Page 28 of The King's Queen

“You’re disgusting.” But he sees me flinch.

Rowan clears his throat, snapping the book in his hands shut and dropping it on the oak table in one fluid motion.

“I crossed a line.” He apologizes then, bracing his forearms against his thighs. His eyes search my face for a moment before they meet mine, a twinkle of amusement dancing in them. “And for all my teasing…”

“I know.” I interrupt, the conversation suddenly feeling more personal and rawer than any we’d had before. I know that it’s only teasing. Playful banter. I know deep down that it’s all a mask. A mask to hide something raw and vulnerable that he’s not ready for anyone else to see yet. And I’m fine with that because truthfully, I’m not sure I’m ready to shirk my own facade. If he found out the truth of who I am…

“What’s your favorite food?”

“What?” He stares at me for a moment, bewilderment painting his face. I almost laugh.

“What’s your favorite food?” I repeat. “Is it chicken? Fish?”

“Oh, Laei not fish. Anything but fish,” he groans, clutching his stomach like a toddler. I raise an incredulous eyebrow towards him as he fakes gagging over the side of the table. He sees the expectancy written across my features and moves to elaborate. “I don’t do seafood. I don’t know why, it’s just the smell, the taste. Those beady little eyes staring back at you in most dishes.” He squints his own eyes and pinches his fingers and features together, as if staring right back at the imaginary fish. As if asserting his dominance over the wooden table before us. I eye him with faint amusement as he stops and stares back at me. The corners of his lips tug upwards in a charismatic grin, and I find myself grinning back.

Until he slams a stack of paper before me.

“Finish one of these pages, and you get to ask me any question you like.” I groan in response as he simply sits smug and catlike. He picks at some invisible speck of dust on his fine coat while he waits.

“And who’s to say you’ll answer those questions truthfully?” I ask, not bothering to tear my eyes from the paper this time. I can hear the cockiness in his voice without looking.

“I guess you’ll have to find out. After you finish that page.”

The word is tedious, and mostly foolish busy work such as listing dates of nobles, various laws I already know, and even a few notes on banquet etiquette. I’m nearly finished with the first page when I notice a third figure standing by our table.

Lucius has his hands in his pockets and grins when my gaze meets his, those white teeth flashing. Something predatory stirs in his features as he takes in Rowan, his casual demeanor and effortless handsomeness. Also how close the two of us are sitting.

“Verosa, I’ve been looking everywhere for you.” He smiles again, though this time something clicks in his jaw.

“Lucius.” I say slowly, praying Rowan will take a hint. He shows no sign of even hearing. “You know I have my studies at this time.”

“Must have slipped my mind,” he lies before turning to Rowan. “I am Lucius, Verosa’s fiancé.”

Rowan finally looks up from his reading now, raising his eyebrows at me in amusement. I begin to pray to the Laei when I see the wicked glint in his eyes.

“Oh? Rowan, Verosa’s tutor. It’s an honor to finally meet the nobleman I’ve heard so much about.” Lucius’ face lights up, and when his gaze turns to me, Rowan smirks in my direction. I kick his shin under the table.

“I would love to hear what she has said.” His voice is playful, the opposite of what it had been moments before. Rowan stifles a laugh behind his book, but his face turns neutral once more when Lucius turns back to him.

“Perhaps another time. We are finishing up a lesson. She should be done soon.”

“Of course. Enjoy your studies, Verosa. Rowan.” Rowan nods as my fiancé leaves before letting out a low whistle.

“So that’s the fiancé. Was he not tall, dark, and handsome enough for you?”

“Prick.” I shove the stack of papers back towards him and stand up. “We are done for today.”

“You haven’t finished-“ I don’t wait to hear the rest of his sentence when I storm out of the library, heading straight for my room. Rowan doesn’t follow.

I think it would be easier to like Rowan if I could understand him. One moment he is playful and charming, the next his guard is up, and he’s pulling cruel stunts. It’s enough to make me want to ram my head into a wall just trying to hold a conversation with him.

I lean against the window of my room, gazing out to find all the children have gone inside now. Despite my anger, my mind wanders back to him, watching out of his own window with something that I could mistake as longing written across his features. That is, if I didn’t know better.

I need a distraction. Now. Changing into a simple tunic and loose-fitting pants, I storm through the hallways until I find the door I am searching for and knock. Lucius answers with surprise lighting up his face, and even more so when I shove my sack into his arms.

“Come on. I need to blow off some steam.” Lucius obliges as we make our way down to a hidden field behind the palace, right near a large lake.

As the raven-haired man spreads out the blanket across the grass, I pick up a few rocks and chuck them as hard as I can at the still water, watching the ripples as if in a trance. He finishes laying out our lunch and comes up behind me.

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