Then—a muffledthudas every single person falls to their knees, heads bowed. Mayah remains still, but I sense the loosening of her shoulders, the relief that must be coursing through her at their acceptance.
Hand in hand, we march forward. Jeyzar rises to meet us halfway down the path, a handful of advisers behind him. He bows deeply.
“Sire,” he greets, spine still bent. “Arbinj welcomes its king.” He nods at Mayah. “And its queen.”
“Thank you, Jeyzar.” I scan the crowd, gaze lingering on familiar faces. I stop on one man, standing near the entrance, nearly hidden by the bulky man in front of him.
Sauzon.
A slow-burning anger crackles in my chest, one that’s been simmering since the first night we arrived at the rebel camp.
“The situation is a bit tense in the capital, sire,” Jeyzar continues, “but the people are generally content with the, uh,change in leadership. The sooner you speak to them, the better. We’ve also arranged the late king’s funeral for tonight.” Mother stiffens at my side. Jeyzar flicks his gaze toward her, then back to me, adding, “We can discuss further in the council chambers. I’ll have the queen’s guards escort her to your quarters—”
“No,” I cut him off, my gaze still fixed on Sauzon. The medic has gone pale beneath the heat of my glare. “My wife will attend the meeting. And every other meeting, if she chooses. But first, I need to speak with Sauzon.”
Mayah and I head to our chambers, flanked by ten heavily armed guards, including Gregoran and Freynk. The two men quietly informed me that they’d managed to dispose of the toxinnia unnoticed—except by a handful of Faramir’s guards.
The guards were handled, though not before one managed to escape and tell Faramir. He’s been since taken care of.
“You didn’t have to be so hard on him,” Mayah says for the second time, her hand tucked into the crook of my elbow. Her lips turn down at the corners, and I’m tempted to kiss her until she smiles.
“He’s lucky I didn’t bind him to the stockade and flay the skin from his back.” My wife’s scowl deepens. “He lied to me. Repeatedly. He was working with the Rebellion and was in close proximity to you every. Single. Day. And he reported about you to his supervisor.”
“Hissupervisor—” Mayah glares up at me, brows pinched together. “—was your mother. And everything turned out fine.”
“That’s beside the point.” I lean down and kiss her firmly, smiling against her lips when her footsteps falter. “He’ll think twice before he speaks about you to anyone.”
We turn a corner, heading down the hallway that leads to our chambers. Mayah’s energy signature thrums wildly, her grip tightening on my arm, and I pull her flush against my side.
Gregoran opens the door for us, eyes downcast, and he and Freynk flank the entrance as they’ve always done.
I cross the threshold first, Mayah following slowly. As if drawn by some invisible string, she steps forward until she stands in the center of the room, eyes wide and wet, staring at the hidden tunnel entrance.
Grief etches itself into her face, a question burning in her eyes.
I wait for her to ask.
What did you do with his body?
She doesn’t.
The silence stretches taut between us.
My nails dig into my palms. When I can’t bear it any longer, I ask, “Do you want to switch to a different set of chambers?”
Her head snaps toward me, a tear slipping down her cheek. “No! No. I want to stay with you.” Her voice trembles, as does her energy signature.
I cross the room quickly and pull her into my arms, brushing a kiss against her forehead. “I meant together, baby.”
A soft shrug. “Don’t you? You’ll … you’ll always be reminded here.”
I lead her to the sofa, pulling her down into my lap. “There’s a hidden entrance in every set of royal chambers. With your sharp eye, I imagine you’d find it within days.” That draws a watery smile from her. “There are difficult memories in this set of chambers, yes. For both of us. But I meant what I said about leaving everything in the past and never speaking of it again.” I tilt her chin so she meets my gaze, hand rubbing soothing circlesagainst her spine. “I’m perfectly content to keep these chambers. If you are.”
She regards me closely, judging the truth in my words. Her hands creep down my chest and rest over my heart. Her eyes are bright when she says, “I love you, Zev.”
Truth.
I wipe an errant tear from her cheek, nudging her nose with mine until she smiles. Mayah tucks her head beneath my chin, a contented sigh fanning against my neck.
