Page 3 of To Save a Kingdom

Frowning, she turned bleary eyes to the door. Elessan stood, two plates and mugs balanced on a serving dish. A dark expression settled on his face.

“I thought you were taking a break?”

Was he back already? “I was going to when you returned.”

Kicking the door closed behind him, he strode over and set the platter on her desk. Right above the document she’d been studying.

“Hey! I was reading that.”

“Hey back. And no, you weren’t. Your eyes were half glazed over.” Pulling one of the two chairs over until it was opposite hers, he sat. Then he grabbed her hands, holding them on either side of the tray until she met his gaze. The friction of the rough callouses on his thumbs as they circled her palms sent pleasant tingles up her arms. “If you won’t take care of yourself, someone has to. Seriously, you’ll make yourself sick.”

She opened her mouth to argue, but the rich aroma of spiced meat tickled her nose. Her stomach growled, spasming with surprising violence.

Two plates stared at her, piled high with generous servings of chopped venison, mashed potatoes and apple pudding mixed with cranberries. Her tastebuds watered.

She squeezed his hands. “You’re right. I’m sorry.”

He released her, and she reached for the fork to dig in.

“Patrick wanted to make you something special when he found out who I was asking for, but I told him you were too hungry and didn’t want to wait.”

Patrick had owned a small restaurant in the main square of Lions Grove when she’d first come to town with the intention of overthrowing Malkov. Just yesterday, she’d managed to convince him to come work at the castle, and had promoted him to head chef. It had been the best decision she’d made so far as queen.

Curry, nutmeg and something else exploded in her mouth as she chewed the first bite of meat. The older man was a flavor master.

“By the mages.”

Amusement sparkled in Elessan’s eyes as he cleared his own plate. He gestured to the glasses. “I thought about getting some ale to help you relax, but decided since you hadn’t had anything to eat or drink, you were probably dehydrated and water would be the better option.”

The memory of him bringing her a glass of alcohol when they’d first met popped into her mind with a matching twinge in her stomach. Those had been simpler times. Part of her ached to be in the little backwater inn with him again, when she’d had no pressing demands on her schedule or her future, and she was seeing the world with fresh eyes.

But everyone had to grow up at some point, and it was far past her turn.

The water was crisp, and it perfectly complemented the hearty meal. Too soon, her plate was empty. She sat back with a satisfied sigh. The faint pressure lingering behind her eyes vanished. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” His eyes flicked to the door on her left. “Now, bath, or bed?”

She tightened the corners of her lips, ready to argue but the stern expression on his face made her think better of it. Drawing in a deep breath, she sighed. “Bed.”

“Good choice.” He put the tray and dirty dishes in the hallway before returning to the desk and scooping her up from the chair, fancy dress and all.

“Hey!”

He chuckled as she threw her arms around his neck.

By the mages, his laugh. It sent a flurry of warmth careening through her blood, leaving her feeling like she was wrapped in a fluffy fur blanket that blocked out the rest of the world. It was too bad he did it so rarely.

The scent of sun-baked pine needles flooded her senses. She inhaled and pulled him close.

As they approached the bed, he set her on her feet. Turning her until her back faced him, his deft fingers worked their way up her spine as they released each of the intricate buttons with a snap, exposing the laces for her corset.

A heartbeat later, the constricting garment fell away and she took what felt like her first full breath since her new lady-in-waiting, Brielle, had cinched her into the thing this morning.

Her ribs ached, but it would pass. “I really need to do something about court fashion,” she muttered as the brocade and velvet cloth pooled at her feet. Stepping out from the puddle of fabric, she kicked her shoes off. The linen shift stuck to her skin, so she pulled it away, fluffing the material so it left at least a little to the imagination as she turned to face him.

Wrapping her arms around his waist, she tucked her head against his chest, enjoying the sensation of being held.

His heart beat steadily in her ear as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. Burying his face in her hair, he asked, “Do you think you’ll be able to sleep?”