“I am well aware of our birth rates, Nicholas,” Romilly said. “That is not anything you have to explain to me. And as for the wolves, I will be taking care of this matter myself from here on out.”
The members appeared shocked. They didn’t expect him to say that. Even Nicholas, who had been smug a moment ago, frowned and asked, “May I ask why you are suddenly in favor of this? When we brought it up before, you said it wasn’t time.”
Romilly’s fists tightened on the sides of the chair as the image of his mate, beaten and bleeding, filled his mind. His dragon rose to the surface, painting his eyes gold as his teeth elongated.
Nicholas mistook his anger for being directed at him and raised his hands in surrender. “My apologies, Your Majesty,” he rushed out.
Romilly shook his head to clear away his dragon’s ire. “It is not you. It is another reason. I have found my mate, and he has been attacked by the wolves. Therefore, they cannot stand. If the wolves themselves will not hunt down their feral beasts, we will. It is a risk too great now.”
The Council clapped happily. Well, all except Nicholas. He was never truly happy unless Romilly or one of his family were upset. But the others were overjoyed.
“A mate!” one cried. “Finally! When can we meet them?”
Question after question came out, until Shea stepped in and whistled, drawing attention to her.
“The king will not be answering questions about his mate at this time. The point of him telling you is so you know his motivation, and nothing more. He will present his mate when the time is right, and not a moment before.”
That settled the members of the Council down enough for them to conclude their business, and soon he was left alone withhis advisor in the throne room. Romilly’s head dropped back and he closed his eyes.
Fate,there were some days he truly didn’t like his job. He was responsible, and he would never step down from it. Not unless his mate wanted him to, of course. But he still had moments where he wished one of his siblings had been born first, that Soren had been brought into the world before Romilly, so they might lead the charge and carry the responsibility.
Romilly wasn’t able to time travel, therefore he couldn’t change anything. Instead he focused on what he could control.
“Shea, what other tasks must we do today? Anything that can wait should, and anything that only needs my advisement can be handled from the comfort of my mate’s room while I spend time with him.”
Shea smiled brightly at him. “Of course, Your Majesty. I wouldn’t have it any other way. There are only two other things needing your attention, though both are lengthy. I figure we can do one before lunch and then one after. How does that sound? Then you could spend time eating with your mate, since I unfortunately had to interrupt your breakfast.”
He returned her smile, nodding eagerly. “That is perfect. Thank you, Shea. If we can make my workload lighter this week, that would be even better.”
“You’ve got it,” she said, quickly pulling out her phone and typing away. No doubt adjusting the schedule as he asked. Shea was a lifesaver and honestly more family than employee. She came to the holidays and spent her time with them during birthdays. She was loyal, and Romilly often rewarded her with gifts, vacations, and basically anything she wanted.
The day moved on with Romilly handling the next big task, which included going over financials for the kingdom with the team that handled all of the money. It was tedious, just as Sheahad said. Line by line they discussed everything, navigating what they could cut and what needed to stay.
Romilly fell into a rhythm. Knowing he would see his mate later gave him peace. It made everything seem a tad less exhausting.
When lunch rolled around, he nearly sprinted to the kitchen to get what he needed. The chefs were shocked to see him but happily made a plate once they knew what he needed it for. “Your mother returned the dishes earlier today and said your mate is lovely. I am so excited for you, Your Majesty,” Belinda, the head chef, said, as she put the soup, crackers, and drinks on the tray.
Part of Romilly wanted to request his mate’s things come in different containers. Not for any particular reason other than he believed the little one would appreciate it. They seemed the type to want softer, gentler things. He would have to assess over time if that were true and navigate accordingly.
With the tray in hand, Romilly made his way through the halls and back up to his mate’s bedroom. At the door he knocked once before pushing it open. Archer turned from looking out the window to smile at Romilly. His mother had drawn open the blinds, most likely. The TV played soft music, though he could tell his little one was more fascinated with the scenery outside than with whatever was playing.
“I’ve brought you lunch,” he said, closing the door behind him as he shuffled closer. The scent of his mate filled his nose and his dragon purred. Romilly was seconds away from dropping to his knees, overcome by how much he cared for his little one, when the boy scented the air and groaned.
“That smells delicious,” Archer said, not realizing how much his words would affect Romilly.
Scenting was a huge part of shifter culture. It was how you knew who your mate was and how you knew what they felt. WithArcher being human, he wouldn’t be able to have those powers like the others. He would have to rely on people being honest with him. It put him at a disadvantage, one that Romilly was truly concerned about. Pushing those thoughts away, he eased the tray down on the table beside the bed.
“I’m glad you like it. Belinda, our chef, will be happy to hear that. She was honored to make food for you.”
Archer’s nose scrunched. “Honored? For me? But I’m nobody.”
Romilly chuckled. “Oh, but you are very important, little one.”
Archer’s cheeks brightened at the endearment.
Romilly’s dragon rejoiced, knowing he could have an effect on the young man. Romilly pulled up the first bowl of soup and spooned some up, bringing the bowl and spoon forward. “Eat,” he said.
Archer frowned. “But what about you?”
