“I… Dammit, all right, you have me there.”
I would have thought this obvious, but apparently not. “Just, please, let’s do a dual crowning and wedding event, save ourselves the headaches of trying to plan two parties back-to-back.”
James made a face. “Yes, that’s the sensible approach. Oh, wait, we’ll need to create a crown for you. We haven’t had dual kings in this country before now.”
I could see where this was going already and pointed a finger at him. “I will design my crown.”
“Why can’t I?”
“Because you’ll go overboard.”
A mischievous light entered his eyes. “I’m sure we can negotiate.”
“No.” James and negotiating normally didn’t go over well for me. Mostly because he won. “I will not wear a heavy crown.”
“So if it’s light, it’s fine?”
“James. That is not what I said.”
He snuggled in a little more, teasing my mouth with kisses. “Emeralds good?”
This conniving little… It was a good thing I loved him as he was.
Otherwise, I’d end up strangling him.
Sixty-five
Edwin
Eventually, we called for lunch to be brought up to our rooms. After a nice bath together, I felt more physically relaxed. I could not say the same mentally. After having a few hours to adjust to the idea, the realization of what I had taken on, work-wise, seemed overwhelming.
I had literally become royalty.
While I appreciated those who had reassured me I was perfect for the job, it didn’t change the fact that I had become a king. Consort.Something. With no warning! Even when I’d encouraged James to become king, I’d somehow overlooked my own position changing. Was this part of my Task too?
How—why—how had this even happened?
Despite living through it, I had no explanation.
Did I panic? It felt too late to panic. Worry, though…I could definitely worry. My anxiety grew like a sinkhole, growing ever wider and more chaotic by the second.
Nimus preserve me, what had I gotten myself into?
Perhaps my anxiety showed on my face. James pulled me to the couch and asked, “Second thoughts?”
“Not those, per se, just…” I stared at the carpet, trying to formulate my thoughts into words. “James, what am I? You called me a co-ruler before. But what am I exactly? A consort, a king, or—”
“Technically, at this moment, you’re a consort. You’re married to me but don’t have political power of your own, hence consort. However, I want that to change so you’re king with equal power to me.”
Needing to see his face, I lifted mine to face him properly. He seemed very serious, if understanding of my nerves. “Why?”
“Well, for one thing, I love you, and I can’t stand the thought of you not being seen as equal with me. Especially when you are the better part of me. Secondly, Galbraith is right—you can run this country blindfolded. It makes no sense to limit your powers when you’re more than capable of doing the job. Thirdly, it’s a matter of practicality. If, heaven forbid, something happens to me, I need you to be able to lead the country. I don’t want the line of succession to be murky.”
My unease settled a bit. If two of the most powerful men in the kingdom thought I could do the job, who was I to argue otherwise?
Still, I wasn’t blind to what kind of workload I was letting myself in for. How many decisions I’d make that would impact an entire country.
“I…Let me sleep on this,” I begged. “The reality hasn’t completely sunk in yet, I fear. The emotional impact of my decision is still hitting.”
