Five hours I could have spent in her bed.
Five hours, wasted.
First I had to listen to the guards regaling me with the details of the skirmish. Half a dozen townsfolk had started a miniature riot, shouting seditious things and generally being nuisances. The Town Watch had tried to quell it before things got too far out of hand, but a young wolf ended up shifting and running to the palace to alert my own guard, who had to send a contingent out to handle the matter. One of those guards currently lies in the infirmary with a nasty bite wound from an insurgent.
Next, I had to listen to my new advisors arguing over how best to address it. A loud few wanted me to execute the lot of them to send a message, while others thought it prudent to be more lenient in the first days of my reign. Still others had the audacity to question me about Sable, asking if she should be present as another Suntouched.Thatlittle tidbit of information ignited a whole new barrage of questions, and I spent a full hour fielding those before we got back to the matter at hand.
Once I ordered the fools’ arrest, I had to wait for them to be apprehended and sit through the most boring judicial court I've ever sat. Some idiot had the bright idea to detain any witnesses for an official hearing, so several hours were spent listening to nearly identical accounts of the day’s happenings. Judging from the reactions of the citizens who weren’t involved, the miscreants were in the minority in their opinions. Most of the witnesses dedicated a good amount of their testimony to espousing their loyalty and generally sucking up.
All this had to be done so I could do what I wanted in the first place, which was to imprison the idiots in a dungeon cell until they could sleep off the mead that drove them to their drunken antics.
By the time I get back to Sable’s quarters, my stomach is making its displeasure known. I never finished my breakfast, and lunch is still a solid two hours away.
I slam the door shut and sink back against the wood, too exhausted to bear my full weight on my own. I look up to see my patient partner—Is that what we are?—seated at the small table, waiting for me. To my dismay, she’s dressed for the day, her glorious breasts covered.
Well, that’s disappointing. I'd hoped to pick up where we left off.
“Is everything okay?” Her face bears tiny worry lines, small wrinkles that I wish I could erase. Sadly, if today is any indication, I'll only be adding to those lines as the days go on. “As okay as it can be, considering. I've upended the status quo, so there's bound to be resistance.”
Her frow deepens, and she moves to stand. “ Is there anything I can do to help?”
I pause as I consider my options. “I don’t suppose you can reinstate the Elders without actually giving them any power? Just, you know, convince the populace that things are still the same? Maybe then they’ll calm down.”
A tiny smile tugs at her lips. “Unfortunately not. I'm afraid you have to live with what you’ve done.”
“Damn.” I push away from the door and cross the room. Taking Sable’s hands in mine, I guide her to sit back down. “Sable, I fear I’ve gone and done something stupid. I got so caught up in the Elders’ meddling in my life that I didn’t consider how my actions might affect you.”
“What do you mean?”
I heave a sigh. “Word of your gifts has started to spread, and I’m afraid my counselors are demanding to meet you. Some think you should join me in the royal court, some think you’re a fake who should be exiled for having the audacity to imitate a Suntouched Soul, and some just want you dead.”
Her eyes widen, and I inhale the acrid scent of fear. I squeeze her hands and try to reassure her. “I won’t let anyone hurt you. I just want you to be informed about what you might encounter in court. If you don’t want to go yet, if you'd rather hide away in here for a while until you’re adjusted to things at the palace, that's fine. I'll stall them for as long as it takes for you to feel comfortable here.”
The pause that comes after is far too long. I wonder if I haven’t scared her off, if she doesn’t think she’d be better off being left to the panthers. She sighs, and a small muscle in her jaw twitches.
“I might need a couple of days, yeah. I mean, I’m accustomed to a simple life. Bread and water, some game meat, and my daily supplications to the Flame God. This all is … quite a lot. The palace, the food, the people. I’m not used to any of this.” She looks me in the eye. My heart skips a beat with the intensity of her gaze. “I’m not used to having someone who gives a shit what I want. This concern is strange to me. I keep expecting you to come to your senses at any second and kick me out on the street.”
I sit back in shock. “Never!”
Sable chuckles, and it’s her turn to pat my hand in reassurance. “I know that. Well, a part of me knows it. Enough that I’m not going to leave. I’m not going to run screaming for the hills. But I think I will take you up on your offer to hide me away, at least for a little bit.”
“Is there anything I can do to make your time here pass better?”
She blushes. “It’s too much to ask.”
“What is it?”
“Stay.”
Crap. That’s about the only thing Ican’tdo right now. I already hear Sym’s footsteps on the other side of the door. I’m needed again.
As if on cue, there’s a rapid knock.
“I wish I could, but I’m afraid you’re right: it’s too much to ask of me. Especially right now.” I stand, steeling myself for the next crisis.
“I know. And that’s okay. I’m patient.”
Relief washes over me. She’s not going to leave. I don’t know why that’s so important right now, when the rest of my world is careening towards anarchy, but I’m glad she’s staying. “I’m stationing guards—people I trust—outside your door. If you need anything, anything at all, just open the door and let them know. They’ve been instructed to get you whatever you might want.”
