“You come by your aversion to titles honestly, my dear,” her father said, piling his plate high with more cured meats than he would have if his wife were present. “Your commander here was stationed just outside of the village I grew up in.”
Ameera’s voice echoed in Astra’s mind. She could be charming, even affable if she tried. Cordiality was the first stepping stone to charming someone, right?
“Is that so, Commander?”
Luxuros nodded, reaching for the coffee press at the center of the table just as Astra’s fingers landed on the curved handle. In the interest of civility, Astra jerked her hand back, nodding toward the commander to go ahead. He lifted the press and filled her cup first as he spoke.
“I spent a few years there. It’s a beautiful place. It’s what inspired your painting in the princess’s study, yes?”
Nayson’s eyes lit up, a spark within him catching and running along his smile. “Indeed! I’ve tried many times to describe the way the Sun washes over the red rocks of the Earthen deserts for Astra, but I’m afraid it’s impossible to explain to someone who has only ever known moonlight.”
“You’ve never seen the Sun?” Luxuros turned to Astra, setting a carafe of cream between them. She shook her head, pushing it back toward the center of the table.
“Only in my father’s artwork.”
“You’re talented, Nayson, to be sure. But I’m afraid it doesn’t compare to the real thing.”
“Certainly not!” Nayson waved him off. “You know, as much as I hate to see you go, Astra, I delight in knowing you’ll get your eyes on the Sun firsthand.”
“I worry I’ll burst into flames.”
Both men chuckled at this, though she wasn’t sure she was joking. The commander seemed to read the trepidation on her face.
“We’ll make sure you’re properly protected, Princess.”
“Astra,” she sighed.
“Pardon?”
“Call me Astra,” she said. “I hate Princess. It just feels… silly.”
Luxuros leaned back in his chair, bringing his coffee cup to his lips. “Silly?” he asked after a long sip.
“It’s not like I earned the title. You’re a commander. You’ve battled in wars and led armies. I was born into the right bloodline. Hardly an accomplishment.”
His lips twisted into something like a smile. “I can’t tell if that’s refreshingly self-aware or very irritating.”
“Not the first nor last time you’ll wonder that of me, Commander.” Astra sipped her coffee, watching him decide if he wanted to spar.
He was much easier to take out here in the open air, though she felt every bit of space close between them as he leaned forward. He took a long drag of his coffee, closing his eyes and enjoying the spiced roast.
“Gods, it’s been a long time since I’ve had such a good cup of coffee. We have a market in Mercury open to all the courts, but I rarely have time to make it down to the Earthen stall. Do you import it to the palace?”
Astra could bow out of this conversation for the next two hours and they’d still be going when she came back. Her father could talk about the nuances of coffee for days.
“I was raised by coffee farmers,” Nayson said. “I’m the first in seven generations to leave the farm. I had every intention of returning after the Earthen civil war, but a certain Lunar princess changed my plans.” A wide grin broke across his face at the mention of Oestera.
Luxuros scoffed. “If I had a silver for every time I heard that lately.” His eyes briefly landed on the ring on Astra’s hand, a scarlet blush rising over her neck. She listened as they discussed the Earthen traditions they missed most, the best views of the sunrise, foods they hadn’t had in years, but she struggled to focus on both what they said and keeping her head about the commander’s heat.
“Astra?”
“Sorry,” she mumbled. “I missed what you said.”
“Lux asked if you had a note for the king he could add to his package to Pluto this morning.”
“Oh!” She flushed again, realizing she had completely forgotten about Mirquios’s letter. “Yes,” she responded confidently. “I’ll get that to you as soon as possible.”
“I’m on my way to the post station next. I don’t want to miss the morning drop. I can stop by your study on my way?”
