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Chapter 96: Balls Are No Joke

RETH

He woke earlier than Elia and forced himself to leave her sleeping, grumbling to himself when she only woke as the lanterns lit. When they didn\'t have time to do anything except get ready for breakfast.

He was anxious, he realized, as he kissed her shoulder and whispered good morning, his stomach churning with nervous anticipation as they got out of bed and readied to face the day.

He wanted to warn her what might be coming—how the people might react, not only to her chosen companions, but also to the claiming. But she was so happy. She kissed him and told him how handsome he was before she jumped out of bed, hugged him when he got up too, and danced to the closet to find her clothes. She sang in the bathing room and skipped—skipped!—on her way into the kitchen for a drink of water before coming back to get dressed.

"You\'re happy this morning," he said, biting back his own tension because he didn\'t want to ruin her mood.

"I feel like I finally know what I\'m here to do," she said, pulling a simple cotton tunic over her head to pair with the leather leggings the women had found for her a couple days earlier. Reth\'s brows pinched and he stared into the closet, wondering how to tell her, but she didn\'t let him brood. "Stop growling," she hushed him. Reth blinked. Had he growled? "The women\'s council warned me," she continued, one hand to his shoulder. "I know the people will take some time to get used to me and that I\'m doing things differently. But even Aymora said if I was willing to fight for it, I could win. And she must know, right?"

"She surely does," Reth said, surprised. He\'d assumed the women hadn\'t know Elia was picking Gahrye—a male—to be one of her companions.

The poor kid. He was going to have one helluva day today. The youngest appointed Ruling Advisor for ten generations—and his female Patron had just been claimed. If it had been someone else\'s mate, someone else\'s Kingdom, Reth would have laughed until his sides ached.

He was glad the women had spoken to her about it, though. At least they were on board. Elia needed them behind her.

"I\'m excited to start planning," Elia said, pulling a string of necklaces the women had given her the night before over her head and twisting her hair into a braid. "And I\'m really looking forward to feeling like I have a reason to exist."

Unable to resist the warm blush on her cheeks and her sparkling eyes, Reth pulled her into his chest and kissed her soundly. "You\'re going to be great," he said. "But you already have a reason to exist: You\'re here for me. I told you."

Her smile softened and she pulled him back into another kiss, then groaned when he tried to deepen it and twisted out of his grip. "Don\'t distract me. I have to get to breakfast! I\'m supposed to meet them there."

Reth sighed. That was right. All three of them. Including the disformed male.

"Maybe… maybe you should have breakfast with me, then meet with them later. Somewhere more private?" he asked casually.

"Oh, so now you want to take my attention, now that you\'ve got competition," she grinned. Reth almost swallowed his tongue. She had no idea. But not noticing his apprehension, she hummed as she left the room, tossing some comment over her shoulder about sticking to her promises.

Reth took a moment to buckle his pants and send up a hurried prayer for her before following her out reluctantly.

She noticed his slow pace and asked him about it.

"I just don\'t want to share you," he said—truthfully, but conscious of not sharing his fear. But she didn\'t seem to notice, grinning and teasing him when he suddenly remembered that he also needed… something from the bedroom.

By the time he got back with the different belt he didn\'t need, she was waiting for him by the barred door. He grinned when he saw his vest and pants from the night before—one thrown over the sideboard, the other kicked onto the floor.

Elia followed his gaze and blushed, but her eyes heated when they met his. "I"ll need you to unbar the door," she said. "I can\'t lift it."

Trying not to strut, Reth hefted the wooden beam easily and set it down next to the door, but as Elia thanked him and moved to open it, he leaned against it and looked at her pointedly.

"What?" she asked.

"What\'s that strange tradition they have in your world? Where you pay people extra for doing something that it\'s their job to do?"

"Tipping?" she asked.

"Yes, tipping. I need a tip for opening the door for you and not keeping you locked in here for my own pleasure."

She tilted her head and her eyes went hot again. She walked up to him slowly, putting a hand to his chest, then looked at him through her lashes, a wicked smile on her face.

"Reth?" she whispered, beckoning him to come down to her level.

He leaned down, eyes still on hers. "Yes?"

She put her arms around his neck and leaned her lips into his ear. "Move out of the way, otherwise I\'ll tell Behryn and the guards you told me you\'re handing your balls to the women\'s council."

He pretended offence and stood straight, folding his arms, barring her from the door. Then he raised one eyebrow in a challenge. "I\'d like to see you try," he said, his voice rolling off into a low, good-natured growl.

She tilted her head again and Reth nearly groaned at the wicked smile on her face as she leaned into him and slid her hand down his stomach, then lower, and lower. He leaped to grab her wrists, leaning forward until they were nose to nose. Then she kissed him… and kissed him.

Reth\'s breath sped up and he let go of her hands to cup her face as she opened her mouth and their tongues tangled.

But as soon as he loosed her, she twisted around him to the door, singing "Thank you, husband!" and waving over her shoulder at him as she darted outside.

Reth growled for real then, but swung the big door further open so he could fit through, and followed her into whatever they would face this day.

Whatever it was, he knew she\'d be worth it.

*****

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