Chapter 215 HONEYMOON

Chapter 215 HONEYMOON
Two weeks later, and we still hadn't learned how to stop touching each other.
I found myself tracing the ridge of Sargis's knuckles while pretending to read reports, fingers drifting almost absently until he caught my hand and pressed a kiss to my palm. He would pass behind me on his way to a council briefing and graze my hip with the back of his hand, just enough to send heat chasing up my spine. It was ridiculous, really, like some quiet fever we carried everywhere.
At breakfast, I'd feel his knee brush mine beneath the table, and my thoughts would scatter like startled birds. The guards politely averted their eyes, the servants pretended to be deaf, but the knowing smiles were impossible to miss.
Nights were worse, or better, depending on how I looked at it. We'd collapse into bed after hours of court obligations, vowing to sleep early, and then some small thing, his breath warm against my neck, or my lips grazing the edge of his collarbone, would unravel every ounce of restraint.
And yet it wasn't just hunger. There was a softness threaded through the constant reaching. In the quiet between stolen kisses, he'd brush stray strands of hair from my face, murmuring nonsense in that low, lilting Armenian that still made my chest ache. I caught myself memorizing the shape of his smile when dawn broke, how the first light gilded his lashes, and how his voice turned rough with sleep when he teased me for staring.
We were insatiable, yes, but beneath the craving was something steadier, something I hadn't dared name for years. Home, found not in stone walls or titles, but in the heat of his palm against mine, and in the way he breathed my name as if it were a prayer.
I knew the kingdom whispered about the king and his newly crowned mate vanishing from half the feasts, skipping out on endless toasts. Let them whisper. For the first time, my heart was louder than the court's endless noise, and I had no intention of silencing it.
Sunlight spilled across the carved lintels, slow and honey-thick, catching on the rumpled sheets like spilled gold. I lay there for a long while, half-buried against Sargis's chest, the steady lift and fall of his breathing lulling me deeper into the quiet. Outside, the palace was already stirring, but inside our chamber, the world felt paused, wrapped in warmth.
His hand traced lazy patterns along my spine, fingers barely grazing skin, and I caught myself smiling into his shoulder."You're awake," I murmured.
"Barely," he replied, voice still rough from sleep. "I was trying to memorize the way you look when you're not wearing a crown."
I tilted my head just enough to meet his gaze. "And how do I look?"
He pretended to ponder, smoothing his thumb over the edge of my jaw. "Like dawn finally gave up chasing the night and decided to stay."
Heat crept up my cheeks, ridiculous after everything, but there it was. I nudged his chest with my palm. "Flattery will not excuse you from council today."
He groaned, rolling onto his back. "Don't remind me. Lupercus sent a text an hour ago. They're already arranging the documents for the trade accords."
I stretched, feeling the pleasant pull of well-used muscles.
"We can't hide forever," I said, propping myself on an elbow. "The kingdom is watching. Reforms won't wait."
His eyes softened. "No, they won't. But neither will this." He caught my hand, pressed a kiss into my palm. "I don't regret a single moment."
"Breakfast?" I asked, reluctant to leave the sanctuary of the bed yet knowing duty would pry us out soon enough.
He nodded, brushing his lips across my knuckles. "Breakfast. Then... maybe we slip away for a two-month-long honeymoon to celebrate our union."
I laughed. "One day, Sargis Arekvis Sargsyan, you'll have to convince the council you're more than a man hopelessly besotted with his queen."
"Impossible task," he murmured, sitting up, sheets pooling at his waist. "They may have to learn to rule around us."
I swung my legs over the side of the bed, letting the cool floor chase away the last threads of drowsiness.
He followed.
We went through our morning routine, both of us trying to resist the magnetic pull we felt toward each other. It was a playful struggle, filled with laughter and teasing as we attempted to focus on getting ready for the day. I brushed my teeth while glancing over at him, only to find him stealing glances back, the corners of his mouth twitching up into a smile. After what felt like an eternity of playful push and pull, we were finally ready to embrace the day ahead.
The scent of cinnamon bread trailed down the hall before we even reached the dining room. I held Sargis's arm, the silk of my robe swaying against his as we walked, and for one selfish heartbeat, I wanted to turn around, lock the doors, and stay lost in the quiet we'd carved for ourselves.
But the kingdom did not sleep while we loved.
Servants dipped their heads as we passed, the hush that followed us was different now, less fear, more reverence.
The dining table gleamed under morning light when we entered. Avaline was already there alongside the elders of the court.
Sargis pulled out my chair before his own, a habit that made the older councillors exchange glances.
"Can't we at least have breakfast in peace?" Sargis muttered.
"We are sorry, Your Majesties, but these are urgent matters."
Sargis sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Fine. Hit me with them."
Avaline was the first to speak, her tone clipped but steady. "The western border has stabilized. Vampire incursions have ceased entirely. Their envoy requests an audience this afternoon to reaffirm allegiance."
