Page 53 of Stolen Princess's Secret

‘What do you call it?’ she demanded.

‘I’d rather not think about my newfound fascination for pottery at all, but I do want you to come to Aergoveny with me tomorrow and stay the night if you have the time. The wolfhounds have missed you.’

‘That’s a lie. They miss their nomadic way of life. At least with you they get to ride out every now and then.’

‘It’s not a lie—I stand by what I said. They miss your company. So do I.’ Words, words, using all the words until he broke through to her. She wasn’t the only one who could learn new tricks. ‘Please, I need you to take some time for yourself. We could ride out and explore. What did the doctor say about you riding?’

‘Not to,’ she replied dryly. ‘I’m allowed to swim, so here I am, lolling about in the shallows because Cas has forbidden me to jump in the river opening, even though he still does.’

Tomas had been in that fast-flowing coil of darkness only once. Between the swiftly moving undertow and the grate at the end that could pin a person like a fly on a swat, he’d been fearful for his life. ‘To be fair, it’s a death trap.’

‘Exactly. So Cas is now banned from swimming there too. He can’t die until he and Ana have offspring that are old enough to sit on the throne without me having to be Regent. And you’re not to take any notice of the rumour going around that I tried to poison my brother yesterday. That is not in my wheelhouse.’

‘So...ah...what did happen to the King yesterday?’ He dreaded the thought that Claudia would ever have to take her brother’s place, but it could happen. She was next in line. Sophia hadn’t been born in wedlock, so would never rule Byzenmaach. Royal succession rules were archaic and absolute.

‘He got a stomach bug from Sophia, who got it from school. But don’t let that get in the way of a good royal poisoning plot. Some courtiers work tirelessly to plant a wedge between me and Cas.’

‘Who? I want names.’

‘You can’t have names if all you’re going to do is threaten to reveal all their dark secrets if they oppose me.’

‘Says who?’

‘Says me.’

‘Spoilsport. Claudia, listen to me. No one is ever going to come between you and your brother. The bond you forged in childhood grows stronger by the day. He needs and wants you in his life because he loves you. That you choose to support him so thoroughly is a blessing in his life, but you could step back tomorrow and he would still love you just the same. Talk to him about taking more time for yourself. Blame the baby, or me, but talk to him about placing your political focus where he needs it most and delegate the rest. You don’t have a royal secretary—why not? Ask Rudolpho to train one and then delegate. You’ll get more done in less time. I’m sharing my newfound wisdom with you freely so that you too may learn what I’m learning.’

‘You’re a saint.’

‘Hardly. I just want more of you to myself.’

‘Why didn’t you just say you were feeling neglected?’

‘Wouldn’t have learned nearly as much about you if I’d come straight out and said it, now, would I?’

‘You’re sneaky.’ She sounded delighted with that discovery.

‘No, I’m not. I’m honest to a fault. And stalwart.’

‘And naked.’

He hadn’t forgotten. ‘Have I mentioned how very pleased I am to see you?’

‘Well, you have now.’ She locked her legs firmly around his waist and began to rub herself against him. ‘But I know how much you prefer nonverbal communication. Maybe you could show me.’

Challenge accepted.

CHAPTER TWELVE

KING CASIMIR AND Lord Ildris were negotiating. They’d been at it for hours and Claudia’s interest had long since dwindled to nothing. The chairs around the negotiating table were outrageously comfortable but her lower back ached regardless. They kept calling for coffee refills for their tiny ceremonial coffee cups, but she’d stuck to water throughout the day, so not only was she not buzzing with caffeine, she’d had four toilet breaks in the past two hours.

Each time she excused herself the two men would stand and break the meeting until she returned, before once more getting down to business without her needing to say a word.

She’d spent two glorious days beforehand with Tomas at the manor that was fast becoming her favourite place in the world. They’d discovered a storeroom stacked with floor rugs, at which point Claudia had also discovered that an afternoon spent lounging on a sunny window seat stuffed with cushions while her husband and several of his apprentices revealed carpet after carpet for her to choose from was an excellent way to pass the time. Especially when said apprentices brought their falcons with them for socialising.

Returning to the palace so soon after watching Tomas effortlessly train and entertain and retain his authority throughout... Surely, she could be forgiven for thinking this high-level politicking a comedown from glorious heights?

As far as she could tell, her brother and Ildris were in agreement for the most part of this extended water use negotiation and were now haggling over minor details. Of course, those minor details weren’t minor at all to the people who were affected by them, but she’d long since lost interest in the earnings projections of the Sorl River salmon farmers versus the hopes of the orchardists further downriver. She’d lost track of the many pros and cons of each five hours ago, which was around about the last time she’d made any meaningful contribution to the discussion.

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