Page 66 of Fit for a King

I carried those stolen hours together with me throughout the day, thinking of the peaceful way he looked while he slept, all the tension gone from his face. How he whispered my name and held me like he’d never let go.

It was too much to hope for that no one besides his stone-faced security detail would notice.

As the second week of the tour began, I began to notice small things—like the looks I’d get from Gilbert, his private secretary, when he exited Nicholas’s car after the first leg of a trip only to see me waiting next to Baxter after being summoned. Then at one of the lavish homes we’d stayed at, two maids whispered in a corner but stopped completely when I passed before starting up again.

I told myself I was imagining it, that those looks didn’t add up to anything, but I wasn’t stupid. There were only so many times a footman could be invited into a king’s private car before people started wondering why. Especially when there were others much higher on the list that should be with him. His equerry, any one of the aides, Gilbert, and probably twenty other people whose job it was to take care of Nicholas’s needs.

Instead, he called for me.

I kept waiting for Baxter to pull me aside and remind me of my position. But so far, the older man had kept silent, a choice I knew had little to do with me, but everything to do with the king’s wants—and right now, he wanted me.

I wasn’t going to complain about that. Even if I knew it couldn’t last.

“Have you ever been to Valoria’s military base?” Nicholas asked with genuine curiosity as he sat across from me staring out the window.

We would be coming up to the main entrance of the kingdom’s first line of defense any minute now, and I had to admit I was excited to see it. I knew there was a museum just off to the side of the base where the public could go inside and learn all about the first soldiers of Valoria—some probably directly related to Nicholas—but my family had never had the money to leave our village and visit.

“No. I’ve never had the opportunity.”

Nicholas turned to look at me. “Then today is just that.”

“What’s that?”

“The opportunity.”

He said it with such conviction that I hated to deny him. But there was no way I was about to leave this car today. This stop was to be quick, but would be broadcast across every news channel available. The king’s first visit to the military base to meet with his troops. He was to present medals and greet service members. I was going to stay out of the way.

“I don’t think so. I have some work to catch up on, and⁠—”

“Are you defying me, Mr. Bennett?”

I could tell by his tone he was only half jesting, but when my lips pulled into a serious line and I responded, “Yes, sir. I am,” his smile fell.

“Why?”

If the matter weren’t such a serious one, I might’ve teased him for his almost childlike response. But this was serious, and I needed him to understand why I must stay behind for this visit.

“There are too many eyes on me. The rest of the staff are wondering why I’m in this car, they’re no doubt talking about it behind closed doors⁠—”

“I’ll order them not to.”

My lips twitched, because I could see him doing just that. “It’s not that simple. And visits to the local market and university are completely different to today’s stop. I don’t belong there.” Nicholas opened his mouth, and I held up a hand. “At least not by your side. Valoria needs to see you greeting your servicemen and women with strength and pride. They need to see the king, the man I see every time I look at you, and today I need to fall back and let them have you.”

Nicholas’s eyes narrowed, but he nodded and reached for my hand. “Thank you.”

“There’s nothing to thank me for.”

His eyes filled with deep emotion as they searched my face, and my breath got caught in the back of my throat.

“You don’t see it, do you?”

I shook my head.

“Your love of Valoria.” He brought my hand up to cradle his cheek. “You see the people and land in a way that has completely opened my eyes. For so long I looked at this role, this title, as a burden. But this past week with you, I’ve seen Valoria in a whole new light. You make me want to be a better person, a better king for them.”

My eyes welled as I stared at his earnest expression, but just as I was about to reply, the car drew to a stop, and we both looked out the window to see his security checking the surroundings.

“I don’t want the staff talking about you,” he said as he turned back to face me.