Eastern Forest. Lord Ashur again.
"He still has not given up," Kian said softly. His fingers slowly curled over the armrest of his stone seat.
In his mind, he saw that kangaroo king’s arrogant face and the way the other male had once laughed as if Kian was a child playing at rulership.
He was the one who had sent those males that were killed by Zyran that day. Thank God Isabella wasn’t around to witness it.
For a mont, a killing intent flickered at the bottom of his gaze, but he suppressed it quickly.
The hunters saw only the slight tightening of his jaw. One of them shifted nervously. "Your Majesty, should we inform Goddess Isabella and strengthen the inner guards imdiately?"
At the ntion of her na, Kian’s gaze softened, just a little.
He thought of the heavy roundness of Isabella’s stomach now, the way she complained that she was fat while secretly enjoying every ti the babies kicked.
He thought of her standing on the wall in the snow, cheeks flushed from the cold, insisting she was fine while Cyrus nagged at her to rest more.
He also thought of how winter had only just closed its teeth around the village. There was already too much pressure on her small shoulders.
"She has enough to worry about," he finally said. His tone was even and cold, but there was warmth hidden behind that cold.
"We will increase patrols, double the watches on the outer walls, and make sure all hunters move in pairs at least. If anything unusual appears again, you report imdiately. For now, do not ntion this in front of her unless it turns from tracks into blades."
The hunters exchanged looks. In their hearts, they respected him more because they understood that he was not ignoring the threat, he was simply trying to spare the pregnant goddess from extra stress. They bowed their heads deeply.
"As you command, Your Majesty."
Kian watched them leave, then turned his head toward the curtained entrance that led to Isabella’s side chambers.
For a brief second, he almost moved to go in and tell her everything anyway. His hand lifted, then stopped in mid air.
The lion in his bones growled that hiding things from his female was dangerous. The king in his bones told him to wait until he had more to offer than worry.
He slowly lowered his hand.
"Just a little longer," he muttered to himself. "Until I am certain who is stalking us."
While Kian was swallowing his unease in the palace, Isabella was not thinking about footprints or spies at all.
She was sitting on a thick fur rug near one of the warm stone stoves, glaring at the tall golden haired idiot who was currently kneeling beside her with a miserable expression on his face.
Osiris had both hands on the floor as if he was begging for his life.
His phoenix eyes were big and moist, and he kept shifting closer like a huge dog who knew he had broken sothing important but did not know how to fix it.
"Isabella, I already said I did not an it," Osiris said in a small voice that did not match his arrogant face at all.
"You are not fat, you are just... soft. Very soft. Extrely soft in the right places. Your mate is blessed. I am jealous."
Isabella raised her chin and refused to look at him. Her long blonde hair fell over her shoulders, and the swell of her stomach pushed against her robe as she hugged herself.
Her heart was already a little guilty because she knew he truly regretted saying she looked like a fat snowball that day, but she had decided to be difficult on purpose.
Who told this phoenix to call a pregnant woman fat with such confidence?
"You called fat," she said slowly, emphasizing each word. Her lovely eyes narrowed as she stared at the far wall, ignoring him.
"You said, and I rember clearly, that if I rolled outside, no one would be able to push back in."
Osiris choked. He wanted to dig a hole and bury his head inside. At that mont, he sincerely wanted to go back in ti and slap his own mouth.
"I was joking," he said, his voice getting smaller. "You know, like, fun joke. Hahaha. You did not laugh though... which I deeply regret... and for which I am currently suffering..."
Isabella almost snorted. Her heart felt lighter watching him squirm like that. She pressed her lips tightly and forced herself to keep a straight face.
Inwardly, she admitted that seeing a proud phoenix apologize like a punished chick was very, very satisfying.
"Then you can keep regretting it," she said. "I am still angry."
Osiris looked like soone had stabbed him with a dull spoon. He scooted closer, his robe dragging on the floor, and carefully rested his chin on her knee.
His golden red hair brushed against her, warm and ticklish.
"What do you want to do?" he asked seriously. There was no flirt in his tone now, only a strange determination. "Tell . I am a very noble phoenix, but I am willing to lower my head. You can order ."
Isabella’s brows twitched. Tsk. He said sothing that made her feel too good.
She hugged her stomach and looked down at him slowly. "Order you? You are sure?"
Osiris nodded without hesitation. His stubborn eyes shone. "As long as you forgive ."
"Then," Isabella said, her mind spinning quickly.
She rembered how he always pretended to hate hard work and always complained that this village was too peaceful for such a handso bird like him.
"From today until I say so, you will carry firewood for the entire palace, help the won wash hides, and stand outside my door to chase away snow with your body heat every morning. And when I want sothing, you have to run and get it for , no complaining."
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