“It most certainly does. How is it going to look to announce my wife while she’s wearing jewelry from another male?”
“Who said I got it from a male? Maybe I purchased it myself,” she countered.
“Did you?”
Her smile was all sarcastic derision. “I suppose you’ll never know.”
He hummed. This close to her, he wanted to touch her, even if it was simply brushing his fingers down her arm. She’d need to get used to his touch eventually, but for now, he didn’t need a repeat of yesterday.
“This way,” he said, bending to retrieve the bag of dropped pastries and gesturing down the passage. “Once we’re beyond the door, I can Travel us somewhere else to discuss matters.”
“Can’t we walk there?” she asked tightly, keeping pace at his side.
“We could, but we will inevitably be stopped by someone along the way who will likely have questions,” he answered, motioning for her to ascend the steps in front of him, only to realize her feet were still bare. “You forgot your socks and shoes.”
“I didn’t forget them. You can’t feel people coming when wearing shoes,” she said simply, climbing the stairs.
By the Fates. She said the most bizarre things sometimes, and while it was somewhat annoying, he was far more intrigued by her odd mannerisms and unusual statements.
Reaching the top of the stairs, he rapped his knuckles twice as he called out, “Tobias, it’s me. We’re ready.”
A moment later the door opened, the six sentinels standing at attention. Two even managed to hide their surprise at Kailia’s presence. The other four, not so much.
“Your Majesty…” Tobias started, trailing off. He was the lead guard on the shift, and he would report today’s happenings to the Captain of the Guard, who would in turn report them to Tybalt.
Something to handle once this deal with Kailia was finalized.
“Did you need something?” Cethin asked, his tone making it clear the answer to that question had better be no.
“It is nothing, your Majesty,” he conceded, taking a step back. “Just making sure all is well?”
“We are fine. Thank you,” Cethin replied, his hand dropping to Kailia’s lower back. He didn’t touch her, but his hand hovered close enough that he could feel her body heat. Looking down at her, he asked, “Are you ready?”
Her answering smile was pure poisoned sweetness, and he returned the sentiment as he pressed his fingers to her bare back, pulling them through the air and to his private floor. As soon as their feet landed in the main receiving room, she moved away from him, putting a good amount of distance between them.
While she took in the space, he moved to set the pastry bag on a side table, pulling out another roll and taking a bite.
After chewing and swallowing, he said, “Those are the main doors to our suite.”
“Our,” she quipped.
His answer was a mocking smile. “If anyone calls on us, they will use those doors.”
Two large double doors marked the entrance. Black stars and glistening waves were etched into the wood. While there wereother entrances, they were for the private use of the royal family, which for the last year had only consisted of him. Even the staff used the main doors.
“This entire floor is the king and queen’s private home,” he went on. “The receiving room is precisely that, but through that door is a much more informal living space. Are you sure you don’t want a roll?”
She scowled, but snatched the roll out of his hand when he held his other half out to her. She took it and shoved the whole thing into her mouth as if to prove something, and then her eyes went wide.
“What is this?” she managed to get out around the food.
He huffed a laugh. “A speciality from one of my favorite bakeries in town. I always get them there. The kitchen staff has tried, but they can never get it quite right.”
She nodded while she finished chewing. Cethin merely held out the bag, and she took the whole thing, pulling out another roll.
“Anyway,” he said, not wanting her to see his satisfaction at her enjoying something from him. “Through here is the sitting room,” he repeated, pushing past the door that separated the receiving room from the rest of the space.
He’d changed several things after his father’s passing, not wanting to live in a space where pieces of his parents’ spirits might linger, but there were still a few things he’d let be for nostalgia’s sake.