Page 31 of Scars and Crowns

"And what about you, my lady?" he asks, his voice warm as he crouches fully in front of her. "Which flower is your favourite?"

Sara presses one finger dramatically against her chin. She considers the question with complete seriousness. I have to bite back a smile. After nearly half a minute of intense thought, she finally announces her decision. "I want all the flowers."

The answer is so perfectly . . . Sara . . . that I almost laugh. Yuvaan doesn't. Not because he isn't amused. Because he answers her as though she's made the most reasonable request in the world. "Then that's exactly what you'll have." He gently taps the top of her head. "All the flowers in the world for you, little princess."

Sara gasps. A delighted, breathless little sound escapes her before she hugs the daisy against her chest. The smile on her face is so bright it almost hurts to look at. She gazes up at him with complete trust. As though he has just promised her something magical. And standing a few feet away . . . Watching the two people I love most in this world smile at each other so effortlessly . . . I feel my heart do something I hadn't allowed it to do in a very long time.

Hope. Quiet. Fragile. Terrifying hope.

We sit down to eat, and within minutes it becomes very clear who's actually running this lunch.

Sara scoots her chair a little closer to Yuvaan, her elbows planted on the table as she studies him with complete seriousness. "So . . . " she says, narrowing her eyes. "Are you really a king?"

He nods once. "I am."

She gasps dramatically, "Like . . . a real one?"

"I think so."

She looks at me for confirmation. "Mumma?"

I bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from smiling. "He is."

Her mouth falls open. "So . . . " She turns back to him immediately. "Do you wear a crown every day?"

He shakes his head. "Only on very special occasions."

She looks genuinely disappointed. "I thought kings wake up, brush their teeth and then wear a crown."

A laugh escapes me before I can stop it. Yuvaan smiles, resting his chin on his hand. "That would be very uncomfortable."

Sara considers that carefully. " . . . Can I wear it once?"

“Of course, you can.”

Sara squeals with joy and I sneak a glance at Yuvaan only to find him smiling widely. Gosh, I have missed that smile. There’s only a beat of silence before Sara manages to ask another question, "Do kings have to eat vegetables?"

He glances down at the bowl of vegetables sitting between us before looking back at her. "They do."

She gasps in horror. "Even if they don't like them?"

"They still have to."

She leans closer and whispers loudly enough for both of us to hear, "I think that's unfair."

"So do I."

She nods solemnly. "I'm glad you understand."

I shake my head, trying not to laugh. "So . . . " Sara says, pointing her spoon at him. "Do you like cake or laddoos more?"

He hums thoughtfully. "Cake."

She slams her tiny palm against the table. "I knew it!"

"You did?"

"Mumma likes cake too."