“Are all these chests filled with weapons?” I asked.
Rigel loaded a bolt into a crossbow and checked it before unloading it and putting the bolt in the chest. “Mostly. They’re not all mine, though.”
“How does that work?”
“At least half of them are pieces from my family lines. I decided it was better to bring them here than leave them at the family house since I will no longer be in residence there,” Rigel said.
“And all your family members are deceased?”
“Yes.”
“Ahh.” I wriggled deeper into the pillows and watched Rigel at work.
Muffin came inside a minute later.
She almost knocked a dagger off an end table, but a look from Rigel was enough to discourage her.
Steve and Kevin came in shortly after that. They sniffed around but settled on a rug by the foot of the bed.
An hour ticked past, and Rigel had almost finished putting all of his weapons back in the chest.
There was something soothing about watching him work, even if he was as silent as a shadow.
The cheerful light of the room and the warmth of the pillows had me yawning as he started on the last remaining item—a quiver of arrows.
“Thank you,” I said, breaking the silence of the room.
Rigel gently pulled the arrows from the quiver, then glanced in my direction. “For?”
“For letting me stay in here.” I paused, unsure if I should continue. “And for helping and supporting me. I didn’t really think we’d ever be like this.”
Although his facial expression didn’t change, a mischievous light glittered in Rigel’s eyes. “You never pictured curling up in an assassin’s bed while he cleaned his weapons nearby? How disappointing.”
I gave the obligatory chuckle.
“I support you because I can see what you’re trying to accomplish for the Court, and everyone can see that you care about the fae. That’s somethingIdidn’t expect.” He cleaned an arrow and slid it back into the quiver.
“Maybe, but this has turned out drastically different from what I told you it would be like when we got married,” I said. “I know it’s your choice, but I still appreciate it. I’m glad you said yes.”
“To marriage?”
“Yeah.”
Rigel put the last arrow in the quiver. He stowed it, then shut the trunk.
When he left the chest where it was and started to saunter across the room, I made myself sit up.
That’s my cue. He probably wants to be done for the night.
“Thanks for letting me—”
Rigel interrupted me. “You can stay.”
I blinked. “What?”
“If it really does help, you can stay.”
We stared at each other for a very fragile moment, and I wasn’t sure how to react.
