Lilly comes back into the living room with a tray. A bowl of soup, bread for two, and drinks.
“I brought some bread in case you wanted something a little heartier.”
“Thank you,” I say as she takes a seat next to me with her bowl of soup. She rests her head on my shoulder and heaves a heavy sigh. “Can we talk about what we’re going to do after this is all said and done?”
“Of course,” I say, glancing back toward the kitchen. “Are Lara and Ottar joining us?”
Lilly shakes her head and sits up so she can eat her soup. “No, I asked them to give us some privacy.” She turns toward me now, sitting cross-legged, her legs right up against mine. “So, dream with me. Tell me what you want to happen.”
I give it some thought while taking sips of my soup. “Get married would be job number one. I don’t want to go another day without knowing that you’re my wife.”
“Agreed. I want you to be my husband.”
“Then after that, some sort of honeymoon where we spend the entire time indoors fucking.”
She chuckles. “That sounds fantastic. Maybe we can head back to the island, but this time . . . bring toys.” She wiggles her eyebrows.
“I thought what we had to work with did the job.”
“Yes, but if we bring toys, you can fuck me while a vibrator is in my ass, and I think that’s something we would both be interested in.”
I chuckle and sigh. “If the people of Torskethorpe only knew their future queen the way that I do.”
“They would erect statues around the country for me.”
“Yeah . . . something would be erect, that’s for sure.”
She smiles and pokes me in the side. “Don’t turn me on with your humor. It’s not fair.”
“Why isn’t it fair?”
“Because clearly we can’t do anything about . . . my horniness,” she whispers. “Not with your head and Lara and Ottar downstairs.”
“Didn’t stop us the first time when Lara and Brimar were downstairs.”
“That was a different time. I was blinded by the need to have your cock in my mouth.”
I shake my head. “Jesus, Lilly.”
“It’s true, but we’re getting off topic here.” She lifts a spoonful of soup to her mouth, sips, and then says, “Okay, honeymoon with toys, check. What about after the honeymoon?”
“After the honeymoon?” I ask, while picking up a piece of bread and dipping it in my soup. The warm liquid’s making me feel better with every mouthful. “I would like to talk to Theo and Katla about moving.”
“Moving?” she asks, surprised. “To where? Like out of the country? Out of the capital? That seems sort of counterproductive, don’t you think?”
“Moving out of Strombly,” I say. “I know Strombly is the main palace, but the monarch also owns Astfangin Castle.”
“Astfangin?” she asks. “What does that mean?”
“It means to be in love,” I answer, causing the most beautiful smile to pass over Lilly’s lips. “It’s a property about two miles west of Strombly. The capital gardens surround it actually. It’s slightly larger than Harrogate, more modern, and is the perfect place to start a marriage. It will offer us privacy, which I could use with you, at least for now, and maybe one day, it could be where we start our family.”
“I love that,” she says softly. “And I would love the privacy as well. Would we move into the palace or stay there when . . . you know, it’s time?”
“Move into Strombly,” I answer. “Astfangin is actually where Theo and Katla spent the first few years of their marriage. And when it was time for Theo to take the crown, they moved into Strombly. Pala was supposed to live in Astfangin but forfeited it to Sveinn when she married King Clinton. It was empty for a while, but when Sveinn married—” I pause . . . the mention of Sveinn’s name triggering something in my head.
“Is everything okay?” Lilly asks, placing one hand on my thigh.
“Holy fuck,” I whisper as I set my soup down and go to stand, but Lilly stops me.
