Page 52 of In the Embrace of Dragons

“I see you are not.”

She leans forward on the table, propping her chin up on one elbow. “Do you still think it isn’t right for queens to sword fight?”

I bite my lip. She is goading me into acknowledging myformer slight against her. I sigh, knowing what I need to do in order to stay in her good graces.

“I apologize,” I say, the words feeling like barbs as they emerge from my throat. “I was just trying to discourage you.”

A surprising smile crosses her face. “Oh, I know. You failed, though.” Her laugh is bright, and then she goes back to eating, patting her dog on the head whenever it whines for some of her food.

“It will learn to beg if you do that,” I say. “Dogs ought to go lie down away from us during mealtimes.”

She raises her eyes to mine, and they are surprisingly fiery. “Oh?”

“It keeps them out from under the servants’ feet, and then you don’t risk them trying to take your food out on the road.”

Nissia ponders this for a moment, then rises. “Come on, Daina,” she calls to the puppy, who already seems to know its name and runs after her. She gestures to the floor and then sets down the dog’s dish of dinner there.

“Happy?” she asks me as she resumes her seat.

I smirk. I didn’t think she’d listen to me.

“It teaches healthy respect. My mother always said a dog should not be underfoot trying to take your meal.”

The queen nods agreeably. “I can see the wisdom in that. Your mother was smart.”

“She was.”

“Mine was, too,” she says, setting her fork aside. “It always felt like she knew the answer to everything. Much smarter than my father. I think she secretly ran the kingdom behind his back.”

This amuses me, given what I saw and heard of her father in the short time I was there.

“And she was a woman of the people,” Nissia goes on, examining her nearly empty plate. “More than he is. Sheunderstood what they needed. She always made sure I knew, too.”

This reminds me of my own mother, who always seemed to have her hand on the people’s pulse.

“That is the only way to be a good ruler,” I say. “If you are too detached, too high up in your tower, someday they will overthrow you.”

It appears I’ve managed to surprise the queen.

“You don’t seem to be one to mingle with the common people,” she says, arching a brow.

“Not necessary. You just have to listen and surround yourself with the right conduits.”

“Hmm.” She looks thoughtful as she rises to her feet. “Lovely spending time with you today,husband.” She says it with a twitch of her lip. “I must go to bed. I hope to see you tomorrow.”

I get to my feet, too, opening my mouth to beg for her to take pity on me and lie with me—but I know that won’t help my cause, so instead I duck my head once.

“Goodnight, wife.”

For a moment, her eyes get bigger, and a faint, hopeful smile teases her mouth. But then she seems to recover her senses and calls her puppy to her side before departing the room.

I watch her go, wondering what I missed.

NISSIA

Vizarios is only doing it to get under my skirts. Or robe, as it were, in dragon fashion. He has only been kind to me, only listened to me and made conversation with me, because somepart of his natural biology requires it—and because he needs an heir.

It is not because he likes me. Though I am ashamed to say Ihopeit is because he likes me.