Page 104 of Warrior King
More quietly, Draylon repeated, a smile playing over his lips, “No. I need you to handle all those whining petitions. And the paperwork. Oh, the paperwork. Without you, I might have to do work myself.”
Now came Yarif’s turn to snort. “You do plenty of work.”
“Ah, but you make it look easy.”
“Easy?”
Draylon placed a hand on his chest. “Did you just call me easy?”
“What! No! I…” Yarif sputtered, at a loss for words.
“’Cause if you did, I have it on good authority that you own a manor nearby. Maybe we can stop for the night.” Draylon waggled his brows. “It would be much better than sleeping on the ground, surrounded by our snoring guards.”
“We only just got on the road a few hours ago.” But yes, the manor wasn’t far. Manor, pig farm, whatever.
“Even an hour without seeing your gorgeous body is too long.” Draylon flashed a smile.
Yarif laughed. “If you say so. I’m glad Avestan is allowing us two weeks to get to Cormira. I think we’re going to need every moment.”
“Maybe longer, if neither of us can sit in a saddle.”
“You’re incorrigible.”
“Yes, I am,” Draylon said in Cormiran.
Yarif brought his horse to a stop. He replied in the same language, “You knew I spoke your native language all along, didn’t you?”
“Yes, but who was I to spoil your fun, thinking you’d gotten one over on me? Besides, you gained good information by pretending you didn’t.”
True. “Why you…” Yarif wheeled his horse around, digging his heels in. “I’ll race you to the manor.”
They flew over the ground, laughing like two schoolboys, their startled guards following after a moment’s hesitation.
They arrived at the manor hours later, twigs stuck in their hair, clothes in disarray, and cheeks split wide with grins, their guards still mortified by having lost them in the woods for a spell.
Time enough later to worry about kings, emperors, and politics. Right now was just for them.
Later, Yarif would give his husband an overdue wedding gift: a pair of loose white trousers and Captain Unger’s rapier.
Because his warrior king was indeed worthy.
