His focus was unwavering, but so was his tendency to neglect basic needs when deep in work.
Reiya made her way to his study. Just outside the door, her gazedrifted to the sideboard, where a tray of spiced tea sat untouched beside honey cakes gone stale.
That wouldn’t do.
She went to the kitchen, instructing the staff to prepare a heartier offering: an assortment of savoury and sweet pastries, ripe figs and dates, cold roasted lamb, soft cheese, and warm flatbreads. She had them steep fresh tea, too, and a carafe of cool lemon-infused water for balance.
She delivered the tray herself. If Kaelen insisted on working himself to exhaustion, the least she could do was ensure he did so with nourishments.
He stood the moment she appeared at the doorway.
“Reiya, what a delightful surprise.” His golden eyes warmed as he strode forward, easing the tray from her hands.
“I hope I’m not interrupting,” she said, smiling up at him. “I only wanted to make sure you’re properly fed and watered.”
Kaelen chuckled, setting the tray on the low table near his desk. “Nonsense. You could never be a disturbance.”
“Only a welcome distraction?”
A playful glint appeared in his eyes. “A most welcome distraction.” He took her hand and brought it to his lips. “One I hope you’ll indulge me with as often as you wish.”
He returned to the parchment as she poured tea and arranged their meal. The warm early evening light streamed through the windows, casting a golden glow over the polished table. She handed him a cup and a plate before settling opposite him.
“How’s the proposal coming along?” she asked, lifting her cup.
Raking a hand through his hair, he sighed. “It’s moving slower than I’d like. Convincing merchants to part with their coin, even for their own benefit, is about as easy as convincing a cat to swim.”
“They don’t want to pay at all,” she guessed, popping a slice of fig into her mouth.
“Not if they can wriggle out of it. They grumble about fairness, swear their margins are stretched thin—even though half of them could pave their courtyards with gold. But they know the truth. If the villages collapse, so does their silk trade.”
“You offered them a place at the table to oversee the project. How did they respond?”
He smirked, though no humour touched his eyes. “Some relish the thought of shaping Asadia’s fate. Others? They’d rather bleed the coffers dry today and let tomorrow fend for itself.”
“Short-sighted,” she murmured, “but not unexpected. Have you considered offering them something in return? A way to make them feel like they’re gaining, not just giving?”
Kaelen arched a brow. “And what would you propose?”
Reiya set down her cup with a quiet click. “Royal favour for all who contribute—small or great. But a tiered system would serve you better: the larger the gift, the greater the reward. Exclusive rights to coveted wares once the aqueduct is complete, for example. And for the highest patrons, first claim to the prime trade routes.”
His expression sharpened—thoughtful, appraising. Slowly, a grin curved his mouth. “How cunning.”
Reiya tilted her head, a glimmer of challenge in her eyes. “It’s the same strategy, only dressed in finer cloth. But now, they’ll believe the advantage is theirs.”
Kaelen huffed a laugh and reached for a plump grape. “But you make it sound effortless.”
“Itiseffortless. People, even merchants, want to feel special. Set apart. You’re merely giving them what they secretly crave.”
His fingers brushed lightly against hers on the table. “You read the marrow of things, Sáel,” Kaelen murmured. “You should come to the next council meeting and present the proposal yourself.”
Reiya’s lips lifted, surprise melting into tenderness. “Your council would’ve adored that.”
She meant it lightly, but the warmth blooming in her chest ran deeper. So many men she knew—her father’s councillors, the noble lords of Aethonia—had nodded politely at her ideas only to twist or claim them as their own.
But Kaelen hadn’t done that. He hadn’t tried to take credit or quiet her voice because he felt threatened. He wanted her beside him—not only in his bed, not only in the privacy of whispered moments, but in politics. In power.
Not as an ornament, but as a true partner.
