Sairis's POV
Loreen stood up from his chair.
His father held up a hand. "Stay here," he said. "I will handle this."
He looked at Sairis with the particular look he reserved for moments when he had made a decision and was not interested in anyone's opinion about it.
Sairis knew exactly what the king was doing. He was not subtle about it and he was not trying to be. He was making sure Loreen stayed in the room and Sairis stayed in that bed and that the two of them were left with no choice but to actually talk to each other.
It was a very deliberate and very king-like move and Sairis could not even be annoyed about it because it was also the right call.
But he understood Loreen's frustration. He understood it completely.
If the situation had been reversed, if Sairis had found out that Loreen had known about a child and had chosen to disappear with that information rather than say anything, he would have been furious.
