"Cimar and his squire are all right then?"
She rose and crossed over to him, taking one of his hands and wrapping it reassuringly in her own. "Yes. Your champion is none to be trifled with—we already knew that, but he's set to become legend. According to the lad who came bearing the message, they will be here by nightfall, weather permitting, along with a cart carrying the lindworm's skin."
"What!"
Korena laughed and let go of his hand.
"That is precisely what Her Highness said when the messenger first told us."
Korena shot Aliara a playfully reprimanding look. "You stop it."
Aliara grinned before turning her focus back to her sewing.
"Walk with me?" Korena asked.
"My honor," Davrin replied, and offered his arm.
She led him out of the library and out a door to what proved to be her private garden, covered in expensive glass and kept warm so herbs and other necessaries could be grown throughout the year. She could have easily filled it with roses and other indulgent plants to enjoy, but he wasn't surprised she instead put it to practical use. Korena had always put others before herself, the very opposite of her father.
Even in looks, they were disparate, for Korena had gotten all of hers from her mother: the light brown skin and dark, red-brown hair bound in twin plaits pinned up in knots, and the full, generous figure that men loved to speak crudely of when they thought no one of importance could overhear them, along with all the ways they'd love to 'make a real woman' of her.
Davrin had always kept his mouth tactfully shut, but the sudden realization that as prince consort he could finally put them in their place was delightful.
They came to a stop near a worktable, where someone had recently been cutting and bundling herbs and turning others into powder or paste. She let go of his arm and turned to face him. "What decided you?"
"Well, it's hard to complain about being offered such a position," he replied wryly. "More sincerely, it seemed like the right thing to do. You enumerated the reasons. Even after much careful contemplation, I can find no flaw. If you trust me to be your prince consort, then I am happy to be so, or at least try my very best."
She smiled, that warm, bright smile again that showed something—much—of the person behind the crown. "Then we've much to discuss, in the way of details, but I did want to go ahead and settle one matter for you, regarding the more intimate elements of our relationship."
"What matter is that?"
"I wanted to assure you that I would never expect you to sever your relationship with Sir Cimar. Aliara is my lover and beloved, and I would not part ways with her for any price. If that—" She faltered briefly, then rallied, "If that arrangement troubles you, then we can either part ways or both sever the romantic elements of our respective relationships. I would greatly prefer nobody have to do any such thing, if it's in our power to come to an arrangement much happier for all."
Davrin inhaled sharply. "I see. I think you're kind and generous, Your Highness, and I'd never dream of demanding you cease your relationship with Lady Aliara. I fear there is a misunderstanding here, though. Cimar and I are acquainted, and perhaps even friends after a fashion, but we've never been lovers."
Her brow furrowed, mouth turning down. "Really? But the way you two look at each other, the way he's stood for you as champion when he's turned away so many generous offers…"
"He never mentioned that," Davrin said softly. But of course Cimar wouldn't. He was in every way exactly what a knight should be. "I'll be frank, Highness—"
"I think you can use my name, under the circumstances," she said, lips twitching.
"Not unless you want to give the game away sooner than is safe."
She made a face. "Of course. That was foolish of me. But continue, please, my apologies."
"In all honesty, I wish Cimar was my lover. I've long thought of him in ways forbidden to me, but my duties and his marriage always kept me from making a fool of myself."
"I think too many rules are kept long after their purpose fades." She smiled, a hint of playfulness in it. "I also think you should perhaps be as honest with Sir Cimar as you are with me." Stepping in closer, she draped her arms around his neck. "You'll have husbandly duties to perform, my prince, but I trust you to know what you are about if you go seeking other beds when your presence isn't required in mine."
Davrin chuckled and slid an arm around her waist as she brushed a teasing kiss across his mouth. "If only all my duties were even half so pleasant. I'll be more than happy to serve, my queen." Which was true. Davrin was as attracted to women as he was men, and Korena was hardly a curse upon the eyes.
She did, in fact, feel rather nice pressed right up against him, nice enough that he'd make his feelings quite plain if she didn't step away soon.
"Well, that is one matter resolved, and rather easily," she replied.
"I'm generally only ever hard when and where it matters," Davrin replied, pleased when she laughed. "Was there anything else that required immediate discussion?"
"No, the rest is all details that can wait. I had simply wanted to reassure you that I wasn't expecting you to sever your relationship with Cimar and to tell you the truth of Aliara. I hope over time the four of us will come to a comfortable arrangement." Her eyes glittered. "Though first my fiancé must step up and acquire the lover."
"Not the strangest royal command I've ever been given, but certainly a close second."
She laughed again and took his arm when he offered, and they made their way from the garden.
"If I am to do as commanded, though, it would be better if his current marriage was severed once and for all." He related what little Cimar had told him of the matter, including King Rorlen's refusal to grant a severance.
"I'll take care of it," Korena replied, and sighed. "It's nice to occasionally have a problem with an easy solution."
As they reached the library, Aliara promptly cast aside her work, clearly not as absorbed in it as she'd seemed before. "Well?"
"Come here and kiss me, you fretful goose," Korena replied.
Aliara threw herself out of her chair and obeyed with enthusiasm. Davrin strove to behave honorably, and give them a moment, but it was damned difficult not to look his fill at a sight intoxicating enough people would surrender entire fortunes to enjoy it for mere minutes.
It also didn't take Korena telling him to see the two were deeply in love. But though Aliara was a suitable candidate in every other way, the heir to the throne was required to marry for heirs, and unless he was mistaken, neither Korena nor Aliara possessed an essential component to that process.
Davrin silently bid his own essential component to behave.
When they finally drew apart, Aliara approached him and curtsied, then rose and tidied her hair and mussed dress. "Thank you for being so understanding, my lord." She winked. "Your Highness."
"That will take getting used to it," Davrin said. "Even in my most ambitious daydreams, my being royalty made no appearance. I am sorry it cannot be you, my lady."
She smiled, bittersweet but accepting. "What we have is far better than we dared to hope, and more than most will ever have. I was happy to learn Sir Cimar survived the lindworm. The other knights will have quite the time trying to outdo him at story time!"