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“What he did to you.” She jerked her head at the king.
I offered her a blank expression. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“You’re good at pretending, Nathanael,” she said affably. “But the pain in your posture can’t be hidden.”
I set my jaw. “It’s not what you think-”
“It’s exactly what she thinks,” Ren drawled, cocking his head. “What I’m trying to work out is which side of the whip she usually falls on. Reckon she takes it or gives it?”
By the Blessed, this was my fuckingsisterhe was talking about.
“Youwhippedmy little brother?” Mila demanded, slapping at his arm.
I choked and felt warmth flooding my cheeks. “No!”
“Of course not,” agreed Ren, and I dared to hope he was showing discretion until I realised how futile such optimism was. “It was a crop and a cane.”
“Ren!” I chastised, horrified. I buried my face in my hands, unable to look at my sister and wondering if a gruesome death would be preferable to having to face her ever again.
“The day before his fucking wedding?” said Mila from somewhere close, fury lacing her tone.
“Oh, is that what’s happening?” Ren asked mildly. “I wondered why my palace was infested with you northerners.”
“Nat?” my sister asked, more gently now.
“I’d like to never speak of this again, please,” I wailed.
“Just tell me if you’re alright.”
I dropped my hands and scowled at her. “Of course I am. Now, if you’ll both excuse me from this ridiculous conversation, I have six hundred and seventeen place settings to check over.”
My lover pulled a face, fluttering a hand as if to shoo the mention of hard work away from him. “That soundshorrendous,darling.I’d help but it sounds like I’d only be getting in the way.”
“That’s okay,” I said graciously. “I’m sure you’ll be fine here alone with Mila and her knives.”
“On second thoughts,” Ren chirped, “there’s nothing I’d rather do than inspect six hundred place settings.”
“Six hundred and seventeen,” I said.
*
Chapter Fifty-Eight
“Finally,” I murmured as Mathias slipped into bed behind me, pulling the covers up over us both and gathering me into his arms with an ease of movement he hadn’t had when I’d last seen him. “I thought you werenevercoming to bed.”
“There was a problem with the flowers,” he said sleepily, the words trailing off into a yawn. “And the rice. And then ten more things I had to do.”
“Like stealing away all my pretty stripes?”
I pulled his arm more securely around me and tenderly kissed each of his fingers.
I loved how he tasted. How he smelled. How hefelt,and fuck me, I was so in love with this man that sometimes it felt like I’d explode from it. How was I, a mere mortal, supposed to deal with something so huge and infinite as what I felt for him?
Mat pressed his face into my hair. I could feel him smiling against the back of my head. “Mmm.”
“That healer chose your side as per fucking usual,” I pretended to complain, and he laughed.
“I know you’re the one who sent Starling in my direction a couple of hours ago, darling. Don’t act so affronted when she did exactly what you expected her to do.”
