I didn’t look away.
Not until a different hand pulled at my fingers, and a different voice asked, “Are you ready, Clarissa?”
I blinked and turned to face Galen. “Of course.”
He led me up the steps and to our seats, and within minutes, people gathered among the rows of flowers after being searched by guards. Their curious faces wiped the image of Thorne and his daughter from my mind. Several of the guards positioned themselves at our backs and along the outside of the clearing as a line formed. The first ones to step forward were a mother and daughter who introduced themselves as Ronnie and Meredith.
“It’s so wonderful for you to come visit, Your Majesty,” the mother, Ronnie, said. “We’ve been looking forward to this day for quite a while.”
“I’m so glad to hear it,” Galen responded. “What’s that you have here?” He gestured to the large basket hanging from her arm. The lid jostled as if something were moving beneath it.
“Oh! Yes,” she cried. She set the basket down and carefully removed the lid, and the gasp that left my lips was nothing short of embarrassing.
“Our shepherding dog gave birth recently, and we wanted to bring you a gift for your fields,” Ronnie explained. “She’s the largest and strongest of the litter. She comes from good stock.” Shelifted the wiggling puppy from the basket with a look of pride. When the guards gave her permission to approach, she climbed up the steps and held the precious creature out to us.
Big black eyes inlaid in brown fur stared back at Galen and me, tan paws swiping playfully at her own nose. A strap of leather circled her throat, with a thin rope tied to it that trailed on the ground.
My chest swelled. I’d always wanted a dog.
I instinctively reached to take her from the woman, cradling the ball of fur to my chest. “Galen, this is the most adorable thing I’ve ever—” I glanced up and cut myself off when I saw the wistful, aching smile on his features as he looked back at me.
Turning to Ronnie and her daughter, he said, “You are far too kind. Thank you for this gift. We’ll give her a good home.”
They left the basket with us and retreated down the steps. Galen and I took our seats again, my new friend already thoroughly licking every inch of skin at my neck and cheeks.
“I had a dog once,” he said, voice soft as he watched the little pup squirm in my arms. “He was a good dog. A hunting dog. He died when I was young. I wanted another one, but when I—when I inherited the curse…” He trailed off and looked away. “You may keep her, if you wish. She’s already taken a liking to you. And I can’t… It’s too dangerous. For her and me.”
A lump formed in my throat, and I swallowed hard to force it down. I hadn’t even thought about that. About how he couldn’t so much as pet this sweet animal without his gloves. How he hadn’t felt the true warmth of a touch, whether it be skin or fur, since ascending the throne and bearing this curse.
“You’ll be able to again soon, Galen,” I said firmly. “I promise.”
His sad gaze lingered on me. “I know.”
The next few interactions passed uneventfully. People gifted us baskets and baskets of fresh produce, bread, and other trinkets. A little boy ran up to hand me a small bouquet of sunflowers and weeds, which Mia—what I’d chosen to call the pup—promptly tried to make her lunch. I tied her rope to the leg of my chair so shecould roam a few feet into the clearing without getting lost, and she was having a grand time lunging at butterflies and pouncing at flowers.
She was precious. I loved her. She made my dormant fox half ache with joy as I snuck glimpses of her frolicking in her little patch of grass.
“Can I pet her?” a sweet voice asked, drawing my attention back to the line of people. I sucked in a quiet breath when I came face-to-face with Thorne and his daughter. Galen was talking to another family, but these two had snuck out of place to say hello.
From this close, I could see how much she resembled him. While his eyes were light blue like a calm sea and hers were deep brown, they both crinkled at the corner when they smiled. She had his tan skin, the same straight nose and long, dark hair with hints of bronze.
“Why, sure you can,” I said with a smile, bending low to scoop Mia into my arms. She licked my neck as her tail beat against my chest.
“New friend, Empress?” Thorne asked with a smirk, his hand on his daughter’s back.
“Bestfriend. Aren’t you, Mia?” I cooed, nuzzling into her soft fur before coaxing the little girl closer. “Here, she’s very friendly.”
“Go on, Marigold,” Thorne said. She looked up at him with a grin, an adorable dimple appearing on her cheek. Reaching out a hand, she scratched behind Mia’s ears, giggling when she instantly jumped free from my grip and crouched at Marigold’s feet. Her tail brushed excitedly across the stone of the dais.
“Marigold. That’s a beautiful name,” I commented.
Thorne only had eyes for his daughter as she snuggled her face into Mia’s neck. “There was a bouquet of yellow marigolds on the bed next to my wife when she gave birth. She labored for twenty-seven hours, and at one point she grabbed the vase and threw it across the room.” He chuckled and scratched his beard. “When her contraction passed, she looked at the broken glass and flower petals and said, ‘Marigold would be a good name for a girl.’”
“She sounds spirited,” I said with a laugh.
“She was.” His lip twitched upward as he gazed at Marigold and Mia, who were both now rolling in the grass to the side of the dais. “And I fear I have my hands full with this one.”
“Well, with parents like you and Iris, what can you expect?” Galen said, finishing his conversation with the family and clapping his friend on the back. “You should haveseenThorne back in the day. ‘Wild’ was his middle name until Iris made an honest man out of him.”
