“Are my eyes deceiving me?Again?” Her voice is cold. “Is my husband truly here?” Her full lips peel back in a snarl that might’ve sent a lesser man bolting for the door. “He hasmeetingsto attend. Princelyduties. All manner of important thingsbesides me.”
The room had already been silent, but at her words, it grows deathly still. No one breathes. No one moves. Every eye is on me, waiting to see how their prince will handle his wife’s insolence.
I step closer, and Mayah fuckingturns around.
Ignores me.
“Is this your way of getting my attention?” I grit out, mindful of the watchful eyes. Faramir will hear every word of this. So will the nobles. The entire conversation will be whispered in taverns and over dinner tables by evening.
“Not everything I do is about you,” she huffs, still refusing to face me. “But maybe a little. If I knew this was all it took to summon you, I’d have barged in here days ago.”
She shoots me a scathing look over her shoulder. “This gives me purpose. I’m ahealer, Zev. I heal. Without it, I’m missing an integral part of myself.” Before I can respond, she barrels on, finally turning to face me. “I’m tired of being alone, trapped in our chambers. I needmorethan just planning a party. You said you’d want your wife to be your equal. I certainly don’t feel equal, Zev. I know you’re worried for my safety, but what about my sanity?” Her voice fractures like ice breaking underfoot.
Fuck.
I’m an awful husband. The worst husband.
A pitiful excuse for a man.
In trying to protect her, I’ve been dimming her light.
Her patient coughs nervously, wary eyes flicking to me and back, as if he might burn beneath my glare. Mayah gestures for him to stand, and he rises smoothly, bearing weight on his leg. The man looks just as awestruck as I felt the first time I saw her heal. He looks upon my wife with wonder, but his smile quickly fades when he catches sight of my wrathful face. With a murmured thanks, he shuffles away.
I scan the room, glowering at Sauzon and Graman, his assistant, who are clearly eavesdropping. They suddenly find the sense to busy themselves.
Fury still simmers within me when I turn back to Mayah, but it’s tamer now, undercut with regret. I reach for her, and she flinches. My hand freezes, the air sucked from my lungs at the flash of fear in her eyes.
A deep sigh breaks free. I reach for her again, slower this time, and cradle her cheek gently. She leans slightly into my touch.
“You haven’t eaten.” My voice is rough as I tilt her face toward the light, examining the shadows beneath her eyes, the fatigue lining her brow. “You shouldn’t have pushed yourself.”
She shrugs, refusing to meet my gaze. “My husband forgot to bring me lunch.”
Fuck. That’s right.
“Look—we’ll talk about this later.” I want nothing more than to whisk her away and make this right, but my father will send someone searching for me if I don’t return. Reluctantly, I drop my hand and stalk over to the loitering medics.
“Sauzon,” I snap. The two men startle, quickly standing at attention. “Make sure my wife eats something after every second patient. If she doesn’t, I’ll bind you to the stockade. Ten lashes for every miss.” Sauzon’s eyes flare wide, flitting to Mayah, before he nods.
“Graman.” The younger medic puffs out his chest. “Ensure my wife has everything she needs.”
I don’t allow myself to glance back at Mayah when I leave, afraid of what I’ll see in her eyes.
“Well?” my father asks as soon as I return. Faramir just smirks at me, slouching in his seat, blond hair draped over his shoulders.
I don’t answer immediately, taking my time returning to my seat. My father looks at me expectantly. “Did youhandleit?”
No use prolonging the inevitable.
“Mayah will be healing in the infirmary going forward.”
There’s a beat of incredulous silence before both men speak at once.
“Have you lost your skiesdamned—”
“Oh, brother, you arewhipped—”
My father rakes a violent hand through his hair, opening and closing his mouth as though he can’t summon the words to properly rebuke me.
