Page 71 of His Realm

I smiled at him.

“I will not be deterred. I am quite in earnest.”

“I can tell you are,” I teased him, sitting up, as he put the tray in my lap. Bending, he kissed me and then straightened, picking up the small ring box from my tray.

“Eat,” he ordered me.

But I couldn’t. I was far too focused on him as he opened the box and showed me a thick platinum band with channel-set, square-cut rubies.

“This is mine,” he informed me, taking the ring out and passing it to me. “Read the inscription.”

Taking it from him, I read: Prince of the Consort.

My eyes met his.

“Because you’re the important one. I belong to you.”

It was the same as the seal I wore around my neck. The piece of carnelian carved with the wolf. When he’d given it to me, he’d said this shows everyone that he belonged to me. I didn’t understand at first, thinking it was the other way around. But the fact was, the way it went for royals, the mate was the one who made the claim and possessed the other. It was different, but it was the way it had always been for the nobility.

“Your ring is beautiful,” I told him. “I like how chunky it is so people will see right away that you’re taken.”

The look I got, along with the slow shake of his head, made me laugh.

“I’m the prince, someday to be king. Everyone will know I’m taken,” he said, like I was ridiculous. “I wonder about you at times.”

I was still chuckling when he opened the bigger box, and I nearly choked on my juice. “What is that?”

“This,” he said, pointing to a huge ruby set in a circle of what looked like ten-carat white diamonds, “is the Chalice Ruby that belonged to my grandmother, Livia, that my grandfather gave to me for my consort. It’s a Burmese ruby, the color is pigeon blood, and it’s forty carats.”

It took me a moment, because really, with the light coming in from the windows, it was like all the stones were winking back at me. I was in awe. “It’s beautiful.”

“It belongs to you now. I had a display case built for it, and you can put it on the second floor beside my livery collar if you like, or in the safe, and only bring it out when you wear it.”

It was a beautiful brooch, and losing it would kill me. I would need to check the backing to make certain the pin could be screwed down.

“When would I⁠—”

“When I’m crowned, you will wear it along with the crown as the king’s consort.”

I nodded.

“You will also wear it, from now on, when you receive other nobles at the palace.”

“Okay.”

“And of course, you’ll wear it on your jacket, along with your own collar, when we get married in two days.”

“Thank you, Varic. I’ll treasure it forever.”

He smiled slowly, and then out of his pocket he pulled another small ring box.

My heart nearly stopped.

“This is your ring, my consort.”

I didn’t know what I was expecting, but the ring was so perfect, so understated, which was exactly what I wanted. It was the same style as his, a chunky piece of platinum, but instead of the many channel-set rubies encircling the band, mine had an emerald-cut diamond lying horizontally beside the same cut ruby. They were large, but it wasn’t ostentatious. The rings the king wore on every finger of both hands were bigger than this—all of them, even his pinky rings. My ring was elegant and masculine and had been made with me in mind. My eyes filled fast.

Varic bent and wiped my tears away gently before he kissed me. “Look at the inscription.”