Chapter 7
U ther
I did it.
I got the version of the maddening woman out of my system.
The queen has my undivided attention for the rest of the morning.
There’s only one change in plans.
“Your Majesty, might I suggest we move the podium?”
The queen looks at me quizzically, then examining the ruins, notices the freshly destroyed stones that have fallen from the tower and turned to dust at our feet.
“A wise choice,” the queen replies, and I order my men to quickly rearrange things, as if the falling stones were a freak accident and not a result of a rousing game of Hide the Bratwurst.
Queen Hilde delivers her speech at Skelside Ruins without any further incident.
The queen’s speech is cut short, however, by a sudden rain shower that sends historians and antiquarians ducking for cover. The press retreat to their cars and news vans. The outdoorsy archeologists seem unfazed.
As for me, I’m equally unbothered. I’m always ready for a storm. Don’t like the weather in Gravenland? Wait five minutes because another weather system is right behind the one you’re in.
Safe under umbrellas, I quickly escort the queen and princess back to their motorcade without a single drop of rain touching their hair nor a speck of mud on their pretty shoes.
I’m feeling proud of myself.
I’ve rid my mind of that annoying version of the woman that is Sable.
But that doesn’t mean I stop thinking about her.
She’s been replaced in my mind with what she truly is.
A delicate creature who cares deeply and loves hard.
A force of nature. A broken child on the inside, the same as me.
A person who scrambled her way to the top despite all the barriers set in her way by society.
She is softness. She is healing. And she is the most delightfully fierce lover.
The view of the North Sea horizon is replaced by woods and winding paths as the royal motorcade makes its way down the mountain.
The woods give way to fields and lakeside cottages, and in the distance is the capital city of Arenhammer with its soaring modern skyscrapers and old-world cathedrals.
That is my home. I belong there just as much as anyone else.
It’s funny the way a quick rush of chemicals can change my perspective about myself. At least for the time being. But I know in my heart that what happened between Sable and me was not just a chemical reaction. It was cosmic.
“That went well.”
The queen’s words snap me out of my reverie.
“Your Majesty? Is there something you need?”
Her gray eyes have something maternal in them when she looks at me.
“No, I need nothing, Uther. Thank you. Just commenting that I feel that event went off well, despite the rain.”
The queen is not one to make small talk. It’s…unnerving. This sort of chatter always ends up somewhere, and I have to wonder what it is that she wants.
Shit. Perhaps she knows what happened. Maybe she saw Sable and me…is it possible? Am I fired?
A fresh wave of indignation floods me. If Sable is fired, then I’m leaving.
The conclusion I’m jumping to is wild. This is what that woman has done to me. She’s not out of my system, she’s made me even more mad for her.
And I’m oddly okay with that.
“Your speech was well received, Your Majesty.” Giving my opinion feels awkward.
“And what did you think?”
At this, I’m speechless. Even Flora, the princess, who’s been furiously texting on her phone, looks up at the queen with an arched eyebrow.
“I…I thought it was interesting and poignant. Educational. I think everyone learned something today.”
“And did you? Learn something today?”
In my peripheral vision, I can see Flora’s gaze darting between me and the queen.
“I learn something from you every day, Your Majesty. What it takes to be a leader.”
To my shock, the queen waves me off with a scoffing laugh. “You can stop kissing my royal ass, Uther.”
A snort from Flora threatens to make me break my professional facade.
“I learned that we must treasure our history, no matter how broken and faded it seems.”
“Now you’re just being poetic. Take the rest of the day off, Uther. You look tired.”
What the hell is this?
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“I notice you forgot to give the signal to the drivers. I think you must be overworked.”
“Not at all, I’m perfectly?—”
She cuts me off. “For the sake of all that’s good in the world, I’m cutting back on your hours.”
I pause, not quite knowing what she means. “If my services have been inadequate, Your Majesty?—”
“Not inadequate in the least,” the queen interrupts.
“But with the way this family is headed, if there’s one thing I learned from raising my children, it’s that I’ve placed too many expectations on them.
And we have been asking too much of our staff.
Let’s face it, this monarchy isn’t making laws of any significance. It’s time to scale back.”
Quickly, I mentally search through my contacts to determine if there’s a second job I can procure. The queen picks up on my moment of panic. “Oh, don’t worry. We’re keeping you on. I’ll pay you full-time wages if you agree to stay, but also agree to work less.”
Perhaps since the king passed away, the queen is realizing she can’t operate at the same clip as she always has.
Or maybe she regrets controlling every aspect of her children’s lives, and the fact that several of them no longer speak to her.
Whatever it is, the queen is changing before my very eyes.
“Very well, I agree to your terms.”
She rubs her palms together as if washing off the day’s hard work. “Excellent. That’s sorted. Perhaps now that stylist of yours can finally lasso you with that tape she carries around her neck. Gods know you’re a difficult one to pin down.”
The queen doesn’t meet my gaze. She’s done with this conversation and instead turns her attention to the quickly approaching city skyline.
Flora’s shocked eyes catch mine. I struggle to maintain my unflappable presence. The princess bites her lip and returns to whomever she’s texting, tapping away furiously on her screen.
The long and short of it is this: I’ll have more free time.
More time for myself. More time for Sable. More chances to explore every whim with her. More opportunities to have my way with her, to fill her with my seed, to see her belly rounded with our children.
And I’ll be staying employed by the palace indefinitely, which means I’ll be able to provide for our children, and even our children’s children.
The queen practically decreed it. We have to do this now, I think wryly.
I know what people say about me. The silent minder takes his job far too seriously.
Gravenlanders are a relaxed, fun-loving people.
The most I ever have to worry about is the occasional drunk reveler getting too close to the queen.
Or a tiresome diplomat taking up too much of her time.
I approach every moment of every day as if the queen and the princess’s life depends on my vigilance.
Better to be too careful than to let my guard down and risk the lives of my staff.
Still, what can I do if the queen wishes me to work less?
The queen practically decreed that Sable and I end up together, so what other choice do we have?