Page 44 of Markets & Mooncakes

"Neither do I."

He smiles and heads over to unlock the door.

"Chef Matthews," Betsy says, dipping into a curtsy to him.

"Betsy," he responds with a nod of his head.

She slips into the room and curtsies. "Good morning, Your Highness."

"Good morning," I respond.

She picks up my nightdress from the floor and folds it. "Would you like me to fetch you some tea?"

"No, I can have some when I get to the mountain solar," I respond.

"That's not the sort of tea I meant, Your Highness. I know that the Queen has some sent to you, but you don't usually drink it."

Understanding dawns on me. She doesn't mean tea, she means accident tea, to stop me from having a baby. I'm about to deny it, just like I have every other time someone has suggested that I drink it, but something makes me pause. "Yes."

"At once, Your Highness." She turns to go brew it.

"Betsy, there's no rush."

"I believe the sooner you drink it, the more effective it can be, Your Highness. If you leave it too long, it won't work."

I clear my throat. "I, we, erm, I don't need it for that today. There was...nothing that would make it necessary." This is a very surreal conversation for us to have, and I don't think either of us really imagined having it, especially when I haven't had anything close to what I have with Nate with anyone before. "I would just like the tea for the future."

"I understand, Your Highness." She turns back into the room, and I let out a sigh of relief that she's believed me. Not that it would really matter if she didn't, I'm still going to drink the tea today. Which is a strange thing to think, especially when I've spent so long telling people that I don't need it. But I suppose things change.

I get out of bed and wash so that I can put on a new shift before sitting for Betsy to sort out my hair, which has somehow become very tangled. But Betsy is good at what she does, and has been my lady's maid since I started doing royal engagements at seventeen, so has plenty of experience in dealing with me and how best to do my hair without me feeling overwhelmed by the sensations, giving me plenty of time to think about the events of last night and how I feel about everything that happened.

The only conclusion I can draw from all of my thoughts is that I don't want it to be too long until I get to wake up in the same bed as Nate again, and hopefully, it'll be a morning where I don't accidentally make him late.

Chapter 19

I barely notice Ember leaving my shoulder to go sit on top of the oven. She lets out a demanding croak at Nate, but he's not paying her any attention either.

He's looking straight at me as if everything else in the world has disappeared.

"Hi," I say softly.

"Hi," he responds. He steps forward and doesn't waste any time pulling me into his arms.

I close my eyes as he gives me the softest, most caring kiss I think we've ever exchanged. Which says something, because none of the kisses we've shared have been uncaring.

"How are you feeling?" he asks.

"Good." I put a hand on his arm. "Last night was...right."

"Right?"

"I don't know, I was trying to find the word I wanted to use for it, and that's the one that came to me. Last night felt right."

He smiles at me. "It did."

"You didn't get into too much trouble for being late, did you?"

"No, but that's part of the advantage of being the boss," he responds. "Though Camille has been teasing me all day. It didn't take her very long to figure out I'd been with you."