Page 138 of The Crown’s Temptation

"Now bring me my babies," I said firmly.

Colsar stood and pulled on his pants. "I will be right back."

CHAPTER 30

Hope and Sleep

Iheld them for hours.

I could not stop staring. Somehow over a period of weeks they had already gotten older. They were asleep when Colsar handed them to me but the moment they were in my arms both of them had opened their eyes and both, almost simultaneously, had broken into smiles.

Every bit of pain. Every tear. Every bit of sadness. All of it was worth it if it ended in this.

"They remember me," I said.

Colsar looked at me. "How could they forget you?"

Ari began nuzzling my breast. "Perhaps they only wish to use me for my milk," I said with a pout.

"Speaking of which," Colsar said. "Saurin and Cambra said it was time to start feeding them. Real food. I said no because—" He stopped himself.

"Because why?"

"Because that day in the countryside we said we wanted to eat together. Then in Shalvar you always ate alone because I was a fool and then we started to eat together but the babies were not old enough to join." He paused. "Now they are going to be old enough to eat and I did not want you to miss it."

My eyes welled with tears. "You remembered that is what I wanted?"

"How could I forget when I want the same. I just do not say it as eloquently nor do I know what to feed them," he said.

I laughed. "Well you gave the right answer. No, they may not feed them solid foods. It is bad enough Saurin stole my nursery rhyme."

"If that is the case then most of the Thronelands has stolen it too, Asha Bear."

"That is not the point."

I sighed. "I am so grateful to both of them for keeping our babies safe." I looked down at my children. "But I will feed my babies their first meal and watch Fiorakis refuse it and Ari be disinterested. I have already missed the crawling. I will feed them myself for the first time. After that they can feed away."

Colsar stared at me. "How do you know Fiorakis will refuse?"

I rolled my eyes. "Unless it is perhaps garnished with blood she will be difficult about it. You of all people should know that, as her enabler."

He bit back a smile, then looked at me. I had on one of his shirts and my hair cascaded down to my waist. Each baby nuzzled the side of me. Colsar stared at us in a way that made my chest ache.

"Asha Bear."

"Mm?" My eyelids were growing heavy.

"What is our plan?"

"I get stronger. You find out why Edrin wanted me dead or whoever convinced Edrin that I should be. And you must pretend I am dead to everyone, Colsar. Everyone. Except the children, obviously."

His eyes shifted. "Even Uralish? Syle?"

Something in me softened. Colsar did not take to people easily and it made me glad that he had somehow taken to those two, that he trusted them.

"Even them."

He nodded.