Page 73 of Dead Crown
“Of course.” Jaki sat on the edge of the bed. “I have the doll you hid behind your baseboards if you want him. I washed him, although he’s still raggedy looking. I don’t know where you got him or if he’s special.”
“I found him on the streets of Havaska.” Lumi gently touched one of the tufts on Jacqueline’s ears, and she twitched it. “He was quite dirty, so I figured he'd been out there for ages, and no one was going to return for him. He’d been forgotten.”
Like Lumi.
“Maybe Jacqueline would like him,” he continued. “I don’t have any toys for her.”
“I’ll get a servant to find a basket, and I’ll fetch the toy from my room.”
Chapter Seventeen
Lumi was still drained despite the nap and a bath. He’d wanted to go back to court when he’d returned to Tivar because his three years had felt like freedom. Now that he was back with true freedom, he didn’t feel free.
How had he even managed to pack down everything and act for three years? If someone came in and ordered him to go back to being the court entertainer and cum midden like before, he was sure he couldn’t do it now. The last bit of sanity was too shaky to pretend and fake it.
Lumi rolled onto his back. Maybe he could doze for just a little bit more and stop the thoughts. Dinner would be later, and his daughter would wake up many times in the night. He might as well sleep as much as he could.
Jacqueline made a noise and dragged him from the doze he’d tipped into. The voice wasn’t Jaki's, but it was familiar.
“I just wanted to say hello. Er, Erik, right? Jaki said he brought a friend, and you’re not feeling well.”
Lumi froze as he realized Elswere was in the doorway and squinting at the bed. Dear Elira, why had he come in?
“Is that…Jaki didn’t mention a baby.” Elswere scratched his head.
“She’s mine,” Lumi stupidly blurted as he hurried to get on his knees and scoop her up.
“Is that why you were unwell? He didn’t say what was wrong.”
“Uh-I’m fine now. I was-” Lumi wasn’t even sure what to say, and too late, he realized he should have kept his mouth shut as the King squinted at his face for a moment that felt impossibly long. Dear Elira, why had he spoken?
“Lumi?”
Lumi’s heart pounded.
“Is that you?” Elswere cocked an ear as he stared at his face. “Why’d you make your ears white?”
“I’m-I’m not Lumi.”
“I know your voice.” Elswere came further into the room, and Lumi inched toward the edge of the bed. “Is that why you left so suddenly?! You were pregnant and said noth-you said you were infertile! I swear to Elira, that better not be my kid!”
Lumi bolted for the privy room with Jacqueline. The sudden fear Elswere might take away his daughter followed him. He slammed the door, locked it, and cursed himself for not trying to change his tone and being caught while dozing. Jacqueline fussed as he clutched her to his chest. Fuck. He was supposed to be safe there with her.
“Lumi, you better come out right now. That’s why you ran off so suddenly, isn’t it? Is it mine?”
“No!”
Jacqueline started to cry as he heard Jaki’s voice.
“What are you doing? Why would you come in here-”
“I was trying to be nice and say hello to your friend. You didn’t tell me it was Lumi!”
“I-”
“I might be getting old, but I know a person’s voice when I hear it, and I’m not completely blind. You lied to me!”
“Where is he?”