My grip tightened around the carved armrest of my chair. The memory of crimson eyes gleaming in the dark, of broken stone and smoke, pulled me back for a fleeting, bitter breath. I inhaled slowly, then steadied my voice. "Send word that I will see them tomorrow at dawn."
Avaline's chin dipped in approval. Breakfast had not even begun, and already the crown pressed heavy against my temples.
Next, Fenza cleared his throat. "Majesties, our rebuilding fund is stretched thin. Timber runs scarce, and the eastern villages beg reprieve from levies. They say they cannot both rebuild and tithe without starving."
I leaned forward. "We will grant it. Shift resources from the central vault. If the villages crumble, the capital cannot stand. Their roots hold us all."
A murmur of surprise rippled through the council rare was it for coin to flow so easily from the vault. Some elders frowned, others nodded, but none dared speak against it outright.
Elra lifted her gaze at last. "And the witches, my queen? Their delegation lingers in the lower hall, restless. They are eager for direction."
At the mention, a tremor seemed to ripple around the table. Even the most seasoned councillors shifted in their seats. Old wounds did not heal quickly where witches were concerned.
I let the silence stretch a heartbeat. "Tell the High Priestess I shall visit their coven in a week."
The rustle of assent swept the chamber, uneasy yet resolute. Avaline's eyes lingered on me, sharp and proud. Sargis reached for his goblet, finally taking a drink, though I felt the tension still buzzing under his skin.
He set the goblet down with a soft click. "Now, if you will excuse us, your queen and I would like to enjoy breakfast without an audience."
"Of course, Your Majesties." The councillors rose almost in unison, bowing as they withdrew. Their robes whispered against the marble, and their footsteps receded down the long hall until silence returned.
Sargis met my gaze across the polished oak, a quiet pride in the lines of his mouth.
I smiled faintly.
"Enough of politics," he groaned. "My queen hasn't touched a single bite."
"I was waiting for everyone to stop talking," I teased.
His answering grin was boyish, wicked in a way that stripped the armor from his title. He reached for a piece of honeyed fig, holding it up expectantly. "Then let me feed you. I insist."
I rolled my eyes, but leaned forward anyway, biting delicately from his fingers. The sweetness burst on my tongue, and the smug glint in his eyes made me laugh.
"You're ridiculous," I murmured around a chuckle.
"Ridiculously in love, yes." He plucked a sliver of bread next, dipping it into spiced oil before offering it to me with all the gravity of a priest presenting a sacrament. "Come on, one more. Humor me."
I snorted, covering my mouth. "You know you look absolutely whipped right now?"
"Good," he shot back without hesitation, sliding the bite past my lips before I could protest. "Let them whisper that their king dotes on his queen and choke on it."
My laughter spilled over, soft and unguarded, filling the room where minutes ago only tension had ruled. Sargis's expression softened as though he would bottle the sound if he could.
He brushed a crumb from the corner of my mouth with his thumb, then pressed a kiss to my knuckles as if the gesture were second nature. "You have no idea what you do to me, im sireli," he murmured.
Warmth spread through me, eclipsing the heaviness of the morning. For a little while, we ate like that, with him far more invested in feeding me than himself, slipping grapes, figs, turkey, and morsels of bread past my protests, while I chuckled at his antics and swatted at his hand in mock annoyance.
Sargis's hand was still resting lightly over mine on the dining table when his phone gave the smallest tremor against the oak. I felt him glance down. He tilted the screen so I could see.
Lupercus: Do you want Joe and his pack of scavengers brought to the throne room now to face judgment?
For a heartbeat, we just stared at each other. My chest tightened. That name still had teeth.
"Your call," he said quietly.
I drew a breath, the weight of old scars pressing against my ribs, and let it out slowly. "Yes," I whispered. "Yes. Bring them."
His thumb flicked across the glass. Do it.
We rose together and made our way to the throne room. Every step toward the double doors of the council chamber felt heavier, like wading into an old river I swore I'd never touch again.
As we passed the long gallery toward the throne room, Sargis broke the silence with a low, incredulous laugh. "I can't believe it's finally happening, you're about to bring Joe and his pack of jackals to justice."
The sound of his voice steadied me. I managed a small, grim smile.
He sighed. "My love, I'll stand behind every decision you make, even if you want to back out now.
"It's been a long time coming, Sargis, this... this I need to see through."
And I meant it. Every jagged memory of chains, of the dungeon's stone biting my skin, of their laughter when I begged for air, every shard had been mended and tucked away over these last months. I was no longer that girl. This would be the final nail in a coffin I had built plank by plank, with fire and resolve. I would close it, burn it, and never look back.
The throne room doors stood open, banners swaying from the rafters. Gold light pooled over the dais, spilling across the polished floor where the guards had already lined the path.
Minutes later, boots clattered in the corridor. Lupercus's voice rang out. "Bring them forward."