Page 78 of Microburst

She stopped laughing and shot me a worried look before focusing on my bowl. “So you’ll support me when I push the idea of having visiting chefs who work here?”

“Yes.” I nodded when her eyes flashed shock. “I’ll support whatever you want, Sagan. Always as long as it doesn’t hurt you.”

She lost her amusement. “Doing what’s right hurts me all the time and we both know it.” She hurried on when I was going to argue the point. “You were going to tell me something?”

“Tell me first?” I hedged, wanting the idea. I was thrilled when she did.

She basically wanted the castle’s chefs to be cross-trained and ready for state dinners and all cultures. Instead of always acting like Thovudin was the center of the fucking world, that even the staff who worked for the ruler had some better understanding of the people who would visit.

It was how it worked in other countries after all. She said that so easily that I felt pretty ignorant and I really wasn’t. I just wasn’t as worldly as I’d thought and I wanted to fix that.

I wanted to fix it and be worthy of her.

“First, I love the idea and think that would make the staff closer to being worthy of serving such an impressive ruler,” I said honestly before serving us both another bowl and asking she fix it again. Then I let out a slow breath. “I was stronger than your father.”

She dropped her spoon, it clanking loudly against the bowl and then on the table. “I feel like we’ve switched places.”

It took me a moment to understand what she meant and I snorted. She was referring to when I had trouble believing what she told me about Hanna. Sagan knew I wasn’t lying, but she couldn’t see it.

“I beat him in sparring when I had just finished school. My father was furious I’d volunteered, probably knowing the outcome, but I was a cocky shit—hurt how they were treating me and I needed to know. Rhys was dismissive and—not like how you fight. You know you’re good, but you’re never stupid and dismissive. Never.”

“Everyone always underestimates me and it’s their biggest mistake. It’s one I don’t make.” She snorted and picked up her spoon and wiped it off. “I make enough others.”

“We all do. I did that day, showing my full strength.” I cleared my throat. “I’m not going to lie. Your—Rhys could probably have taken me if he trained, but he reminded me a bit of Kole. He was entitled and deluded at times—the best because of how he saw things and lazy. He relied on the royal bloodline instead of working like he should. That was…”

“What?” she pushed.

I let out a slow breath. “I’m not really sure if I’m right, but the pieces fit. Father said something once about Rhys’s arrogance making your grandfather worried he would be easy to manipulate and Father agreed, having seen it now. I think he was referring to the elders.”

She nodded and seemed to process all of that as we finished eating. “Did you kick his ass?”

I snorted, at her question and at the idea. “No, I would have been dead and banished. Everyone knew not to dare pull that shit with Rhys.”

The horrified look she gave me made me fall for her a little more. Like there was no world where she could ever consider people treating her that way and holding back to save her ego.

She couldn’t seem to shake it off until I changed the topic to what happened in court and the fallout. I’d updated her since she’d been in meetings, and I thought she’d want to know that people were on her side.

“I’m sorry about what Ayao said,” she whispered. “You’re not Kole. That wasn’t fair and I told him that he had to tell you the truth.”

It meant a lot that she was bringing that up even if she completely interrupted me and made it clear she hadn’t been listening to what I’d been saying. We were done eating, so Imoved us back to her couch but so we were facing each other this time. After a moment, I reached behind her and took out the one clip she used to keep up her massive amounts of hair.

“You were meant to be the elegant De la Rosa queen, but this isSaganwith her hair down and a beauty like no other,” I whispered as I stared her over. I did a double take when I saw what was in her eyes. “What did I say right that you’re looking at me like that?”

“I don’t know if I can put it into words besides I feel seen,” she admitted.

I slowly nodded because that really explained enough. “He did talk to me and that you made it clear he needed to. He said he thought he was wrong and that he said it in the moment because he was worried about you and couldn’t physically take me, but not to prove you both wrong. That was actually fair.”

“Maybe,” she whispered, sounding unsure. “No one likes being jerked around.”

“That’s not what you’re doing, and what you’ve said about our situation is fair.”

“Maybe, but it’s also why I’m so worried about what you said tonight that you can handle what’s going on now.” She rubbed the side of her face until it was red. I grabbed her hand and made her stop. “You’re all in and so intense and I’m never sure where I am. And now you know that your nephew took my virginity and I’d only been with him until…”

“Joris and Thorn,” I said quietly.

“It’s complicated,” she whispered and went to pull her hand away.

I didn’t let her, instead pulling it closer and kissing her palm. “They’re both very handsome and I’m sure treated you much better. I’m glad you got to experience that.”