Page 68 of Fearless

No, peace implies that all is well in my life. But there are wrongs to be righted and forgiveness to be earned. I refuse to die until I’m satisfied with the way I lived.

I groan.

In the end, it is the imminence of death that manages to drag me from my bed.

I knock hesitantly on his door.

My heart pounds wildly in anticipation. I’m not normally the one to do this, and I doubt I’ll ever do it again because of how annoyingly nervous I—

The handle turns.

And when the door opens, I almost expect to be met with a cocky smile, a mess of black hair, or a familiar set of lips that have tasted mine.

But everything before me is unsurety.

This mouth is slackened with surprise, and one I’ve never met. The hair atop his head is blond and neat and the opposite of his brother’s.Heis opposite of his brother.

I stand in the doorway, blinking up at the shocked Kitt.

“Hi,” I say, if only to fill the silence.

His response is equally awkward. “Hi.”

“Sorry, did I wake you?”

“Oh, no.” Kitt rubs the back of his neck, an action he frequents. He looks over his shoulder, seeming slightly surprised to find the air unoccupied. “No, I don’t sleep much anymore.”

My gaze dips to his stained hands. “Are you writing something?”

“Just… notes. It helps me think.” He clears his throat. Mumbles something under his breath. For a moment, I think he’s forgotten my presence.

My eyes narrow at his strange behavior. “Are you—?”

“Is there a reason you’re here at this hour?” He’s blinked the bleariness from his distant gaze.

I’m momentarily startled by his sudden composure. “Right, yes.” I lift a bundled blanket between us, one I’d ripped off my bed after quickly dressing. “I thought we could have a… picnic?” I wince. “I’m not sure, really, but I have chocolate?”

We stare at each other, both of us knowing precisely what this is—apeace offering. Kitt glances over his shoulder again, as if weighing whether this is worth a pause in his writing. I’m beginning to believe the king will turn me away when he finally steps aside. “I can’t say no to chocolate.”

With a relieved smile, I creep into the room. The folded blanket hangs limply from my fingers while I try not to look so intrigued by his bedchamber. It’s surprisingly plain for a king, at least compared to the lavish lifestyle I assumed one would have. But it is not void of character. Potted plants litter the room, dotting each corner with color and twining around anything in reach. My eyes skip over the crumpled bed to find books piled on either side. Their broken spines pile to dangerous heights around the room, never far from a strewn map or scribbled document.

“I would have tidied up had I known you were visiting,” Kitt says, sounding only slightly self-conscious. He sweeps aside a cluster of inky parchment as I set the blanket on the ground.

“No need to clean on my behalf.” I unfold the fabric to reveal that bag of sweets Ellie left me. “You’ve seen where I lived.”

“I have.” He sounds regretful.

Taking a seat on the stretched blanket, I fold my legs beneath me and beckon for Kitt to follow. He obeys, sitting stiffly to my right with all the comfortability of an acquaintance, not the man meant to be my husband. And that lack of progress is exactly why I’m here.

I offer him a chocolate before unwrapping my own. “I haven’t had one of these since our game of catch in the kitchens.”

Popping the sweet into his mouth, Kitt mumbles, “I was the only one catching. You were dropping.”

“All right.” I sigh out the words. “No need to gloat.”

He smiles, andthatis progress. “So, why did you really want to have this makeshift picnic with me?”

“Do I need a reason to eat chocolate with you?”

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