Page 45 of Destiny of a King

“You cannot risk placing an heir on the throne who cannot hear the cries of his people… or the warnings of those sworn to protect him.”

Dravic closed his eyes. Whatever happened between them could go no further.

It must not.

He could not allow it.

The weight of the unexpected situation settled heavily on his shoulders as he turned his head and cast a glance at the bed.

Adira still lay with her back to him, wrapped tight in the blankets almost as if she wished to bury herself in them… away from him. Only her hair was visible, the fire’s light turning her auburn hair a brighter red.

Had he frightened her? Had she retreated to the fearful woman she had been when he first laid eyes on her? Did the unexpected kiss hurt the trusting relationship they had established?

The thought unsettled him more than the kiss itself.

He did not want to lose what he had with her. He refused to, and besides, he was king, his word law.

He slowly rose from the chair.

Adira squeezed the blanket tighter around her. Fear crept over her recalling the terror she had seen in Eunice’s eyes after the king had summoned her. And how she had begged on her knees to the king. She had never disobeyed the king, never had given him reason to punish her, until now.

He was the king, but he was also an experienced man with women, having seen the different women leave his bedchamber with smiles the next morning when she had been summoned to return to him. He would know. He would have seen for himself that she had wanted him to kiss her.

What punishment awaited her now?

She could not stop her tears from falling or stop the worry that churned her stomach. And she could not stop thinking what a fool she was for having enjoyed the king’s kiss. And worse, she thought how she would hold the memory of it in her heart and mind forever.

More tears slipped silently down her cheeks, and for once she was grateful that no one could hear her cry.

A hand touched Adira’s shoulder.

She flinched at the gentle touch and turned without thinking.

The glimmer of tears on Adira’s cheeks struck Dravic like a hard blow.

He didn’t think. He simply pulled back the blankets and slipped into bed beside her.

Adira stared at him in stunned confusion.

He drew her into his arms. Then with a gentle touch, he wiped the tears off her cheeks.

He was king. He issued commands not gentle words.

So, he ordered, “You will not cry.”

He felt her stiffen in his arms and realized she had felt the sternness of his command and most likely thought he was reprimanding her.

He wiped at her wet cheeks again and shook his head. “No more tears.”

He did not like, not at all, that he had made her cry and he did not like how much her tears tore at his heart. Women had cried in front of him before this, but their tears had not mattered to him.

Adira’s tears mattered.

The problem was… he did not understand why.

With a hand to his chest, Adira pushed herself to sit up.

Dravic let his arms fall away from her, then he sat up as well.