. . . Did I?
Putting distance between us was pointless, and I craved her more than the air I breathed, but . . .
The deeper our bond grew, the more it would hurt to lose her.
“At least Whisper was there.” She peeked under the bench. “And he was here, a moment ago . . .”
“Ah!” I shot to my feet. “Wait there.”
Darting down the hall, I returned to the cramped chamber we’d fashioned into our barracks. A messy pile of bedrolls and bags was scattered around the stone chamber.
Whisper lay on his back on Eleos’ sleeping roll. Flipping over, he ran to my bag and started sniffing vigorously as I sifted through its contents. Shoving the mutt aside, I pulled out a leather-bound book and hurried back to Aethra.
Hearing me coming, she looked up. “Oh! There’s Whisper.” She furrowed her brow at the book. “What’s that?”
“I picked this up yesterday,” I said, dusting off the cover and handing it to her. “Remember when I said you needed a hobby to fill the quiet hours? I finally got you that book I promised.”
Lighting up, Aethra rolled up the map and pushed it aside, eagerly grabbing the book and reading the cover. Whisper kept trying to sniff it, but Aethra didn’t seem to mind.
“It’s a famous love story,” I said, sitting beside her again. “Mother had a copy on her nightstand and would reread it every few years.”
“If Queen Ma’at doesn’t have good taste, who does?” Aethra murmured. “I wish I had time to read it.”
I’d read the book once, years ago. Remembering a scene from its pages, I stood, cleared my throat, and dropped to my knee.
A few passersby stopped and glanced over, wondering why the prince had fallen prostrate, as if to swear his allegiance.
“I already broke the promise you had me swear.” I bowed my head. “I would do anything to earn your forgiveness.”
“What promise?” Aethra looked up, noticing the onlookers. She slapped my arm. “Knock it off.”
“Not until I’ve paid for my transgressions,” I said, desperately trying not to smile. “You made me swear not to leave you—but I was not there when you woke.”
“Alright, alright, I forgive you.”
I shook my head gravely, barely managing to suppress a laugh. “I demand you take this day to rest and allow me to pamper you, in recompense for my crimes.”
Throwing her head back, Aethra released an exasperated exhale. “Fine. There’s a spot on my back I can’t reach. Scratch itfor me.”
Taking her hand, I rose, still fighting to keep the smile from my face. “Princess, you need to learn to ask for more.”
“I’m not a princess.”
“You’re mine.” My face finally broke. “And if you’re to marry a prince, you’ll need to learn to expect such treatment. Starting with . . .” Hooking an arm under her knees, I picked her up. “Taking a break.”
Embarrassed, she hid her face in my neck.
“Actually, I changed my mind,” she murmured. “To earn forgiveness, you also have to be there when I wake up tomorrow.”
“I’d give anything,” I whispered, “to have your face be the first thing I see each morning.”
She grinned. These fleeting moments when Aethra felt happy were more precious to me than life itself.
A good king would never put his love above his land, his people. I’d need to find someone else to inherit Mother’s city.
If, by some miracle, I earned a future, I wanted it to be a small house by the lake, with her.
29
