The King's Inamorata (A Queen's Tale #1)

An Old Man

The two of them were silent the entire morning. Vivia first went to check on Tomas but he was fast asleep. He would be for the next few hours anyway. When she touched his forehead he was battling a slight fever. She and Luc picked up whatever had been discarded on the floor the night before without making any eye contact. Neither of them were very hungry but she put tea to boil anyway, if just for the sake of keeping herself busy.

When Luc was ready to leave she walked him to the door and they stopped to face each other for a moment. She noticed that the buttons on his waistcoat were undone so she buttoned them herself.

"I like this."

"Like what?" she asked him.

"The two of us being this way with each other. The way it used to be. Waking up in the morning and getting ready. Tea boiling on the stove."

Her fingers slowed and she struggled to change the subject. "I notice you don't limp anymore. I'm glad."

When she was done she smoothed out his shirt and they stood face to face for a long while. Eventually, she rested her head on his shoulder and he wrapped his arms around her in an embrace she never wanted to leave.

"I'm staying right here, for the both of you. I won't leave your side."

"For how long?" she asked quietly. "You and I both know you cannot stay here longer than a month."

Luc only held her tighter. Her tears stained his cape.

"Will you write to me?" she pleaded gently.

"Every. Single. Day."

Before she could respond the door to her cottage flew right open. "VIVIA DID YOU SEE THOSE SOLDIERS IN—?"

Agna's eyes were wide with excitement and she was smiling, on the brink of laughter. But the moment she and Luc met gazes her expression fell. She blinked a few times.

"Oh my," she stared. "Is he real?"

He chuckled. "I'm real."

Vivia smiled at her best friend and Agna walked into the foyer to meet Luc. With a squeal, she jumped into his arms and wrapped hers around his neck. A mirthful laugh escaped Luc as the two of them both stumbled further into the house.

"My rotten fake cousin," she exclaimed. "I can't believe you're here."

"I'm here," he assured her. "And there's much to fill you in on."

                                                                                             ***

No matter what Vivia did, Tomas would not wake or up or sit up in bed to eat. He simply begged to be left alone so he could go back to sleep. She was forced to feed him medicine with a spoon to help break the fever and ease any pain he was feeling. Luc was hearing for only a short time and Tomas would not even be awake to enjoy it. She waited a while upstairs for Agna and Luc to finish speaking. She knew how much her best friend missed him. She thought that they needed to be alone for a while.

That was, of course, until she heard shouting coming from outside.

"Vivia!" Agna was saying. "They're here!"

She put down her medical book. "Who?"

When she arrived downstairs and soldier passed her in the hall and into her living room. "Excuse me, I—!"

Before she could say anything, another passed and then another. She counted four and each of them was carrying enormous trunks. When she looked outside, Luc was talking to a black-haired knight and laughing, while standing in front of a carriage. He clasped the man on the shoulder before pointing back to the city and giving instructions. The black-haired man smiled and nodded. He called out for the other soldiers and they all walked over to him.