Lyriel cleared her throat. “Well, two of the Queen’s Guard have come to me about marriage suits. Tall, handsome, both fae. They had an… intense experience together that inspired them to pursue more.”
I blinked. They couldn’t be talking about the men from the other day, could they?
Queen Delsynarea leaned in, eyes sparkling. “Do tell. Who is it?”
“Daerith, the big burly guardsman who is always at the front gate with Thessyn the archer. They said they came together through a sensual meeting of the minds, and now can’t seem to get enough of each other.”
Fuck, had we been matchmaking with my body? I examined the pincushion intently, trying not to think about it or blush harder. There would be absolutely no eye contact with the Queen.
“What do you know, Pip?” the Queen asked. “Have you met them through living in the guard’s quarters?”
“Something like that,” I squeaked.
“They want matching suits in deep green with gold detailing. Very romantic. They’ve been inseparable since—oh, how did they put it?” Lyriel tipped her head, remembering. “Since a ‘shared sensual experience that brought them together.’”
I was going to burst into flames. A “shared sensual experience” was certainly one way to put it. The Queen was staring at me. Lyriel didn’t seem to notice my discomfort; she kept talking.
“That one knows something,” the Queen said.
“Nope. I know nothing!” I lied.
Everyone in the room stared at me.
“They seem like a cute couple! That’s all. And I may have spent a little time with them.”
The Queen looked at me in the mirror. Her expression was warm, but something made me think she was steering a conversation exactly where she wanted it to go and was simply waiting for everyone else to catch up. “Does the commander know about this time you spent with other men?”
I opened my mouth, closed it, then opened it again. I looked like a fish, probably. An underdressed fish sitting on a velvet bench in the Queen’s fitting room.
“I—we’re—” I started, then realized I had no idea how to finish that sentence. “I mean, I assume Aeldryc knows most of the guards, right?”
The Queen snorted. “No. The Grey Guard is an independent unit. He does not command those men. Please explain why you are blushing.”
I huffed out a breath. “Like, the dirty version, or the… sanitized for the Queen version?”
Lyriel poked me.
“What? I need to know if she’s going to execute me for telling her Aeldryc arranged for those two guards to fuck me, and they fell in love while doing it?”
The entire room went quiet, and I suspected I may have misjudged my audience.
My eyes darted to Lyriel, who was making some kind of weird hand gesture at me. “Oh. There was a third guard there, too. I don’t think he fell in love with anyone.”
“Pip,” Lyriel hissed.
“I don’t know what that gesture means!”
“It means button your lips and don’t say a word! For fuck’s sake!”
The Queen burst out laughing, slapping me hard on the back. “Lyriel, we applaud your efforts to rein in the twink, but we find we enjoy his antics. We shall not have either of you executed today.”
I grimaced. “When is the last time you did execute someone? Asking for a friend.”
“Let’s just say it is a good thing you please Aeldryc so. We must keep the commander of the Grey Guard… occupied. His magic is some of the most powerful in the realm, and it does not do well when unfocused. It is why I’ve been sending him on a hunt for this new twink.”
I cleared my throat. “To be clear, a twink isn’t actually a species—”
She waved me away and turned to Lyriel. “And what do you know of my commander’s romance?” the Queen said, in a tone that was gentle and absolutely not optional. “You are buzzing like a pixie in a jar. Out with it.”
