The sound of the bathroom door lock unlatching roused Iona from her sleep; she glanced over her shoulder to see Leo lifting the blanket and trying to slide in without agitating the bed. His failed attempt at stealthiness made her giggle. “Oh no, did I wake you?” he asked, draping his arm over Iona once more. The sun hang high in the cloudless blue sky, filling the room with a soft, cheery brightness.

She nestled into him, content to stay tangled up as long as they could. “A little, but I don’t mind at all. I think it’s already late morning,” she noticed. “I can’t remember the last time I was in bed this long.”

“That doesn’t surprise me at all,” Leo chuckled, pressing a few lazy kisses to Iona’s shoulder. “I suppose I’ll have to get up soon. My father invited Heston and I to go into town with him this afternoon, apparently there’s some troubadour group performing that we used to love as children. He’s feeling nostalgic, I think.”

Iona smiled, rolling to face him. “Well, that’s very sweet. I’m glad to hear he’s getting out of the palace.”

“Would you like to come? I’m sure he’d be thrilled to have you along,” Leo invited.

“No, no, you three enjoy your father son time. Are you staying overnight? Or will you be back this evening?” she asked, risking coming off a bit eager.

Leo seemed to catch the edge in her tone, a grin growing across his face. “Why?” he teased, “Are you going to miss me if I’m gone?”

Iona rolled her eyes, tempted to shut him down before she thought better of it. Of course she wanted him back with her, would it really be so painful to say that aloud? “Perhaps,” she responded, opting for the middle ground. It was enough of a yes for Leo to glow a bit.

“In that case, I’ll definitely be back tonight,” he assured her. Iona studied the constellation of freckles crossing Leo’s cheeks and nose. How strange is this? she thought, unaware that her face reflected the words in her mind.

Leo pursed his lips and crinkled his brow, “What’s that look for?”

Iona tried to choose her reply with care, “I’m just…surprised, that’s all. Who could have guessed we’d be here together? Two people who generally hated each other their whole lives.”

Leo shook his head, sitting up against the headboard, “I haven’t hated you for a very long time, my dear.” Iona sat up, too, her incredulous expression prompting Leo to continue. “Don’t get me wrong, you get under my skin like no one else. But I’ve always been grateful for you. Perhaps I could have said that a time or two over the years.”

“Perhaps?” she jabbed.

“That’s what I said,” he replied, “And I think you’ve always had a soft spot for me, as well.”

Such an assertion raised Iona’s eyebrows as high as they could climb. “Is that so?” she inquired, “And what makes you say that?”

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

“My father told me about that night you offered to deploy, so I could stay at the palace,” he said, his tone suggesting it was a revelation. Little did he know Iona had known for months. She bit back the snicker on her tongue, his smug grin making it difficult.

Playing along, Iona responded, “Well, if you must know, I didn’t offer to deploy simply because I harbored a secret kindness towards you. I felt somewhat beholden to you. I proposed to your father we trade places to pay a debt, without you knowing about it.”

The quizzical look Iona had held was now mirrored on Leo’s face. “Beholden to me? For what?”

“For the night before. Or maybe you don’t remember…” Iona said, a hint of embarrassment creeping up. Leo half smiled and tilted his head. Of course he remembered.

“You comforted me. And you didn’t have to.” Iona thought back to the night they received news of Elia’s death. There she was, sobbing alone in her bed when her door cracked open. She didn’t have the energy to look up or the care to know who it was. Leo climbed into bed next to Iona and wrapped his arms around her. There were no words exchanged, only free-flowing tears. It took hours, but the pair fell asleep once their eyes had cried themselves dry, curled up together until the morning. Leo was gone by the time she woke up. Iona felt compelled to repay Leo’s support in some way, to do right by Elia’s family, and she resolved to speak with Theron that evening about their battle assignments. Until now, they had never talked about that night.

“Well,” Leo said, stretching his arms up and linking his hands behind his head, “I have to say that I’m thrilled to be back in this bed with you. Under much more positive circumstances.” He popped a kiss on her nose and rolled off the edge of the mattress. With actual flutters in her chest, she turned over and smushed her face into her pillow, hiding the cheesy grin that reached from cheek to cheek. When she got a grasp on her expression, Iona looked up and watched Leo bundle his clothes from the night before in his arms, and wander to her bedside. His hair was mussed, and he’d only bothered to pull on those damn trousers, leaving his tan, cut chest exposed for her eyes to drink in.

He knelt next to her, close enough that she could smell the scent of rain coming off him. Does he just smell this good all the time?

“You should stay in bed, relax for the rest of the day. You’ve earned it. I can have Poppy send up lunch,” he suggested.

After the thoughtful offer, she felt guilty for what she was about to say. “No, no, don’t say anything to Poppy, I can get some food myself,” she answered, swinging her legs over the bed’s edge and sitting up. Leo stayed where he was, looking up at her. Iona ran her hand through his hair and explained, “Look, Leo, I’m really happy about this. I am. But I think we should keep it between us for now.” She meant to pause to hear his thoughts, but her mouth continued to spill out her own, “And it’s not that I just don’t want anyone to know, but the focus needs to be on Heston and if your father catches wind from someone, he’ll be so upset we weren’t the ones to tell him, and if we do tell him then he’s going to get so nosy and go on and on about the family line and the kingdom and-”

“-and insist that we marry tomorrow, right next to his bedside?” Leo cut in, chuckling, “Of course, we should keep it hush until we’re ready.” Iona’s concerns dissolved hearing his agreement. He lifted Iona’s hand from where it rested on her lap and kissed it, the flutters springing to life once again. Leo stood to his full height, before bending down to say goodbye. It started with an easy kiss, a simple peck that decided it needed to be more. Leo pushed Iona back, leaning his weight against her until she was lying down again. His hands ran through her hair, passion building as their tongues began to tangle, and she grabbed at his hips to pull him on the bed. He resisted the temptation though, and released her from his grasp, standing once again. Leo stared at Iona, his lips slick and flushed. “I’ll see you tonight,” he assured.

“Tease,” she replied, her heart beating faster than she would have thought. Leo gave her a wink, and whisked out the door. Iona laid there, soaking in the feelings that Leo riled up in her with just one night together. She was heated, content, excited…happy.

Really fucking happy.