born sons of his own, the child would be heir to the Dornan throne as well.

“No family has ever married into one another before,” Kaspian said. “We’ve being trying to come up with a solution that doesn’t end with four Kings becoming three.”

“Can’t you just elect to have Dornan’s eldest daughter become Queen?” It seemed such a simple solution that four men would naturally have a difficult time conceiving.

“It’s never been that way, Reyah. And the Realm is nothing if not staunch about doing things traditionally.”

I snickered.

“What’s so funny?” Kas asked, pulling his face from my hair.

“If you retroactively changed the rules, you’d have to step down and let Yates be Queen.”

He huffed a laugh and tucked himself into me again. “She’d demand to be called a King anyway.”

“Probably.”

“Kas, can I… ask you something?”

He must have heard my tone because he looked up at me concerned. “Anything, my love.”

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