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“I guess they are,” he conceded with a chuckle, then sobered. “Does that bother you?” he asked, hoping his teeth didn’t scare her since they were so different from her blunt ones.

Isabella’s eyes widened. “Sorry. No, it doesn’t bother me, not now that I am familiar with you.” She squirmed to sit up and he helped her. “It’s a line from a very old children’s story. It popped into my head when I saw all four of you leaning over, smiling at me,” she added.

“You must tell us this story,” Galis interjected, before Phara could express that he was glad.

Isa looked at the pool then back at him, noticing they were no longer in the preparatory. “What did I miss?”

“Nothing. You haven’t been asleep long,” Phara assured her. “We left Artifex to prepare the feast. I thought you might like a bath before we eat and introduce you to the hive.”

“Oh. Okay. Thank you.” Isa smiled. She then swiftly dropped a foot off his lap toward the bath.

Phara panicked, but was unable to catch her leg. Rego’s hand shot out, landing under her heel before it hit the hot water.

“Queen Isa! Now I understand Artifex’s worry. The water is hot. Test it slowly, please,” Phara relayed as his heart pounded in his chest. It was no wonder Artifex decided to tie their impetuous little queen up.

“Ah, okay, thank you.” Isa smiled at Rego.

“Careful.” The beta released her foot and she gingerly dipped her toe, then her whole foot.

“Oooh, very nice,” she cooed, obviously not bothered by the heat.

Very nice,Phara repeated, noting the temperature for future baths.

He nodded to Rego who gripped Isa’s hips and slowly lowered her into the bath. The waterline kept rising higher on her chest and it was apparent she wouldn’t reach the bottom.Rego cast him a worried look and Phara nodded toward the underwater bench instead of setting her on the bottom. A look of relief replaced the beta’s worry as he stood her on the seat.

“Thanks.” Isa nodded to the beta.

“That bench lines this entire wall,” Gregis informed her, since it wasn’t readily obvious.

“There are steps over there.” Galis pointed to the middle of the oblong pool, to the clearly visible steps.

May Inana help me.Phara wiped a hand over his face in disbelief at Galis.

“Avoid the other wall,” Phara added, quickly moving on. “It is hot at that end and there’s a drain at that other end that may catch your foot and drag you under. Do you know how to swim?” Phara’s heart picked up another beat as it occurred to him she might not know how to swim. “How about you stay here?”

Worriedly he tugged Isa onto his lap as he sat on the bench. Even though she was on his lap, the water still came up to her neck. He made a note to have a higher bench made for her.

“Phara?” Isa turned sideways on his lap, her brow furrowed as she studied him. “Is everything all right? Are you mad that I went with Artifex?” Worry reflected in her dark eyes.

“No!” His eyes widened, surprised by her question. “I wondered where you two went, but I am not mad. Never at you, my queen.”

“So, it was okay that Artifex and I were playing?” Isa nibbled her lip.

Phara glanced at his betas in confusion. Didn’t he just say it was acceptable that she went with Artifex?

“I don’t understand what you are asking.” Phara searched her face. Obviously, he was missing something.

“I think I’m the one who doesn’t understand.” Isa showed off her teeth in that awkward smile he was learning meant she was uncomfortable.

“You may tour the hive with anyone you choose.” He tried again.

Isa’s face dropped into the water and she started blowing bubbles. It felt very similar to frustrated gestures he’d made when dealing with Galis.

Suddenly it dawned on him. Phara lifted Isa’s chin and mopped off her face. “I think I understand what this is about.”

He was reticent to talk about certain subjects, some things were intensely private, but Isabella’s happiness mattered to him above anything else.

Isabella