The conversation with King Paul still echoed in Heiko’s mind as he pushed open the doors to his chambers. The heaviness of politics clung to him like a second skin, but the moment he stepped inside and saw her… it was as though the air changed.
River was curled on the deep, plush couch near the tall windows, the afternoon light spilling across her face. Her lashes lay in soft shadows against her cheeks, her breathing slow and even — the very picture of peace. Since she had become pregnant, exhaustion had been her constant shadow, and more often than not Heiko found her asleep in the oddest corners of the castle. It was one of the reasons he had wanted to tell his father no. Dragging her through a court ball felt wrong.
But his father had been right. The people had to see him for who he w
