Page 145 of Prize for the King
His back trembles briefly under my touch, and he clears his throat, sounding congested like he has a runny nose. I try to pull back to see what’s wrong, but he doesn’t let me.
“No,” he says, voice tight. “Let me keep my honor.”
My heart swells with equal parts pain and affection when I realize he must be crying. Gods, I never saw a man in tears. That this fearsome warrior, this conqueror, the Tyrant, would cry because of me is baffling.
“I think your honor is quite safe,” I whisper. “This was a very hard month, and I admire you greatly for all the work you’ve done. I wish I could do more so you can rest. I worry about you.”
He laughs, and it’s nasal and a bit wet.Oh, gods.
“It’s you who should rest. You’ve done enough. The council will eat from your hand now. I’m glad. You’ll rule them much better than I ever could.”
I sigh, sinking into his embrace, the heat of his body, his scent, all of it feeling like safety, like home. Magnar sniffs and straightens.He clears his throat, no trace of the vulnerability left on his face. He watches me with a thoughtful expression, as if searching for something.
There’s a loud knock on the door.
“Enter.”
I press my hand to my chest when I see who it is—the messenger we sent to the Table of Kings. He looks weary but pleased as he hands Magnar a thick, ornate scroll.
“Go eat and rest,” Magnar commands him, already turning to the desk. “You did well. Thank you.”
He sits down, and I stand behind him, bouncing nervously on the balls of my feet. The wax seal breaks with a crunch, and Magnar unrolls the scroll with impatient movements. We scan the text together, and I cry out in joy seconds before him.
“It worked! You have a seat!”
“At my earliest convenience,” he quotes with a wide grin. “Oh, are they eager to get their hands on my mines! This is perfect. Perfect! We’ll ride out tomorrow. No, the day after. We have to get ready. Advise me: how many men do I take to be safe without being overly threatening?”
He turns to look at me, and I shake my head. “My father traveled with twenty, but I don’t know if that’s enough. Forty seems like too many—they could be offended.”
“Thirty, then. You’re coming with, of course. Or—would you rather stay? In your condition…”
I shake my head before he finishes. “No, I feel well enough. I’ll be fine. Besides, there are some documents of my father’s I want to get when we stop in Farneer. He had journals, diaries, wrote his own reports. He used a code, and I know how to read it. I’ll teach you, but before then, you’ll need me there.”
“Of course I need you,” he says with a scoff. “I always need you.But if you’d rather not endure the hardships of travel when you’re pregnant, I will understand.”
“I’m coming.”
“Good.”
The next day passes in a flurry of activity. I meet quickly with Idrina and appoint new ministers to replace Ronan and the three currently locked in the dungeons. Magnar leaves his second in command in charge. His name is Hardar, and he has Magnar’s implicit trust.
“He’s an army man, not a politician,” Magnar admits when we leave our meeting with general Hardar and the council, “but he’ll do just fine for now. He’ll hold the fort, maybe deal with more of my paperwork so I can finally have my honeymoon when we get back.”
He stops, grabbing my hand, and backs me into a wall. The corridor is empty, and my heart hammers with excitement, even though I’m tired from the endless meetings and organizing things for the journey.
“Do you know what I heard?” he says, leaning closer until his lips are barely an inch away from mine. “Apparently pregnant women get very horny after the first three months. That should coincide with our return. What do you say, pet? Will you be very horny for your husband?”
I laugh with embarrassment, my belly heating. “I think I’m very… eager for my husband now.”
“Mmm. Say ‘horny’.”
I sigh. “Yes, Magnar. I am very horny for you.”
He grins with satisfaction and kisses me deeply, and I kiss him back, throwing my arms around his neck. His hand settles low on my belly, where there’s still no sign of my pregnancy. It doesn’t cool his ardor.
“Fuck. My child in your womb. I knew you’d be easy to breed, love. Such a wanton girl with an eager cunt that kept begging for my cum.Of course, it had to take at once. Maybe it happened the first time I fucked you. It wouldn’t surprise me a bit.”
“Magnar!” I hiss, my cheeks flaming as I try to look around him to make sure we’re still alone.
