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“I do not care what has been done in the past,” Toren interrupted again. “This child will beourchild, even if that is technically impossible. I can do nothing about the requirements of biology, but magic, ceremony, legal contract…those things I can control, at least in this. If Ria is not amenable, she should say so now.”

Although Ria’s skin reddened, the considering glance she turned Mehl’s way was not scornful. Far from it. Her eyes heated, much as they had when she’d taken him in her mouth. He nearly groaned at the reminder. As it was, control over his body was hard won.

“I am amenable,” she said.

The scribe’s eyes widened. “You’re, ah. You’re willing to put that in the contract?”

A hint of Toren’s magic brushed against Mehl’s shields, prompting Mehl to stride to his husband’s side. But before Toren snapped out an angry reply, Ria glared at the hapless scribe. “I just said so,” she insisted.

Gods above. With time and confidence, she truly would make an excellent queen.

“Of course, Your—I mean, my lady,” the scribe replied.

Mehl smiled at the slip. The man had almost called her Your Majesty. At leastoneother person sensed her ideal role.

“If that is all,” Toren said, his expression indecipherable, “Then it is time for us to sign.”

Chapter10

The Duchess of Nevial

The scratch of pen nib against paper echoed through the room as Toren signed his name on the final page of the contract. As the ink dried, the scribe, Iyeth, tipped the melting spoon, allowing a precise amount of wax to pool beside the signature. It had to be habit that led to such neatness—the spoon bobbled in the man’s hand as he pulled it out of the way. Toren nearly smiled. Out of all of them, the poor scribe appeared the most nervous about the contract.

Holding his palm just above the cooling wax, Toren triggered the spell that formed and hardened his seal. The force of his power trembled against his control, but he’d done this magic too many times for it to break free. Out of all the spells he’d struggled to learn without loosing his power, this was the most vital. Physical seals could be forged, but never this.

Mehl eased closer and settled his hand on Toren’s shoulder. To an outside observer, it might have appeared casual, but Toren was well aware that it wasn’t. His husband had already sensed his earlier flare of energy and stood ready to absorb any overflow. Warmth filled him, pure and light. Mehl always knew.

Perhaps he wasn’t the only one. Across the desk, Ria studied him with a worried frown. “Does this distress you?”

“I am bothered only by my scribe’s impertinence,” Toren replied, though there was little heat to his words.

Iyeth had worked with him long enough to recognize that lack. “I merely worried for you, Your Majesty. With the threat of your brother and such unusual terms—”

“I am aware, Iyeth.” Toren handed the pen to Mehl, who dipped the nib into the ink and signed his own name. “But in truth, this is mere formality. Our contract has already been sealed with more than mere words.”

Any fool could surely tell what the three of them had been up to. Strands of Mehl’s hair had come loose from his crown, and his clothes were clearly rumpled. And Ria. Her lips were red and swollen, and the bodice of her dress was slightly askew—not enough to reveal her breasts but more than hinting at the cause of the disorder. Toren had no clue what he himself looked like, but it couldn’t be much better.

Iyeth must have been absorbed in his work, for as his glance shifted between the three of them, his eyes widened and his skin flushed. The scribe gathered the final page of the contract, the pen, and the inkwell without a word and carried it around the large desk for Ria to sign. Toren found himself leaning forward as she accepted the pen. This might be mere formality, but it was a formality he would see done.

She slid the paper closer and paused. Toren sucked in a breath as she rolled the pen between her fingers and stared at the blank area she was supposed to sign. Mehl’s fingers tightened on his shoulder in an echo of his own tension. What was she waiting for?

“Ria?” Melh asked, his voice rough.

“I’m not certain what to do.”

A surge of anger stiffened Toren’s spine. “Did your father neglect your education, as well? Every citizen must be taught to read and write. Another law broken only adds to his crimes.”

“What?” Her cheeks pinkened. “Of course I know how to write!”

This time, a hint of desperation curled around his anger like a vine. “You have already given your oath. Do you think I will easily release you from it?”

Iyeth sucked in a scandalized breath. “Your Majesty, you said the contract could be broken at any time unless there is a pregnancy.”

“Which there could already be.” Toren pinned Ria with his gaze. “Yes, the contract may be broken, but I never said I would make it an easy choice. Nor would Mehl, I imagine.”

“Indeed not,” Mehl said.

The flush on Ria’s face darkened, but her eyes sparked with a hint of desire. “You misunderstand. I can sign, but I want it to be accurate. According to Mehl, I became a lady when you named me such at court. Do I need to add a title here the way you two have done? That would certainly require knowing what I am ladyof.”