The Rule
“It is not amusement I seek. Raj’s daughter turns three. A celebration has been called, and I’ve been asked to bring a gift most... memorable.”
“And you thought of me?” Her tone was tinged with disbelief.
He held her gaze. “Yes. You have the uncanny talent of turning every eye in a room without intending to. I thought it time the world be reminded that even a king does not always command the silence.”
“I am not your puppet, Your Majesty.”
“No,” he replied, softly. “You are the storm that walks without thunder. And I would rather stand beside it... than beneath it.”
Her breath caught—just a flicker.