Page 61 of Fit for a King

“Happier,” one of them suggested. “I think this might be the first time I’ve ever seen him smile.”

“Yes, that’s it,” her friend agreed. “He’s always been such a serious young man, but today he seems…different.”

“More engaged,” the first said. “I can’t remember his father conversing with the local farmers.”

“True. But it’s nice to see this side of Prin—King Nicholas. Maybe he’ll be good for the kingdom after all.”

“It definitely won’t hurt his image, that’s for sure. He’s so handsome when he smiles.”

The women giggled, and when I glanced in their direction they stopped and lowered their eyes, turning back to their stalls.

They had nothing to worry about, though. I knew exactly how they felt. Seeing the softer, more approachable side to Nicholas had been my undoing as well. Maybe because he did seem so untouchable. When he aimed those intelligent eyes your way and spoke to you as though you mattered, you couldn’t help but feel a little weak in the knees.

It wasn’t often that someone of such nobility took the time to get to know everyday people. But Nicholas had a way about him that seemed to invite one to open up. He just needed to harness that, and continue to connect the way he was today, and his people would love him for all his reign.

I was lost in thought when Nicholas’s equerry, Graham, stopped beside me and held out a small cardboard vessel with some food inside.

“The king thought you might be hungry. He enjoyed this, and thought you might too. It’s a spinach and ricotta tutres. A traditional Landis dish.”

I reached for the plate and took in the delicious scent of the fried pastry. “Thank you.”

Graham gave a small nod, and if he thought it odd he was hand-delivering the king’s footman a snack, he didn’t say anything—he just turned on his heel and made his way back to the king’s side.

I lifted the small, stuffed pastry and took a bite. When the filling hit my taste buds, I let out a soft moan. Nicholas had been right, I was hungry, and this centuries-old cuisine hit the spot. It also made me realize how lucky I was to live in a place that celebrated so many different and ancient cultures. Nicholas had given me a little taste of that here, showing off this one part of his kingdom in the only way he could, and I couldn’t help my smile as I followed him through the rest of the markets, happy he’d invited me to experience this side of Valoria and see it in all its beauty.

20

NICHOLAS

ISTOOD UNDER the spray of the shower for far longer than I usually did, letting the scalding water wash the day off me and ease the tension in my shoulders. Part of me was exhausted by the jam-packed schedule and meeting with so many different people, and it was only day one.

But the interactions had also energized me, something I hadn’t expected. There had been so many smiling faces, so many stories they’d shared with me, of my father, my mother, of their own lives, funny little stories and kids who had no filter.

There’d also been one more huge part of the day, one I wasn’t sure I could’ve done without—Noah.

I’d thought Gabriel was crazy to suggest asking him to join me in my car, but it turned out to be exactly what I needed. Noah knew what to say, what to do, to give me the calm and confidence I’d needed today.

I’d never had that, no one to hold my hand or tell me I did a great job or soothe my emotions when it felt overwhelming. No one to give me advice that wasn’t coming at it from a purely professional standpoint.

No one to wander through the markets with me…

I shut off the water and toweled off as I thought about catching glimpses of Noah taking it all in for the first time and wishing I could be there beside him. Holding his hand as we sampled the wares from the vendors, watching him smile as he caught sight of his first street performers. He’d been so curious, even as he tried to remain professional in his role.

I wrapped the towel around my waist and caught a glimpse of myself in the foggy mirror, not looking anything like a king in this moment, my hair wild. I was just a man, just Nicholas, and it made me long for the one person who saw me the same way.

In the back of my mind, I knew better than to do it, but what was the point of being the king if I didn’t take advantage of the perks?

Before I could convince myself it was a bad idea, I knocked on my door to alert my security, and they opened it right away.

“Your Majesty?” Paul asked, scanning me up and down and then looking past me for any sign of disturbance.

“I’m fine, Paul, but I need you to bring Noah Bennett up right away, please.”

Even though it was an unusual request, he nodded and said, “Yes, sir,” without so much as blinking. He took off at once, leaving his partner on guard as I shut the door.

Oh God. I was really going to do this. Everything had been building up to Noah and I finally being alone together, out of tunnels and stolen moments—finally taking the next step, the ones our bodies had been screaming for.

I paced the suite, suddenly aware of everything—the lighting was too bright; there were too many pillows on the bed; the curtains were still open except for the privacy sheers. I double-checked the bedside drawer, where I’d tucked away some lube and condoms, just in case, even though Noah and I were both on PrEP—something he’d mentioned after our interlude off the tunnels, which confirmed to me we were both on the same page about what we wanted to happen next. I pulled the curtains shut, then searched for a dimmer, and was messing with it to get it just right when there was a knock on the door.