Crossed Hearts | h.s

Twenty Four

Harry guided the queen to her bedchamber and opened the door. As she walked through the threshold, she turned to look at him, her eyes bloodshot and sagging from fatigue.

"You don't think I'm being too harsh on Matthias, do you?" she asked, her voice sounding as if it would break into a sob at any moment.

As he looked down at her, studying her tired face, he felt sorry for her. He shook his head. "No, Ginny, I don't. He's a greedy man, he wants power, and he thinks that he can get that through you. Don't let him overrule you."

Her dry, cracking lips pulled into a small smile. She reached for his hand and intertwined their fingers. "I'll announce our engagement next week. I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?"

"Waiting so long. I just need to adjust to everything and so do the people."

"Don't apologize," he said, "Take all the time you need. I'm not going anywhere."

❁ ❁ ❁

Luther's funeral was held two days later. It was a day of sadness for some and celebration for others, but all Geneva could think about was the fact that she would be anointed as queen in three days and then she would be the one that the people looked to in times of hardship.

After the funeral, Geneva took supper in her study as she read through papers dictating plans that Luther had thought of before he died. With her elbow on the table and her chin in her palm, she leaned over the parchment as she read its contents. Harry stood by the door, as always, silently watching her work.

Geneva groaned, leaning back in her chair and raising her eyes from the parchment to look at Harry. "We barely have enough money in the treasury to last us through the end of the year and my father's only plan was to marry me off to Zander and use the advantages that he would bring," she said, defeated. "Nydale has no conflicts with anyone, the place is basically a utopia, so there's no point in offering an alliance through the aid of our military. Velora is doomed."

"Don't say that," Harry said, stepping forward and pulling out a chair from the table. He sat down and reached across the wooden surface to take Geneva's hands. "You'll figure it out. You always find a way to win, remember?"

A whisper of a laugh pushed past her lips. "I don't know what to do. And to make matters worse, I'm almost positive that I've made enemies with Zabrina."

"How so?" he asked, pulling back his hands and sitting up straight at the serious tone in her voice.

Geneva chewed on her bottom lip nervously, peeling off a sliver of skin that had dried and become flakey. "She wrote a letter demanding that I send Sir Jon to Audrix to face punishment for the death of Zander and I refused." She expected Harry to be displaying a look of disapproval, but instead he was smirking, dimples appearing on his cheeks. "What?"

"You are going to be the most magnificent queen Velora has ever seen."

She felt heat rush to her cheeks and imagined that they were a rosy color. "Why is that?" she asked, suppressing a smile.

"Because you care for your people and you don't let others bully you into doing things that go against what you believe is right."

"And you will be a great king, Harry," she said without doubt. "That is what you want, isn't it? To be king?"

"If it pleases you," he replied carefully. "But, if it doesn't, I would be just as happy being only your husband."