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What did he know?
He knew she was curious and passionate. That she was empathic and intelligent. That her childhood had been awful and yet it hadn’t turned her into a terrible person. She’d been quiet and terrified when he’d first met her, but she’d blossomed since, revealing the warm, generous and caring woman she was beneath the fear. Clearly she was thriving in her new role.
There were many things he knew about her…more than he’d realised.
‘I should be doing this for you,’ he said as she handed him the plate. ‘You are spoiling me, lioness.’
She lifted a shoulder as she began getting food for herself. ‘I enjoy spoiling you,’ she said, flashing him a smile. ‘You deserve to be spoiled.’
Do you?
The thought came out of nowhere, and he felt as if a chill breeze had moved over his skin. He ignored it. It didn’t matter what he did or didn’t deserve. She’d chosen to do these little things for him, and he wouldn’t hurt her by rejecting them.
What about what she deserves?
She deserved much—which he’d give her when he had time for it. Besides, it wasn’t as if he didn’t do anything for her. Every night he made her scream with the pleasure he gave her, and that wasn’t nothing.
‘Tell me about your day,’ she said, as she did every time they met.
So while they ate he told her about what he and his aides had discussed that day, and about the current issues they were facing, as well as the ones they’d have to deal with in the near future.
‘I’m going to get my events team to organise a national tour,’ he said after they’d eaten. ‘But before that we have an international meeting to attend in Geneva.’
Guinevere put an elbow on the table and leaned her chin in her hand. ‘“We”?’
‘Of course, “we”. You will naturally be by my side.’
Her cheeks went pink, and she gave him another of her heartbreaking smiles. ‘Oh, that sounds amazing. Have you been there before?’
He had, and told her so, and they discussed travelling for a bit before he asked her how her day had gone. He always asked, and he always found it interesting. In fact, he was starting to find everything about her interesting.
After they’d watched the sunset on the balcony, Guinevere took his hand and led him inside, telling him she had a surprise for him.
It was full dark by the time they stepped outside the palace, following the path to the orchard once more. There, Guinevere put a rug down on the grass and pulled him down to sit beside her.
‘What is this all about?’ he asked, as she lay on her back on the rug.
She was smiling as she patted the rug beside her. ‘Lie down and I’ll tell you.’
So he did, lying on his back, watching the stars wheeling above their heads.
‘I want you to tell me about the stars, Tiberius,’ she said.
He realised what she’d done then. She’d taken him back to his boyhood, to those stolen moments of quiet and peace when he hadn’t been the saviour of a country, but only a boy. A boy who was part of something greater…the entire living universe.
Something inside him relaxed in that moment…something that had been tense for a long time. Strangely, it felt as if he hadn’t been able to breathe properly, but now, right here, he could draw a full breath for the first time.
The stars glittered in the black velvet of the sky and he lifted a hand, pointing out the different constellations, feeling memories of his childhood interest in astronomy flooding back.
She nestled against him, her voice full of wonder as she asked him questions and then listened to him talk, and he realised that for the first time since he could remember he was utterly relaxed. Content to be in this moment. The relentless engine inside him finally still.
Guinevere lay with her head pillowed on Tiberius’s shoulder, listening to him talk about the stars. He knew a great deal about them, and for a change he talked without the edge of impatience that usually coloured his voice.
There was no tension in him, she could feel it in his body. And that made her feel good in turn, that she’d managed to give him this. Two hours of every day when he didn’t have to be a king, where he could be free of his burdens if only for a little time.
He needed it. And perhaps the worst part about it was that he didn’t even know he needed it, that she’d had to give him these hours by stealth.
After the first couple of days she’d wondered if he’d realise what she was doing, and perhaps stop coming, but he didn’t. And if he did indeed understand what she was doing, he certainly didn’t question it.