“Obviously.” Was she looking for reassurance in her abilities? “I don’t think there’s a mage around who would disagree.”
Her eyes flashed and she spoke through gritted teeth. It was cute when she put in the effort to hold her temper—while she still failed more often than not, he appreciated the effort. It meant quite a lot to him and boded well for their marriage.
“Then why didn’t you assign me to it?”
She’d lost him.
“Why on earth would I?”
“Because I’ve been a commander for over two years now and I still haven’t been given a single official assignment except for patrols around Areator, and oh, wait, you took me off those too this week.” She punctuated her sentence with a sharp laugh.
Did she not know how long that rotation was?
“Aimilia, it’s asix-monthpost.” When she didn’t react, he huffed. “After everything I did to ensure Gavril and Marcella returned to Areator following my father’s condition, why would I send you away for six months?”
Aimilia deflated slightly. Finally. Her hostile expression shifted. “Oh. I suppose that makes sense.”
Obviously he wasn’t about to send her away for half a year when he was going to marry her. Where had she gotten the idea it would go to her in the first place?
“Did anyone imply you were going to be sent to that post?”
Her cheeks flushed as she shifted back. “No.”
“Good. I would never waste your time like that.”
He was slightly perturbed she even considered for a moment that he would lead her on for months only to abruptly change his mind and send her away for a half a year.
“You wouldn’t waste my time? Oh please. What is all of this about then?” Aimilia let out another laugh and put her hands on her hips. “How long are you going to make me sit around and wait?”
Ah. Now he saw what this was about.
Nikias crossed the distance remaining between them, but instead of his presence lowering her walls, she just narrowed her eyes at him. He paused, one hand resting on the wood still. “I promise, you don’t have to wait much longer.”
Just a few more hours.
Aimilia dropped her hands to her sides, looking up at him with that frantic look returning. “How much longer?”
Nikias clenched his hand shut at his side, fighting the urge to brush his palm over her arm. Part of him lamented how busy he had been the last few months he hadn’t been able to seek her out the way he always wanted to, but another part of him was grateful since every time he saw her he had to fight every instincthe had to pull her into his arms and treat her like she was already his wife.
“Do you trust me?”
Her voice hitched, her next words coming out in a rush. “Why did you take me off the patrol schedule?”
Could she not at least let him have this surprise? The whole court had figured it out and been spreading the fact that he would be proposing for months; did she have to insist on knowing exactly when he would? Could she not let him surprise her at least a little?
Everyone knew how it was going to end.
“I have plenty of commanders at my disposal. I assure you that your absence will not be a hinderance. We might as well start now.”
Aimilia’s eyes widened and she stepped back from him and the desk. Now she’d finally put it together. Hopefully she was happy dragging it out of him and ruining the surprise. But there were worse things in the world.
She gave him a shaky smile and he took her breathlessness for the clear anticipation it was. “Right. Of course. Well, it is your mother’s birthday. I’m sure you have a lot to do. It’ll be quite a spectacle tonight.”
She was practically sprinting for the door. He couldn’t stop himself. He caught her by the arm, fingers wrapping around her wrist. Her pulse was racing madly against his fingertips and soon he would show her how his raced the same way when she was with him.
She gasped, and nearly stumbled into the door. He quickly righted her, coming close and staring down at her, wrist in his grip. “Aimilia, I?—”
She pulled her hand out of his grip, grabbing the door instead.
