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Yet, why was she not entirely repulsed by the idea that he might want to do more than talk?

Rharreth’s hands settled on her waist as he faced her once again. His expression was grave as he studied her. “We’ll leave this room set up like this. I don’t think this will be the last time it is needed. Will you be all right, healing if more people come?”

“Yes, though I will probably want to make sure I take the time to heal my own headache between patients.” Melantha found herself resting her hands on his chest again, leaning into his steadiness. “Do you really think more will come? The ones who came today were those brave enough to actually risk asking for help from an elf healer.”

“Yes, but once word spreads of how you helped, those who feared to ask for your help will be more likely to seek healing. More than that, word will spread throughout all of Kostaria. The sick and injured will travel to Osmana for your aid.” Rharreth’s frown deepened, as if the thought worried him for some reason.

“Then I will just have to pace myself. You have seen the strength of magic in my family. I might not have Farrendel’s strength or incredible magic, but I am strong.” Melantha straightened her spine, lifting her chin.

“I do not doubt your strength, but the reaction of the warriors.” Rharreth’s forehead furrowed, and he seemed to be gazing past her shoulder. “Once, it was seen as the honor of the warriors to protect the helpless and the weak. But, over time, that honor became a duty that the warriors performed while sneering at the weakness of those they protected. Now, the warriors have become the elite of our society, lording their strength over those who don’t have the magical or physical strength to stand up to them and acting like the weak should be grateful for whatever scraps are tossed their way. It shouldn’t be that way.”

“No, it should not. But what does that have to do with my healing?” Melantha eased a few inches back from him to better see his face.

“Because you strengthen the weak and give them a source of help apart from what the ruling warrior families condescend to provide. You will threaten the power of the warrior elite, even as you gain the loyalty of the common people.” Rharreth swiveled his gaze back to her. “It is not a bad thing. It is the change Kostaria needs, a change I didn’t have the power nor the will to enact before. But it will be dangerous, for both of us.”

“I see.” Melantha searched his face, realizing that statement was really a question. He was giving her a choice. If she wanted to remain safe, he was willing to back down and return to the kind of prince he had been. The one who let things be as they had always been and only pushed for small changes when it would not endanger him overly much.

If she wanted to pursue this, then he was willing to fight for change at her side. Or, perhaps, she would be fighting at his side. Together, they would be in for a fight.

It would be a change for the better. Right now, the troll warriors still pushed to return to war. Because war gave the warriors power and a purpose. Without the war, their power diminished.

Yet, the war caused suffering to the common trolls in Kostaria. All the ice and magic they had been wielding across their kingdom year upon year was destroying the very land. The people were starving and hurting, and no one currently in power seemed to care.

Honor without compassion was meaningless. Duty without love was nothing. War without the purpose of peace was just empty bloodshed. Focusing on war, honor, and duty while despising compassion, love, and peace had warped troll society.

That needed to change, or the trolls would destroy themselves.

Strange how much Melantha cared about that. After seeing the suffering of the common trolls while she was healing their sick and wounded, she could not turn a blind eye to what was happening.

Perhaps it was because she had done much the same thing in herself. She claimed loyalty to her kingdom and her family, yet it had been without a true depth of love. Instead, she had just focused on bitterness to the point she had been a cold shell covering a burning hate. She was determined to change, and maybe she could work that same change in Kostaria.

Melantha lifted her chin and met Rharreth’s gaze. “I am willing to fight this battle, if you fight it at my side.”

“You are my queen. Of course I will fight at your side as you fight at mine.” Rharreth’s mouth tilted, something smoldering in his dark blue eyes.

Why did talk about fighting turn her insides to mush? She had never felt this open and soft with anyone before, even as he saw her hard edges for what they were. “I suppose I will have to train even harder now. Too bad my magic is utterly useless for fighting.”

Rharreth released his relaxed grip on her waist and stepped back, regarding her. “That magic you did when you sent the boy to sleep. Could you do that on anyone?”

It seemed like a random change of topic, but Melantha shrugged. “Yes, I just have to be touching them. I...” She trailed off, her mind spinning as she saw what Rharreth had already recognized. “I can put anyone to sleep, and sleep is not harmful.”

Even if she did it against their will, it technically was not harming them and thus not against her healer’s oath. She would not wish to employ such methods all the time, but if she had to defend herself, sending someone to sleep was arguably better than killing them like she would have to attempt to do with a weapon if attacked.

“Show me. Send me to sleep.” Rharreth gestured at himself, the smolder in his eyes returning to calculating.

“You might want to sit down. I do not wish to be crushed when you collapse on me.” Melantha called on her magic yet again, feeling its comfortable soothing feeling against her fingertips.

Rharreth sat in a chair and glanced up at her. “How does this...”

Melantha trailed her fingers over his temple, sending her magic into him. He slumped in the chair, his head lolling.

She let him sleep for a moment before she placed her hand on his forehead and sent her magic into him again.

He shifted, then blinked up at her as if trying to bring his eyes back into focus. Then, he shot to his feet, gripping her shoulders. “That was incredible. I did not expect that you would be able to knock me out that fast. This will be very useful in battle.”

“I still have to touch someone to use it, but, yes, if I can touch an enemy, I can make them sleep in seconds.” Melantha stared at her hands. After all these years of resenting her magic, she could finally use it in battle as she had always longed to do.

Her magic was not useless, and she was no longer helpless.