Page 2 of To Save a Kingdom

That should be what she was focusing on—figuring out which humans she could move into positions in her court to gradually replace the command structure with people who were loyal, and ease the elves out. Then, when they did leave, she wouldn’t be on her own with no support.

Instead, here she was, stuck dictating which farmers would plant which crops, and when. Ugh. She brushed a stray lock of hair out of her face as the image of the pile of papers rising like a tidal wave and drowning her popped into her mind. “I don’t have any clue what a cover crop is. Or what in the name of the mages crop futures are. And why is it a bad idea to put corn and tomatoes together, when people eat a lot of both so it makes sense to do so? Who decided I was the best one to determine all this?”

“Malkov preferred to micromanage,” Shadow said, her dry tone making her opinion of the former king obvious.

Squeezing her eyes closed, Aliya took a deep breath and held it until her lungs burned and white sparkled at the edge of her vision. She exhaled. How had Malkov kept all these details straight? She had no idea. He’d always seemed so composed, so in control.

Of course, it was easier governing from pre-established precedents than starting from scratch, like she was.

Shadow licked the back of one foot and rubbed it over her ear, as if the slick black fur needed grooming. “The court likely will assume the same about you until they get to know you, or you flat out tell them otherwise.” She gave Aliya a wry frown. “Crop Management sounds like one you should delegate. Perhaps to the farmer’s guild?”

Aliya blinked as a weight lifted from her shoulders. Of course. It made complete sense that those who did this for a living would be able to make the best decisions, at least on a small scale. She could appoint someone at the top of their guild, assuming the position wasn’t already in place, to make sure the food needs for the kingdom were covered. As long as her people didn’t starve next winter, she didn’t care who planted what. The overbearing piles of paper suddenly seemed a little less intimidating.

She met Shadow’s gaze, surprised at the relief flooding her tense muscles. “Good idea.” Setting the contract aside, she reached for the next. She could get used to this delegation thing. This one was the agreement with the dwarves. With a hard swallow, she slid it back into the middle of the pile. She’d deal with that later, when she was a little more clear headed.

The door clicked open.

Her stomach did a little dance as Elessan stepped into the room. The firelight flickered off his blond hair and cast dark pools across the planes of his face. A tired smile tugged at the corners of her mouth as heat spread over her skin. “I didn’t think I was going to see you at all today.”

Shadow jumped off the desk and strutted for the door, tail upright.

Raising an eyebrow, Elessan threw the latch into place as soon as the furry body was out of the room. “I don’t think Malkov’s cat likes me very much.”

Aliya flinched. Shadow had refused to tell her why she had such an issue with Elessan, and Aliya suspected it went deeper than their burgeoning relationship. “Technically, she’s mine now.” As were all the rooms, furnishings and problems in The King’s Wing, Malkov’s former suite.

Elessan gave her a noncommittal grunt and came to stand behind her. His warm hands settled on her back, his thumbs digging into the knots between her shoulder blades. He bent, his mouth near her ear. “You’re so tense.”

His gravelly voice tickled the fine hairs on her neck, sending a shiver through her. Closing her eyes, she dropped her chin to her chest with a groan.

Light fingers brushed her hair from her nape before they moved up to knead the small muscles along her cervical vertebrae.

“I could help you with that, you know.” His tone carried a bit of wickedness, and she had no doubt one corner of his lips was pulled up, revealing a hint of his fangs.

Need uncurled behind her navel, lower. She clenched her jaw and, with supreme effort, shook her head. “I can’t.” She gestured to the papers piled up on her desk. “I have to wade through all these before the council meeting tomorrow.”

He stepped back, the seductive pitch dropping from his words as he scanned the documents. “You’ve been going full speed all day. You didn’t even make it to dinner.”

“I didn’t have time.” She really should grab the next document and start reading it, but his touch felt so good. One by one, the muscles in her neck relaxed under his careful ministrations.

“You do realize the court will run you as ragged as you allow, right?”

She sighed. He was probably correct. Tilting her chin up, she studied him. He held her head, his fingers spreading over her scalp, sending pleasant tingles along her roots as they rested between her skull and the wooden back of the chair. “Only for the next few weeks. Things will settle down.”

Something tugged at one corner of his lips, but it was gone before she identified it. “No. There will always be something. If you don’t set boundaries and expectations now, it’ll be much harder to do so down the road.”

She opened her mouth to argue but snapped it shut.

He planted a kiss in the middle of her forehead. “Take a break before you give yourself a headache and pass out. I’ll go grab something from the kitchen.”

She closed her eyes, luxuriating in the sensation of his warm lips on her skin. The pulsing pressure—the onset of the very headache he warned her about—faded under his soft caress. “Okay.”

His footsteps moved across the room, the door opening and closing as she rubbed her eyes. Elessan was right. She’d have to set expectations with the council first thing tomorrow. She had no desire to spend the rest of her life like this.

Glancing around the room, she sucked on her lower lip. Her bedroom and bathing chamber were just through the door to her left. A warm bath would be glorious, but the bed sounded even better.

She focused on the two piles of documents on her desk with a sigh. While she waited for him to return, she could at least knock out one or two more of these. Pulling the top one toward her, she squinted at it.

“Aliya?”