Page 135 of Prize for the King
I manage to smile. “Are you suggesting my breathsmells?”
Khay grins and comes closer, pressing his nose right to my lips and breathing in. I push him away, and he lands on his butt, laughing insouciantly.
“You smell like the sweetest nectar, but if you don’t brush your teeth, theywillrot. Teeth are important, even as blunt and useless as yours.”
“I’ll show you my useless teeth when I have you in my mouth,” I mutter.
Khay rolls to his knees and kisses me gently. “All right. I’m sorry. You know I love you, diamond.”
My smile grows fixed, and I nod, casting my gaze down. Khay makes a curious noise, and I look up, forcing my smile to widen. “Go get Magnar before he works himself to death.”
He frowns but does as I say, glancing at Radunabefore he leaves. I sigh, knowing their secret tells already. Raduna shoots me an assessing look, and I show him my tongue before darting to the bathroom.
I hear him talking to Arvi, their voices quiet, and I know I can’t escape scrutiny. Oh, I wish I could tell them everything, but not before I face all my monsters and understand them myself.
When Khay returns, he frowns, his shoulders tense. He glances at Arvi, then me, finally settling his gaze on Raduna.
“He said not to wait for him.”
My heart sinks. Magnar hasnevermissed an evening in bed with us, not since the wedding night. I swallow roughly, wondering if I finally did it—repulsed him so much, he no longer wants me. I know if I voice these worries, the knights will comfort me and say they are ridiculous, but are they?
They kept things from me before, hiding Magnar’s moods and fears.
I turn to the door, bracing my shoulders. “I’ll talk to him.”
Khay comes over, clearing his throat uneasily. “He, uh, specifically said we should all get some rest and stay here. I don’t know what’s wrong, my lady. I’m worried, too. But in my experience, when he says he wants to be alone, it’s better to leave him be.”
I trudge to bed in defeat, not knowing what to do. It feels illicit to be taken by my knights when Magnar isn’t here, and when I look at Arvi, I know instantly he feels the same way.
“Next time,” he whispers, kissing my forehead. “Let’s sleep,laruna.”
But even though I’m warm and cozy, cocooned between him and Khay, I can’t sleep for a long while.
XLI Scar
I sit in my study, going over my speech for the trial for the hundredth time. The date is set for tomorrow, much sooner than I’d prefer. Ronan has been locked in a dungeon cell at Magnar’s insistence.
My husband wants to eliminate as many likely suspects of the attack by the pond. Right now, his spies and soldiers are looking into every group and individual that might actively oppose a human queen. As it turns out, there are many.
“Ugh, I can’t look at this anymore,” I say, pushing my draft away. “I’ve read it so many times, it sounds like gibberish in my head.”
Raduna looks up from the gardening periodical he’s reading. “It’s an excellent speech, my queen. You must know it by heart by now. Come rest for a moment.”
He points at a free space on the ottoman next to him. Arvi stands by the window, his hands clasped behind his back. He seems to be lost in thought.
I push away from my desk and stretch my aching arms. Raduna pulls me closer to his side when I sit next to him, letting my head settle on his chest as he combs his fingers through my loose hair.
“Would you like me to massage your shoulders?”
I nod, and he scoots back, inviting me to sit on the free bit of upholstered bench between his spread thighs. I go easily since it’snot his lap. Myafflictionis funny that way. Some gestures and positions make my skin crawl, yet others, no matter how similar, are completely safe.
And Raduna knows by now not to make me sit in his lap. Magnar does sometimes, but he’s always open about what he wants. His honesty makes it bearable.
“Let me tie it up for you.”
My knight gathers my hair into a bun and secures it with pins until it’s out of the way. When his warm, skilled thumbs press into the base of my skull, I sigh with relief.
“You’re so good at this,” I murmur, my shoulders dropping as he gently kneads my tense muscles. “I’m so glad I have you.”
