19. Noah #2
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.
“Happier,” one of them suggested. “I think this might be the first time I’ve ever seen him smile.”
“Yes, that’s it,” her friend agreed. “He’s always been such a serious young man, but today he seems…different.”
“More engaged,” the first said. “I can’t remember his father conversing with the local farmers.”
“True. But it’s nice to see this side of Prin—King Nicholas. Maybe he’ll be good for the kingdom after all.”
“It definitely won’t hurt his image, that’s for sure. He’s so handsome when he smiles.”
The women giggled, and when I glanced in their direction they stopped and lowered their eyes, turning back to their stalls.
They had nothing to worry about, though.
I knew exactly how they felt. Seeing the softer, more approachable side to Nicholas had been my undoing as well.
Maybe because he did seem so untouchable.
When he aimed those intelligent eyes your way and spoke to you as though you mattered, you couldn’t help but feel a little weak in the knees.
It wasn’t often that someone of such nobility took the time to get to know everyday people. But Nicholas had a way about him that seemed to invite one to open up. He just needed to harness that, and continue to connect the way he was today, and his people would love him for all his reign.
I was lost in thought when Nicholas’s equerry, Graham, stopped beside me and held out a small cardboard vessel with some food inside.
“The king thought you might be hungry. He enjoyed this, and thought you might too. It’s a spinach and ricotta tutres. A traditional Landis dish.”
I reached for the plate and took in the delicious scent of the fried pastry. “Thank you.”
Graham gave a small nod, and if he thought it odd he was hand-delivering the king’s footman a snack, he didn’t say anything—he just turned on his heel and made his way back to the king’s side.
I lifted the small, stuffed pastry and took a bite.
When the filling hit my taste buds, I let out a soft moan.
Nicholas had been right, I was hungry, and this centuries-old cuisine hit the spot.
It also made me realize how lucky I was to live in a place that celebrated so many different and ancient cultures.
Nicholas had given me a little taste of that here, showing off this one part of his kingdom in the only way he could, and I couldn’t help my smile as I followed him through the rest of the markets, happy he’d invited me to experience this side of Valoria and see it in all its beauty.