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“Yes.” Most people would have teased me right back. Not my Beric. It was reassuring to know that the boy I liked—loved—would never lie to me, not even as a joke. Beric enclosed me in his robe properly, wrapping his arms around me. All my teasing melted away as I looked up at him, the most adoring expression I’d ever encountered meeting my gaze. “But that doesn’t matter.”

He leaned down to kiss me, and I went up on my toes to meet him. I never wanted him to stop. How on earth had I lived without him before this? How did I ever let my cousin convince me to push this boy away?

Finally, for the first time in my life, I had everything I’d ever wanted. My own little fairy tale.

And no one, least of all my cousin, could ever take it away.

CHAPTER26BERIC

I awoke fully alert, my body humming with the need to be near Cali. I dressed quickly and rushed to her room. She must have been listening for my footsteps because, before I could knock, the door shot open. She leapt into my arms without hesitation, wrapping her arms around my neck as I brought her back into her room.

“I barely slept at all, I missed you so,” she whispered against my cheek.

“I missed you too.” I grinned. “Why are you whispering?”

Her brows knit as she looked over at the adjoining door. “He’s been up for the past hour. I didn’t want to draw his attention, in case he invited us in.”

I frowned at the door along with her. The past hour? “That’s … early for him.”

“Perhaps he’s gone back to sleep, now. I could hear him pacing before.”

She let me put her down and I went to the doors, opening them quietly so as not to startle the king. I found him sitting on his couch, writing in his journal. Someday I hoped to read two hundred years of history, but today I was more concerned about why he was up.

“Is there something wrong, sire?”

“Oh. Beric.” The king looked at his primary door, as if confused as to why I wasn’t entering from there. “This is fortuitous—we have an idea, but didn’t want to have to do any extra writing. Go inform Kat that we would like to have a picnic in the gardens this afternoon.”

“A picnic?” My mind raced madly for what his reasoning could be. “But you … hate the outdoors.”

“We can make a small sacrifice for the enjoyment of our wives, of course,” he said. “And invite the ones we actually tolerate from court, to make it a grander party. Calliope’s cousin and her betrothed may come as well.”

But it wasn’t of course—I couldn’t remember the last time he had done anything so intimate for them. His good moods were as rare as a sunny day without the threat of rain, and today, it seemed, we had both.

It worried me. Why did it worry me? I told myself it was because I hated unexpected change … and the king treasuring his wives was most certainly unexpected.

But as soon as I went back into Cali’s room she was glowing, bouncing on her toes in excitement. “A picnic in the gardens?” she whisper-screamed. She wrapped her arms around me, then abruptly switched to pushing me toward the door. “Go tell Kat, immediately.”

Kat, as efficient as ever, had everything arranged by noon. And the group of us set off through the maze of hedgerow, the king in his black veil leading the way.

We arrived at the picnic area, a large clearing of manicured grass surrounded by rosebushes and hedgerow, a noisy fountain marking the center. The musicians had arrived before us, their instrumental harmonies catering to a relaxing atmosphere. Cali pulled on my arm, her excitement at seeing it all making me smile.

“I’ve been dreaming of these gardens since I arrived,” Cali said, her expression beauty and awe as she looked around.

“Does it meet your expectations?” I asked, and her smile nearly melted me.

“Beyond exceeds it.” She squeezed my arm. “We must find Kat so I can tell her how much I adore this picnic.”

“She’s not here.” I sighed, trying to bury my annoyance. “She’s working. Things to take care of prior to her birthday celebration.”

If only I had an excuse not to be around the king when he was in one of his worrisome moods. Or not at all. I hadn’t celebrated a birthday in … well, since I’d earned this position. Squires didn’t get days off unless their knights did, and even then, there was enough preparation to take care of for the next workday to fill it.

Cali pouted. “Oh, what a shame.”

“I do resent her a bit,” I said, “for always having an excuse to escape spending any time with the king.”

“I don’t blame her for wanting to finish everything though, so she can relax a bit more for her birthday. It must be stressful to be in charge of it all,” Cali said, leaning closer to me. “I should have liked her to see the two of us together, though. She wanted this from the beginning, you know.”

“Yes, she mentioned that.” Despite my annoyance with Kat not being present, I couldn’t help but grin. Her intuition was spot on, and credit should be given where it is due. I owed her an apology.