Page 167 of Savage Throne
“My attendants did.”
I raised an eyebrow, though she couldn’t see it. “You had attendants?”
“Yes.”
“Did you like that?”
She shifted slightly against me and her breath brushed over my collarbone. “It’s odd. I don’t know if I can get used to it.”
“You will.” I slipped my fingers over her head, enjoying the smoothness. “I don’t want you to ever have to lift a finger for anything, Moni. Not even to wash yourself.”
She laughed softly, and the sound vibrated through me like music, but then it faltered, turning heavy with sadness.
She lifted her head.
My chest tightened at the emotion swirling in her brown eyes. “Lei. . .are you ready to fight your father?”
“I am.” The answer came without hesitation, though the weight of it settled like a stone in my gut.
“However. . .” My throat tightened. “Do you know why I gave you that ring tonight?”
She widened her eyes. “Why?”
I brushed my thumb over her cheek, feeling the warmth of her skin beneath my touch. “Because if I die tonight—”
“Don’t.” Tears welled in her eyes, glistening like two tiny diamonds. “Don’t talk like that. Don’t even fucking say it.”
“I have to,” I slipped my thumb down to her bottom lip and traced it. “If I died tonight, I needed you to know—without a doubt—that you have my heart. I just. . .needed you to know that I wanted you to be my wife and. . .the mother of my kids. . .”
A single tear escaped, sliding down her cheek, and I caught it with my thumb. “Before I left the Palace, I signed my legacy away to you. Even if my father wins, the throne is yours to share with your sisters—”
“My sisters?”
“Their names are there, right in my will. My aunts, Chen, Duck, Dima, Banks, and even Marcelo served as official witnesses. We did this under the very law my father wrote. He would honor it—”
“Y-you’re not going to die—”
“Still, it would be irresponsible to not make sure your sisters and you weren’t protected, if I did—”
“Lei.” Desperation hit her voice. “Let’s run away. Right now. Please, I’m begging you. I—”
“That’s not who I am, Moni. I wasn’t taught to run away. I was always taught to barrel towards the danger and face death no matter how much it scared me.”
“But. . .”
“When the battle begins—”
“Lei, you don’t have to—”
“Listen to me.”
She pursed her lips.
“When the battle begins, stay close to Chen and Hu, along with your ladies-in-waiting. They already know to make sure you can see the battle, but never get to close—”
“What the fuck does that mean?”
“It means that I know my future wife well enough—”
