261
~Belinda's POV
He gave a small laugh and sat beside me.
Finally, I turned to him, studying his face. The firelight caught the edge of his jaw, the faint bruise near his temple, the exhaustion in his eyes. Without thinking too much, I reached out and touched his arm. "You've been working all day," I murmured. "You should rest."
He smirked. "Says the one sitting up in the middle of the night, staring into fire like she's plotting a kingdom's downfall."
I laughed softly. "And I am."
He looked at me for a long moment, and that was all it took. My chest tightened. I hadn't realized how much I'd missed that look, that quiet attention he gave me when we were alone. The distance between us seemed to fade, and before I could talk myself out of it, I leaned in closer.
"Your Majesty…" he said quietly, but I didn't let him finish.
I kissed him.
It wasn't rough or desperate, just slow, lingering. His lips were warm, and for a second, the world went still.
