“I do!” Faiza confirmed with bright, sparkling turquoise eyes. She kneeled down to Fiala’s level, whispering loudly like she was spilling a secret, “And you know what? She justlovesto play.”
Fiala gasped as I tilted my head at Faiza, wondering what she was doing. Fiala quickly grabbed my hand and looked up at me, “Come play! Come play!”
I laughed, letting myself be dragged to the playground. She took us to the slide first, and I followed her down at her instruction. I could feel the gazes of the other ladies, and I knew they would find this disgraceful, despite it being hardly any different from our obstacle course.
I ended up following Fiala through several playground attractions before she decided she wanted to play tag. She organized me and the children present to all play, so I ran back and forth, running from the kids and chasing them in turn. I purposely slowed myself down, letting them catch me, or feigning that I was just about to reach them before allowing them to dart away from the tips of my fingers.
I couldn’t remember the last time I’d had so much fun, honestly. Children offered a simplicity and purity that adults just couldn’t manage. It was all so uncomplicated for them. And these children had yet to experience tragedy, as I had at their age.
It was my turn to tag this time, and I chased a laughing Fiala, grabbing her up into my arms and swinging her in the air as she shrieked with the force of her giggles. I laughed as I finally set her back down, looking up and starting in shock when I found others had joined the crowd watching on. Brokk was standing and chatting with Faiza, but it wasn’t that fact that grabbed my attention. It was that Azurill was standing next to them, watching me with a smile and a soft look in his eyes that had my own smile softening into something else.
Taking Fiala’s hand, I brought her over with me, ignoring the emerald glare trying to burn me alive, along with the orange one critically dissecting the scene.
“Mister High King, sir.” Fiala greeted Azurill, giving a sloppy curtsy that had Zumra scoffing. I whipped my head around to glare her into submission. I looked back to see Azurill watching intently, before he greeted Fiala in return.
“Lady Fiala,” he bowed very low and kissed her hand, making her giggle. It was hard not to myself, watching a man who had to be over six feet tall bending to reach a tiny child’s hand.
“Lady Jacinth.” His teal eyes smoldered at me, twinkling with just as many facets as an actual diamond.
“Your Majesty.” I bowed my head with a slight curtsy before looking curiously at the man beside him.
“Lady Jacinth, forgive me for not introducing myself earlier. I’m Alwyn, though I go by Wyn, if you please.” The sapphire-haired man smiled winningly at me, kissing my hand.
“A pleasure to meet you, then.” I returned his smile, nodding my head. Azurill gave an annoyed glare at his friend, and his mouth opened to say something when a shout interrupted.
“Watch it!” Someone snapped, and I turned to see Zumra’s face screwed up with anger at one of the children. I narrowed my eyes, ready to intercede, when Faiza placed a hand on my arm. She shook her head, motioning to the king with a smug smile, and I turned to see that he was absolutely furious.
Oh.
That was when it all clicked. How quickly I’d forgotten that for all her differences, Faiza was still a creature of the court. She’d absolutely brought Azurill out here to see us all with the children and how we interacted with them. Even as Faiza returned to flirting subtly with Brokk, I watched her bring attention to different moments she wanted Azurill to see like a master.
I shook my head at her, but I had to admit that the help was appreciated.
“You’re good with her,” Azurill observed softly, watching as Fiala all but passed out with her head in my lap after running around for hours. I was smoothing back her hair as we watched the sun dip under the horizon.
“I’ve always liked kids,” I responded quietly, looking up at the fading light, the sun setting on my first day getting to experience this. The day passed too quickly, and I feared the others would do the same.
“You’ll make an amazing mother one day.” His words could have come out flirty and suggestive, but instead, the sincerity in them blew me away.
How could this man be the same one who’d hadchildrenkilled?
The image of my cousin Peony sped through my mind, and I tried to think of a way to bring it up without exposing myself.
“For all I desperately want that, sometimes it seems like bringing children into this world is more cruel than kind.” I finally said, hoping this would go the way I wanted.
“What do you mean?” he asked, a lone teal brow rising, but his eyes became concerned.
“Just look at what happened to the children of Pearl Court.” I looked up through my lowered lashes as Azurill sucked in a surprised breath.
His eyes went to his lap, and I watched as he shuddered for a moment.
“They say that it was a robbery, but why kill everyone, even the children?” I pressed, the feeling in my gut forcing my hand.
“They say that,” he finally replied, his voice dull and flat to match his gaze.
“Was it not?” I asked him quietly, and his eyes shot to mine, before running over my hair and eyes with an intensity that took my breath away.
“What happened to Lady Linnea and her family was a tragedy.” Talk about taking my breath away, I was fairly sure I was going to die from loss of air. Hearing my true name from his lips sent my heart soaring and falling all at once.
