Chapter 0831
Mostly, I let my mind wander, thinking of better things. Of my family at home, and how pleasant it is to sit around a lovely fire with them, joking and laughing. Of Jackson, and how honestly I wouldn’t mind rubbing his feet if it made him feel nice after a long day. How he would insist on returning the favor.

I don’t have to fake the smile that comes to my mouth at the thought of his big powerful hands anywhere on my body.

My focus returns, though, at a very particular change in the tone and timbre of Gabriel’s voice what must be…two hours into a dinner at which I’ve been fed absolutely nothing.

“The problem with that,” Gabriel says, sounding smug as he brushes my hands away and begins to tug on one of his boots. “Is that the future of Atalaxia will not be heading in that direction. Not at all.”

“Pardon?” Gabriel’s cousin – the Crown Prince – says, turning to him with a sneer. “Gabriel, you over-step. I appreciate your input, of course, but you will never have the power to delegate such decisions.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure,” Gabriel says with a sigh, his eyes latching onto mine as he smirks and pulls on his second boot. I go a bit rigid with surprise – he hasn’t looked at me at all this entire dinner, except to give me instructions on how to massage his feet.

What…what is happening?