Page 168 of North Queen
As evening came the following day, Norah arrived in the dining room to find Mikael alone. He stood when she entered. “Salara,” he greeted.
She slowed as she approached the table, looking around. “Where is the lord commander?” He always ate his dinners with the king.
“He won’t be joining us anymore,” he said.
Norah paused in surprise. For the commander to be sent from the king would be a heavy blow to him, but she couldn’t muster any sympathy, and she couldn’t deny the relief of his absence. They both took their seats at opposite ends of the table, and servants set plates of food before them.
“And I’ve told him he’s to obey your commands as my own,” he added.
She didn’t know what to say. He’d given her control over the most powerful man in his kingdom, a man he loved as a brother. He’d told her he would deal with the commander. And he had. Whether the commander obeyed her—that was a different matter. But this was a good start. “Thank you,” she said finally.
They ate in silence, with their eyes catching each other occasionally. The tumbling in her stomach returned, and Norah couldn’t help the small smile on her lips. When they were finished, they stood.
“Can I walk you?” he asked as he moved to her end of the table and offered his arm. She slipped hers underneath, and he covered her hand in his, leading her toward her sanctuary. She was starting to like this walk.
When they reached the hall, he stopped, but he didn’t let her go. “Can I take you to your door?”
A nervous flutter hit her stomach. Why was she nervous? Shedidwant to bridge this gap between them, for them to be closer… She nodded.
When they reached her sanctuary door, she moved to pull her hand from his arm, but he tightened his hold, and they both stilled. His dark eyes flickered between hers, and his lips parted slightly. Then they closed, as if he were nervous too. Was he nervous? Her stomach fluttered more.
“Can I kiss you, Salara?” he asked ever so softly. He lowered his head to hers, but paused, waiting for her answer.
Her breath hitched in her chest. She wanted him to kiss her. So why couldn’t she say yes? This was a harsh kingdom, and he was a harsh king. The memory of him killing the Serran envoy’s guard filled her mind. He could be ruthless, and cruel. Although he wasn’t cruel to her.
But that wasn’t enough.
He’d given her control over the commander, she reminded herself. He’d asked her what he needed to change. For her…
His lips were so close. Her body threatened to betray her warring mind, conspiring with the gravities of the earth to pull her closer. She only needed to lift her chin.
He drew in a breath as he gave a small nod and pulled back. She’d hesitated too long, and her stomach dropped. She could still tell him yes—
“Good night, then,” he said, his voice polite.
She could still tell him… “Good night,” she whispered.
He turned and walked back the way they’d come.
Chapter forty-eight
Theinkdriedslowlyon the parchment as she wrote, and Norah blew the letters dry. It had been hard to write a letter to her grandmother. She’d started over many times and still wondered if she should start again. She folded it, stamped her seal, and watched the wax harden.
The door opened, and Vitalia entered, carrying a plate of dried fruit and bread. She smiled at Norah. “Is that a letter you’re sending?”
She looked at the folded parchment in her fingers. “To my grandmother.” She wondered what Catherine was doing at that moment.
“Do you miss her?”
Norah did. “Salara-Mae reminds me of her.”
Vitalia frowned. “So, no?”
Norah couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her. It pushed the sadness away, if only for a moment. The quiet returned. “I do miss her. I wish she understood.” She inhaled, trying to breathe energy back into herself and shift her mind to lighter thoughts. “I want to do something different today.” She thought for a moment. “Do you think we could go to the market?”
“I doubt the lord commander would approve of that.”
Norah shrugged. “The lord commander has no say.” There was a freedom to the words. “And I’ll take a proper guard.”
