Page 60 of Fit for a King

It was soft, gentle, and made my heart race, and when he finally broke the embrace, his lips tilted into a crooked smile.

“You better move back to your side of the car, Mr. Bennett. I’m not feeling particularly strong right now, and you are difficult to resist.”

“Of course… Your Majesty.”

Nicholas smirked, his demeanor more relaxed now as we pulled away from the hospital and continued on to the next stop on his schedule—the local markets. This one was going to be a little bit trickier, and made me nervous, if I were being honest.

The hospital was easily locked down, security much more manageable than here, where Nicholas was out in a public space surrounded by crowds of adoring citizens. But this was part of his new role, showing up and connecting with his people, and he couldn’t really do that by avoiding them, could he?

The car drew to a stop at the front entrance of the markets, and once again the streets were lined with curious onlookers.

Nicholas peered out the window, waiting for the go-ahead that everything was safe and clear. Then security stopped by the car door, giving the signal they were ready, and he glanced over at me.

“Come with me.”

“What?” I chuckled at the absurdity of his request. It was one thing to be ordered into his vehicle with him, but if any of the staff caught sight of me walking through the markets by his side, the gossip would be unbearable.

“Come with me into the markets. You don’t have to stand next to me, but come and experience it. Have you ever been to Valoria’s local markets?”

“I… Uh, no.” I’d been to the small markets in my village, but that was nothing compared to these. Valoria’s markets were a booming community all on their own, with the best produce, the best crafts, and the best street food from all across the kingdom.

“There’s nothing like them,” he said.

I grinned despite the sudden ball of nerves in my stomach. Was I really considering this?

“Please,” Nicholas said, moving to the edge of his seat to tap on the window. “You must be hungry, and I want to share this with you. Even if it’s at a distance.”

God, what was it about this man that had me doing things I knew I shouldn’t? There was no logical reason I could give anyone as to why I would exit this vehicle and walk through the markets with the king—even if I was ten steps behind him.

But I didn’t really need a reason. Not when the king was requesting it.

“I’d love to.”

Nicholas’s smile was worth any chance of gossip among the downstairs.

“You should do that more often,” I said as he tapped on the window again.

“Do what?”

“Smile,” I said, just as the door was opened, preventing him from responding. But the easy way he flashed that handsome grin at his guard as he exited the vehicle didn’t escape my notice.

The roar from the crowd was deafening as Nicholas waved at the people up and down the street before heading toward the vendors waiting to greet him. I followed at what I considered an appropriate distance, and couldn’t help but stare in wonder as we walked under a large archway adorned with flowers, vines, and a lantern on each side.

It was like stepping into another world, each wooden booth set up to display whatever product the vendor was selling. Some had handmade crafts, others bursts of brightly colored flowers, and then there was the food—artisan cheeses, bread, and freshly picked berries—and I felt a jolt of awareness when Nicholas stopped by the fruit stand and tasted the offered berries.

He spoke for several minutes to the vendor, an older lady who showed him some jams, fruit bars, and small cakes made of the colorful little fruit, and after thanking her for her generosity, he glanced over at me, popped a strawberry into his mouth, and inclined his head.

My breath caught at the shared memory, one of my firsts with him, and I marveled at just how far we’d come since then.

Nicholas continued to make his way from stand to stand, giving each person his undivided attention whenever he stopped to look over the goods. And it was easy to see how much one kind word, one genuine smile from him, truly made their day.

I’d been so reluctant to leave the car when he’d asked me to accompany him. But never had I been more thankful for his persistence, because seeing him out here among his people, bearing witness to the joy his presence brought them, made my heart warm. My only hope was that he could see it too, that Nicholas understood just how much he meant to the people of Valoria beyond the crown upon his head and the title he represented.

Yes, they expected the world from him, and those expectations were often unrealistic, but the ease with which Nicholas handled himself in the face of those expectations was testament to his commitment to the people he’d been raised to rule.

“The king looks different today…”

I heard the whispered words from two women in a booth as I stopped behind Nicholas’s entourage and he struck up a conversation with a man who was selling local cheese.