CHAPTER NINE
Lorne marched in a circuit around the sitting room, the most exercise his ribs and his men would allow.
On the couch, Arne and Godwin were cleaning their daggers and swords, now that their weapons had been returned to them. The others were lounging near the door in deceptively languid positions that belied the fact that they could jump to protect him in a heartbeat if an attack made it past the cordon of Kelvernese guards in the corridor.
Orvyn interlaced his hands behind his head, leaning farther back in the chair where he sat behind the door. “So, Highness, how is wooing your queen going?”
“You shouldn’t call meHighness.” Lorne shot him a glare, hoping the look hid any other emotion that might have strayed across his face.
“Why not? You’re a prince consort now. It’s yourcorrect title.” Orvyn smirked, ignoring both Lorne’s glare and the looks the other guards were sending him.
“A little too correct.” Godwin inspected the edge on one of his daggers, deep grooves etched around his mouth.
“It would be more suspicious if we didn’t upgrade his title.” Orvyn shrugged. “But you didn’t answer my question.”
“Thatis none of your business.” Lorne gritted his teeth, annoyed that the words came out with a growl.
“Ooh. Touchy, touchy.” Orvyn smirked wider and wiggled, as if lounging deeper in the chair. “I must be on the right track.”
Lorne pressed his mouth shut rather than answering. His march around the room turned into more of a stalk as he pounded his annoyance into the plush rugs.
Emil coughed, adjusting his stance where he leaned against the wall beside the door, his arms crossed. “Begging your pardon, but it is our business. Thanks to certainthings, peace between Kelverny and Lalsacia is now linked to the harmony between you and your wife. Especially long-term relations between the kingdoms.”
Lorne tried not to let his steps falter. Because of his decision to marry Adeline and the fact that they were both the sole heirs of their kingdoms, he’d irrevocably linked Kelverny and Lalsacia. Any disharmony between him and Adeline would be disastrous for both kingdoms.
But he didn’t really want to talk about wooing hiswife. In the past week, he’d spent a portion of each day assisting where he could with the various reports and requests that crossed her desk. And he slept beside her every night, becoming increasingly familiar with the soft sounds of her breathing.
He knew such intimate details about her, and yet he knew her so little. She was closed and guarded after years under her grandfather’s thumb.
Not that he blamed her. He hadn’t been exactly forthcoming with details about himself either, too fearful of slipping up and giving away that he was actually the crown prince of Lalsacia.
That was a truth he wanted to tell her eventually, but the situation in Kelverny was still too precarious for him to burden her with that knowledge just yet.
With a sigh, Lorne spun to face Orvyn. “What are you suggesting?”
“Romantic meal…walk under the stars…” Orvyn ticked off the items on his fingers.
“A meal that could be poisoned. A walk that would make both of us vulnerable.” Lorne crossed his arms, then had to adjust the gesture when it pressed on his ribs.
“We’d have to work with the queen’s clerk and maid to ensure everything was safe.” Orvyn flapped a hand, as if brushing off any concerns. “It’s what we’ve been doing for all of your regular meals.”
Lorne dropped his hands back to his sides, relieving the pressure on his ribs. He wasn’t sure why he was protesting so much. It wasn’t like he wasopposed to a romantic dinner and moonlit walk with Adeline. “All right. If you’re offering to be my errand boy to arrange it, let’s get started.”
Adeline rubbed at her eyes,the numbers swimming before her. Her head pounded after spending most of the day meeting with the council.
Meetingwas far too tame a word for it. Getting yelled at by most of the council was more like it. While the number of lords satisfied with her decisions was growing, and she might even dare to count a few of them as now loyal to her, those who would happily see her fail, if not dethrone her entirely, were still the loud majority.
None of them had, so far, made their move. But they had to be planning something. She could see it in Lord Sarlon’s gaze.
A knock sounded on her door a moment before Thaddeus entered. “Your Majesty, it’s time for supper.”
“Have a tray delivered. I really should finish this.” She gestured to the piles of paperwork that never seemed to diminish.
“The paperwork will wait until tomorrow.” Thaddeus shook his head and opened the door wider. “Supper awaits in your room.”
Considering she could no longer focus on the dancing numbers, she might as well set this aside until tomorrow.
Rising, she rounded the desk, pulling out her key. She locked the door after herself, then swept down the corridor within the protective cordon of her guards and Thaddeus trailing after her.
