“You already went over the case, didn't you?” Tor'rien leaned a hip on his desk, removed the files from the satchel, and fanned them out.
“Yes.”
“Do you think you could have missed something?”
“I am not infallible, Your Majesty.”
He looked up at me. “I disagree.”
I snorted. “No, you don't. You're flirting.”
“Yes, and trying to get you to stop scowling.” He took my hand. “I know it's not just the case. What is it, Tekhan? Do you not like my castle?”
He said it in such a way as to imply that the very thought was ridiculous. But I must have twitched, shown a tell, because he blinked.
And then the King straightened out of his lean and gaped at me. “You don't like my castle?”
“It is a perfectly fine construction, I'm sure. Very well made.”
“Holy fuck! You really don't like it. What exactly displeases you, Claw Shinkai? The vast space, the precious artwork, or maybe it's the furniture. Do you dislike the carvings?”
“I don't mean to insult you. Please, don't take it personally.”
“That's rather hard to do since this is my home.”
I looked away.
“Son of a bastard!” the King cursed. “Tell me. What displeases you?”
“Nothing displeases me. How could it? Everything is of the highest quality, as you've just pointed out. I am simply a man of . . .” I shrugged. “I like boundaries.”
“Boundaries?”
“Yes, limitations. Rules. Fences. Walls. Things that confine other things.”
“Oh?” He smirked.
“I did not say bondage. I do not like being physically restrained.”
“I don't understand.”
“No, you don't.” I walked out of the room.
“Tekhan!” He grabbed my hand and pulled me back into the office. “Don't do that. Don't walk away when we're in the middle of a conversation.”
“I was simply moving it to another room, Your Majesty. I know better than to think that you'd let it go just because I went a few paces down the hallway.”
The King chuckled. “Very well. Shall we go into the sitting room?”
“Why not the dining room? Then we'll be where we need to be when the food arrives.”
“So practical.” He shook his head, but he also took my hand and led me to the dining room.
“This is just for you?” I took in the table that stretched the length of the room—big enough to seat ten.
“Yes. Although, I often have guests. This is my entertaining dining room. There is another, smaller version on the twenty-third floor.”
“Of course there is. Why have one place to dine when you can have two?”
