A mistake

King Sala studied Juniper’s facial expression. He took his time to answer, outweighing the pros and cons.

Finally, he spoke. “Many have been dying to meet you. Others, not so much. You have only been Lady of Sala for a week. Do you feel you are prepared to meet your kingdom?”

Nervous, Juniper nibbled on her lip but quickly stopped, hoping to convey she was a confident young woman ready for the task.

“What kind of Lady of Sala would I be if I hid away in times of need?”

A smirk stretched across King Sala’s face. “Very well. You shall meet in the war room this evening to discuss more.”

Juniper stood, bowed once more, and left the court. Dayton followed behind her. “Are you prepared to tell Kai?” He asked for the first time with no snarky tone.

She stopped midway in the hall and turned to look at him. She took a breath to think about what she was going to say. “Any chance we could just not tell him?”