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“I will listen,” Ria said softly.

Mehl circled her until he stood at Toren’s side. “It is a simple enough contract.”

“Which you could have explained already,” Toren said with an annoyed glance at his husband. “A breeding contract is just as it sounds. You agree to carry our heir, and we provide you with anything you might need during that time. As our child’s mother, you may choose to live in your own suite of rooms until our child reaches adulthood, or you may go your own way with our full support. Monetary support, specifically.”

She frowned. “That feels like…selling my body, I suppose. Or my child.”

Mehl shook his head, and Toren cursed. “It is not,” Toren said. “You may accept or reject anything you wish, including compensation. But it is no small inconvenience to carry a child to term, and that level of sacrifice deserves something in exchange. In the past, most mothers have stayed to help raise their child. It would be a grave insult not to offer them shelter and status for those twenty years. A couple of decades might not be a lot considering the centuries of our lives, but it isn’t nothing, either.”

His words made sense, but Ria wasn’t certain she could accept anything in return. A place to live, sure. Compensation beyond that would be too much. “There is always the risk that my father will try to get to the child.”

Mehl’s expression went as hard as Toren’s. “I will ensure he fails.”

“But I still don’t understand why you would ask me,” Ria said, this time focusing on Toren. Mehl hadn’t given a clear answer, but perhaps the other king would.

“Don’t you?”

Toren lifted his hand, cupping her cheek in his palm. As it had the night before, his power rushed through her, and she shivered as flickers of memories flitted through her head, too ephemeral to process. Her body tingled and throbbed until a moan slipped free. The feel of it was beyond description.

Divine.

Ria bit back a whimper when the magic cut off, the loss strangely acute for such a short connection. After a few heartbeats, her eyes focused on Toren’s once more, and the wealth of sadness within nearly crushed her. Then he blinked, and the emotion was gone.

“That is why,” he murmured. “My power has grown greatly over the last century or two. Very few can withstand it if I lose my grip on it, and if I am overcome with passion… I fear what could happen. Then you appeared. Mehl and I both want you, and you can tolerate my power. You need protection, and I can provide it. No other obstacle is significant enough to matter.”

What a terrible and lonely dilemma for him, to need an heir while fearing he would cause harm. But… “This seems too easy.”

Toren let out a harsh laugh. “No one, including my beloved husband, would ever claim that living with me is easy. I am a difficult and demanding man at the best of times.”

“Yet you are beloved throughout the kingdom for your fairness. Many have grown prosperous beneath your hand.”

His fingers trailed down to brush against her collar bone. “As could you.”

Ria flushed. “That isn’t what I meant.”

“See?” Toren smirked. “Difficult.”

“But not unjust.”

“One can be both fair and a pain in the ass.”

Mehl’s soft groan broke through their debate, and Ria glanced at him in concern. “What’s wrong?”

“Would you please accept the breeding contract if you’re willing?” Mehl let out a shaky breath. “This joust would be far better in the bedroom.”

Ria winced at the assessment, but she couldn’t say it was inaccurate. She did want this. But could she risk everything for that want? “I’ll take some time to think through—”

“No,” Toren said. “I must produce an heir in a little over a year, two at most. If you are unwilling, I must search in earnest.”

She frowned. “How long have you known about this?”

“Only a few weeks. I’ve tried to search quietly since but have had no luck.” Toren’s expression turned fierce, and in that moment, she had no trouble seeing how difficult he could be. “Though it is tradition for a new king or queen to provide an heir within their first century of marriage, that has typically been waived for same sex pairings. I never imagined my brother would threaten this challenge, or I would have searched for a contract much sooner. I cannot delay much longer.”

Speaking of unjust. Why would Toren’s brother do this? But she supposed it was clear enough: power. He’d waited until time was almost up, giving Toren just the barest chance to successfully counter. A “mercy” he could tell the people he’d offered. Her father had shown such false kindness to her when others were around, but it was always a trap.

But she could help. This wasn’t just a matter of desire, and it could be far more than escaping her father. She could literally save the throne and gain something for herself in the process—a child safe from her father’s threats. And if it ended up being a mistake, at least her sacrifice would mean something.

“I’ll do it,” Ria said. “I’ll enter into a breeding contract with you.”