Page 57 of Autumn Queens & Shadows

Wiping my sweaty palm to the side of my cloak, I gave him my hand and he laced our fingers together, my cold skin meeting his warm one. This was officially the most awkward thing we had done. I don't ever remember holding his hand like this before.

“Don’t make this awkward.”

I coughed, almost choking on air. “I’m not.”

“Then stop walking like I am holding a ransom over your head.”

He pulled me inside a tea shop, sitting me at a small table by the far corner, beside a large window overlooking the street outside while he went to pick up tea and a plate of biscuits for us. The owner and even the customers had all gone silent, watching us. Mostly him when he returned to the table to sit across from me.

“I’ve never been inside one in Isjord,” I said, undoing the cloak tie at my neck, not noticing him intently watching me until I had it folded on my lap. “What?”

“Do you ever wonder what it would have been like if you were not the Ybris, daughter of a king?”

His unusual question took me aback. “It might sound strange, but I don’t think I ever have. Have you?”

“Have I ever thought what it would be like if I wasn’t a spoiled princess?” He picked up a biscuit. “Never crossed my mind.”

“Just when I thought you might have the ability to have a proper conversation,” I muttered, taking the biscuit from his hand and shoving all of it in my mouth.

“I have thought about it,” he said, biting down on a smile as he carefully reached across the table to swipe his thumb over the corner of my mouth. “All the time. Could have been a baker.”

I coughed, patting my chest as I attempted to laugh around the large mouthful of cookie I was chewing. The images of him in a tiny apron and tiny hat almost had tears streaming down my eyes.

“That funny, huh?” he asked, stirring one cube of sugar in my tea and pushing it in front of me.

“You’re ridiculous.”

“Crushing my hopes and dreams is a very mean thing to do.”

“You’ll survive.”

“Barely,” he muttered, eating some of the biscuits.

Uneasiness fell over my bones. “Enough people have seen us,” I said, pulling my cloak over my shoulders. “We can go back now.” This was reminding me much of our time together ten years ago, and it was almost making me miss it, too.

“Spending five minutes with me is unbearable for you?”

“Yes. I don’t wish to relive ten years ago. Not when I’ve already put that behind me.”

When we returned, he followed me inside the room and dropped on the armchair in the far corner. It was pointless to argue with him. He’d end up doing whatever he felt like doing and I wouldn’t have much of a choice but to accept it. “Sleep,” he said. “Tomorrow will be a long day.”

Shedding my cloak, I turned to him. “You don’t have to watch me tuck myself into bed.”

“No, but I want to.”

My feet were glued on the spot. “Where will you sleep?” There was only that armchair and the bed in the room. And he was most certainly not going anywhere near my bed.

“I won’t.”

“You said tomorrow will be a long day.”

“It will be. For you, my queen.”

I pulled my dress off and lifted my eyes to his. “Undo my corset.”

A smile rose on his face as he got up and reached me. “I like them,” he said, expertly undoing the laces. “I like taking them off you even more.”

How did he still have this power over me? Even after everything? “Must have had a lot of practice since you do it so easily.”