Page 33 of Autumn Queens & Shadows

“I see you’re still on the hunt for a king.”

“Why would I hunt for one?”

“Right. They flock to you.” He glanced at the flowers I’d stepped all over. “What if Iskyla kills this one, too?”

“I’ll marry inside this time. Any other wedding advice for me?”

“Don’t wear white.”

“To my wedding?”

“To any wedding. You looked ghastly.”

“You’ve not changed a single bit.”

“Why would I change? I quite like myself. You quite liked myself, too.”

Idiot. Fool. Annoying fool who was right, unfortunately. “What are you doing here?”

“Stalking you,” he plainly said.

Appalled, I gaped at him. “Why?”

“Trade secrets. If every stalker started going around telling their reasons, we wouldn’t be stalkers anymore.”

“You’re not funny.”

“I’m the funniest man you know.”

“If it helps you sleep at night.”

“Oh, it does,” he said, stepping closer.

“What are you doing?” I asked, tilting my head back to look at his towering stare.

“Looking.” After a moment, he said, “Thinking.”

I boredly clapped. “A milestone for you. Doing both of those at once.”

“Gods have truly put you on this earth to humble me, haven’t they?”

“What do you want, Malik?”

He leaned in a little. “Can’t say it.”

“Why?”

“You might hit me.”

“Gods, you’re unbearable.”

“All compliments today. Glad I caught you on a good day.”

“Excuse me,” a foreign deep voice called from behind Malik, and we both turned at the lanky man standing there holding a bouquet of tulips—for me supposedly.

Malik threw his head back and laughed. After he was done laughing at my misery, he patted the man on his shoulder and left still chuckling to himself.

Surprisingly, the meeting Elias rushed to call me to attend apparently only required the presence of my sister, brother-in-law, him and Alaric. None of my court members were present and this seemed like a perfect ambush to get me to spend time away from court business. It would not be the first time they’d try.