Page 41 of Obsidian Throne
“What?” I asked, not bothering to hide the whine in my tone.
He surveyed me before answering. “Our presence is required at an estate dinner tonight.”
That could only mean… “Required by your father?”
He nodded.
“Wonderful,” I muttered, thinking of how very unappealing the idea of squashing my abdomen into a corset sounded.
As it was, I was wearing one of Evander’s shirts instead of my own more-fitted nightclothes. Briefly, I considered whether there was a way out of this, but my husband’s face was enough to tell me there was not.
“How did you get away with missing so many estate dinners and council meetings and, well, everything when I was here before?” I asked.
Evander smirked. “I told everyone I was...preoccupied with my captive.”
My jaw dropped. “Youaalio.”
He shrugged without a single shred of remorse. “I did what I had to do to keep you safe, Lemmikki. It was the most believable lie.”
“Well, at least now I know where the rumors came from,” I muttered.
“Yes, because no one would have said a word about you sleeping in my rooms and sharing a room at the inns with me otherwise,” he replied wryly.
Fair point.
“Well, I suppose I can’t be too upset since it wouldn’t have been a lie if I had been given a say.” I grinned at him wickedly, and heat entered his gaze.
But when he sank on the bed next to me and pressed his lips against mine, a sharp pain in my abdomen reminded me that we couldn’t take this any further today.
Which was just great, considering we also had this wretched dinner to attend.
Evander noticed my uncharacteristic hesitation and pulled back, examining my face.
“Lemmikki?” he inquired.
“We...can’t,” I said irritably.
“Why not?” He looked more confused than unhappy.
“Because…”I am an adult, and my cheeks will not redden.“I actually do have pressing feminine needs at the moment.”
Understanding dawned on his features, and he moved his lips to my forehead instead. “I see. Well, at least we know the herbs are working.”
He settled in next to me, and I leaned into him, hissing through my teeth at the movement.
“Are you in pain, Lemmikki?” The concern in his voice was...frankly adorable.
“Nothing I can’t handle,” I assured him.
Still, his hand went to my abdomen. The pressure eased some of the discomfort, and I sighed in relief, snuggling farther into him.
Then his other comment resonated with me, and I realized there was something we should probably talk about sooner rather than later, in the event that the herbs did not work.
“You realize that...if we decide to stop using the herbs, or they don’t work…” Again, I forced a blush from my cheeks. “Any children of ours will have my blood.”
A beat of silence passed before he responded. “I am aware that’s how these things work.”
“My fae blood, I mean,” I said, my tone laced with exasperation. “And we don’t know how that manifests. Avani, when she was younger…it was difficult to hide the way the animals would all kind of flock to her. On the other hand, the twins had no trouble hiding their communication. But there would be some level of danger.”