Chapter 146: Done with the act.

He watched her for another moment, as if he was not entirely convinced, but eventually nodded. "All right. Just let someone know if you start feeling worse."

"I will."

Rosaline gave him a grateful smile before turning back to her plate. She took another sip of water and waited until the last trace of coughing had passed before setting the glass down. Xandros’s hand was still at her waist, and she could feel the occasional movement of his thumb against the fabric of her gown.

She glanced at him from the corner of her eye.

He was speaking to King Lucien again.

Of course he was.

He had managed to cause a scene without appearing to cause one, had dismissed Adrian without so much as looking at him, and had taken it upon himself to clean Rosaline’s face in front of the entire royal family. Now he had returned to the conversation as though nothing worth remembering had happened.

Rosaline’s eyes narrowed slightly.

You are enjoying this.

She could not prove it, but she was beginning to suspect that Xandros found her discomfort amusing. There was something about the calm way he carried himself tonight, the faintly pleased expression that occasionally appeared at the corners of his mouth, that made her wonder whether he had decided to spend the evening testing just how far he could push her before she lost her patience.

She would not give him the satisfaction.

With that decision firmly in mind, Rosaline picked up her cutlery and resumed eating. She made a point of keeping her expression composed, responding when someone addressed her and listening when the conversation moved to matters concerning the kingdom. She even managed to ask Adrian a polite question about House Valerian’s trade operations when the discussion returned to the merchants’ influence over the eastern corridor.

Adrian answered graciously, though Rosaline noticed that his attention occasionally wandered towards her husband. Xandros, for his part, seemed entirely uninterested in acknowledging the earlier exchange. He continued eating and speaking as he pleased, his hand remaining at Rosaline’s waist until she finally caught his fingers and pressed them firmly against his own leg.

He looked at her then.

Rosaline kept her smile in place and continued listening to the conversation.

Xandros’s mouth curved into a small, sly smile.

She nearly crushed the stem of her glass.

Just you wait.

Dinner continued, though Rosaline could not say she enjoyed the rest of it. She was too aware of the man beside her, too conscious of the way he seemed to anticipate every little movement she made. Whenever she reached for something, he was already moving it closer. When her glass became empty, he refilled it before she could call a servant. Once, when she paused to search for her napkin, he placed it beside her hand without even looking away from the person speaking to him.

It was maddening.

She had spent years learning to manage on her own, to ask for little and expect even less from the people around her. Now Xandros seemed determined to behave as though looking after her was the most natural thing in the world, and she had no idea how she was supposed to respond to it. She could not decide whether he was being considerate, teasing her, or simply making some point she had yet to understand.

By the time the final dishes were cleared, she had reached no conclusion at all.

At last, King Lucien set his napkin on the table and rose from his chair. The movement signalled that dinner had come to an end, and the others began to follow his lead. Chairs shifted against the floor, servants stepped forward to collect the remaining dishes, and the conversations that had been kept low throughout the meal began to fade.

Queen Vivienne stood after the king, smoothing the front of her gown before turning towards Rosaline. Her smile returned, warm and inviting.

"Rosaline, dear," she said, "I was hoping I might have a little time with you tonight, if you don’t mind. There are a few things I’d like us to discuss. It has been so long since we had a proper conversation."

Rosaline had opened her mouth to answer when Xandros spoke.

"I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you, Your Majesty."

The queen’s smile faltered for the briefest moment. Rosaline turned to him, startled that he had answered on her behalf, while the king paused beside his chair. Frederick looked up from where he had been speaking to one of the advisers, and even Adrian’s attention returned to their end of the table.

Xandros did not seem bothered by the sudden silence.

"I would like to steal my wife for the evening," he continued, turning towards Queen Vivienne with a polite smile. "I’ve arranged a little surprise for her, and it would be a shame to waste it. Unfortunately, I only remembered that I hadn’t told her about it at the last moment."

Rosaline stared at him.

A surprise?

For her?

She searched his face, hoping to find some hint that he was joking, but he looked perfectly serious. There was not even the slightest warning in his expression, nothing to suggest that he had just invented the entire plan while standing beside her chair.

She had no idea what he was talking about.

More importantly, she had no idea why he was talking about it as though she had already agreed to go with him.

Queen Vivienne looked between them. Her surprise was obvious, though she recovered quickly enough to produce another smile.

"Oh, well, of course," she said. "I wouldn’t want to stand in the way of that. After all, you are still newlyweds. It is only natural that you should wish to spend time together."

The words made Rosaline’s face grow warm.

Newlyweds.

She was beginning to think that phrase was going to haunt her for the rest of her life.

"Besides," Queen Vivienne added, looking almost amused now, "there will be plenty of time for us to talk tomorrow. I can hardly complain if a husband wants to spend an evening with his wife."

"You’re very kind," Xandros replied.

He said it so smoothly that Rosaline could only stare at him in disbelief. He had not asked her whether she wanted to go anywhere. He had not told her what this supposed surprise was. He had simply announced that he intended to take her away for the evening, and the entire table had accepted it as though he had made the most ordinary request in the world.

Rosaline tried to catch his eye, but he was already thanking the queen.

King Lucien said nothing. He looked at Xandros for a moment, his expression unreadable, then gave a small nod that could have meant almost anything. Whether he approved of the arrangement or simply did not care enough to object, Rosaline could not tell.

Frederick, however, looked at his sister with a faintly curious expression.

"You have a surprise planned?" he asked Xandros.

"Something like that," Xandros replied.

"That sounds mysterious."

"That is rather the point."

Frederick let out a short laugh, apparently satisfied with the answer. Rosaline was not.

She was still trying to work out how to question her husband without drawing more attention to herself when Xandros offered his hand. The gesture was perfectly courteous, the sort of thing any attentive husband might do when helping his wife rise from the table.

Rosaline placed her hand in his, mostly because refusing in front of everyone would only invite further questions. He helped her to her feet, then moved closer. Before she could step away, his hands settled at her waist once more.

Her cheeks warmed instantly.

It was not merely the touch. It was the fact that he had done it so openly, in front of her father, her stepmother, her brother, and the people who had spent the entire evening watching them. Queen Vivienne was smiling as though she had just witnessed something charming. Frederick looked amused. Adrian had politely lowered his gaze, but Rosaline was certain he had noticed.

She wanted the floor to open beneath her feet.

"Your Grace," Queen Vivienne said, her smile broadening, "I hope you both enjoy your evening."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

Xandros inclined his head, then turned Rosaline towards the doors. His hand remained at her waist as they began walking, and she could feel the heat rising further into her face with every step.

She kept her eyes fixed ahead, refusing to look back at the table. She could already imagine what the queen would think of the display, and she had no wish to discover what her brother might say about it later. As for her father, she doubted he would give the matter much thought at all.

The doors opened before them, and the noise of the dining hall gradually faded behind them as they entered the corridor. Rosaline continued walking for several steps, waiting until they were far enough from the others that their conversation would not carry back into the room.

Then she stopped.

Xandros took another step before noticing that she was no longer moving him. He turned towards her, one hand still resting comfortably at her waist.

Rosaline looked down at it, then slowly lifted her eyes to his face.

Her cheeks were still pink, but the embarrassment was beginning to give way to irritation. She had endured his strange behaviour throughout dinner, allowed him to speak for her in front of the queen, and stood there while he announced a mysterious surprise that she had never heard of. She had done all of this without making a scene, and she had no intention of continuing to humour him now that they were finally alone.

"Xandros," she said through her teeth, keeping her voice low, "remove your hand from my waist."