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Toren knelt in front of her seat. “I give my word as man and High King that I had no intention of doing such a thing. I told you I think of you as our wife in my heart. I suppose when your father sparked my rage, I spoke from that place rather than my head.”

Her eyes itched and her nose burned from the sudden rush of tears she fought not to shed. “What…what is my place, then? What now?”

“The same as we have agreed,” Toren answered, his voice firm and sure. “The nobles might have some confusion, but you will remain Royal Consort as long as you wish it. As this is my folly, I will think of a way to fix it. Perhaps an announcement that we have linked will ease the bulk of their curiosity since that is the source of my wording. They can wait until never for word of an official wedding if that is your wish.”

Ria stared down into his pained but earnest gaze and sniffled. She should stay angry, but that emotion slipped away like fine silk. She could feel for herself that it was an accident, the mix of his emotions too raw and self-castigating for anything else. Added to that, Mehl’s anger and worry pulsed in, and she knew without asking what he thought.

That she would leave them over this.

But why? Because Toren had accepted her into his family so thoroughly he’d forgotten the whole world didn’t know it? Tenderness for the brash, forceful man kneeling before her sent a tear tipping from her eye.

Toren’s expression crumpled. “Ria…”

“Oh, search our link,” she muttered, another tear slipping out. “So long as you don’t try to force me onto that dais, I’ll get over it. I’m not sure why I’m crying, but it isn’t sorrow.”

“I do not wish to bring you unhappiness.” He brushed the tear away with his thumb before cupping her cheek. “I’ll do my best to make this up to you.”

Mehl’s hand settled on her nape, and a hint of heat flared within her. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

If nothing else, it would come in handy later.

* * *

Mehl foughtthe urge to tighten his fingers possessively on Ria’s nape like an animal claiming its mate. What was wrong with him? But when Toren looked up, that same stark possessiveness gleamed in his eyes. Suddenly, Mehl understood. The impulse shaking his hand was no small part fear.

They might have lost her.

If there wasn’t so much to be done, he had no doubt Toren would have hauled them both to the bedroom for the rest of the day. Mehl longed for the same so devoutly that he could almost taste the tang of Toren on his tongue and the silky slide of Ria beneath his fingertips. Someday, he would bend Ria over the arm of this chair and claim her while she took Toren in her mouth. Wouldn’t that be a nice change?

Ria trembled beneath Mehl’s hand.

His husband groaned. “Stop with those thoughts, at least for the moment. The scribe will be here any moment, and we can’t follow through on the idea, besides.”

That much had slipped along the link? Mehl dropped his hand in case it continued, for the echoes of that vision weren’t likely to fade anytime soon. “Sorry.”

Ria glanced between them, a vulnerable glint returning to her eyes. “In the throne room… When I think back to Toren’s words, didn’t he say ‘children’? Ours? Mehl, does that mean someday…?”

He smiled. “If you are willing, it would be my wish for you to bear my child, too. It’s only fair that Toren suffer this same torment when it’s my turn.”

“Cruel but fitting,” Toren said with a growl—the playful kind. “After that, we’ll both take you when we wish and see what fate decides.”

At Ria’s hitched breath, Mehl had the undeniable urge to skip ahead to that glorious future. Of course, then he would miss the birth of their first two children, so that wasn’t ideal, either. He would just have to suffer through.

Such a difficult life.

“So,” Ria began, then paused to clear her throat. “Um. You said there was a lot to do. Is there anything I can do to speed things up? I would hate for the two of you to work late.”

Mehl grinned. “Indeed?”

She made an attempt at an earnest nod. “Oh, yes. It would be tragic.”

Toren darted forward to give her a quick kiss before he stood. Mehl’s gaze went immediately to the outline of his husband’s semi-hard cock, which…probably didn’t help his husband gain control. He forced himself to look at Ria instead, but her rapt expression on Toren was no better than his had been. Mehl found himself joining Toren in that uncomfortable state.

“I suspect we should all find duties in entirely different rooms,” Mehl said dryly.

Both spouses laughed, but there was heat beneath the humor.

“Ria has her studies or her shop business,” Toren said, looking down at their wife. “Which should be your focus, love. Mehl is working with Feref on preparing Tes for her ‘punishment,’ and in addition to my usual tasks, I’ll be meeting with several mages. I’ve also increased the number of spies and guards in the entire kingdom. The Centoi delegation apparently arrived through a portal fairly near the city, but we still should have had more warning. I want to know sooner if my brother decides to come here after his wife’s…death. There was certainly a reason they killed Tes’s double and brought her body in on a funeral bier.”