terrified when you thought I might be pregnant?”
He blinked rapidly, like he was trying to sort out his words. “Because you’d have the child while you were here. Which would mean a baby. In the house. I don’t know anything about babies.”
Her laughter became uncontrollable to the point she could barely speak. “And you think…you’d have to raise it?”
“Well, I… That is…” He frowned. “It’s not that funny.”
Except that it was. She finally caught her breath. “I’m not pregnant, I swear. Just hungry.”
His frown deepened. “Didn’t you eat?”
“Not since I finished the last of my food on the bus here, no.” She had to get off his lap. She shouldn’t be on it to begin with, and now she was lingering. She rocked forward onto her knees.
“No one offered you anything at the house?”
“I’m sure they all just assumed I’d eaten.” She still felt weak, but she’d had enough rest. And staying here wasn’t doing her any good.
“Unacceptable. Someone should have asked you.” He immediately stood and held his hand out to her. “Can you make it back? Would you like me to carry you?”
“Yes. And no.” Reluctantly, she took his hand and let him help her up.
“Good. We’ll go at your pace. As soon as we arrive, we’ll get you fed. And you’re joining me for dinner tonight.”
A wave of panic swept through her. “What? I’m sorry, Your Lordship, but I don’t think dinner is such a good idea.”
“Why not? You’re the daughter of a woman I liked very much. Practically a guest.”
“Forgive me, but I am not your guest. I am your servant. Indentured or not, that is my position in your household. Treating me any differently will at the very least cause resentment in the rest of your staff. I don’t want that. I just want to serve my year without incident and be done.”
He let go of her hand. “I see. Of course. How foolish of me to think differently.”
Had she hurt his feelings by turning down his offer? Or worse, offended him? Royal egos were so fragile. Or was he that starved for company? Regardless, she felt for him, but she couldn’t change the reality of her situation. She leaned against the tree they’d been sitting under. “I’m sorry. It’s not that I don’t appreciate your kind offer. I do. Perhaps under different circumstances…”
His expression remained unchanged, and he said nothing.
She had to do something to salvage the moment. “Queen Vesta actually poisoned you?”
“Yes. She also laced my soup with sleeping powder. When I woke up, I was here in Shadowvale in the home I’d built for us. I felt like I was about to die. I’ve never been so sick in my life. That’s when she told me that if I wanted the antidote for the poison, I’d have to agree never to return to Limbo.”
“So you agreed.”
He nodded. “What other choice did I have if I wanted to live to fight another day?”
“None,” Theo answered softly. Had she misjudged him? Had Queen Vesta lied about him? About what he’d done? “Why would Queen Vesta do that if you weren’t guilty of betraying the kingdom?”
“Because she wanted the throne for herself. It’s that simple. She doesn’t want an equal union between the sister kingdoms. She believes, like many of the fae, that Limbo should once again belong to Livion and be ruled by the fae. Which it is now.”
“Then you didn’t plan on turning all of us into orc slaves?”
His gaze narrowed. “I captured the orc king. That’s how I won the throne. The last thing I would have done was arrange anything with the people who most wanted to remove my head from my shoulders.” He leaned in, obviously angry. “So no. I did not plan on turning all my countrymen into orc slaves.”
He sounded convincing, but she still didn’t know if she believed him. After all, she’d grown up knowing he was a traitor. Changing that belief in a split second wasn’t the easiest thing to do.
He held his hands up. “I know. You don’t believe me. I get it. But if you’re going to live in my house for a year, you’d better at least give me the benefit of the doubt.”
She thought about that for a moment, then nodded. “You’re right. I can at least do that much for you.”
“Thank you.” He picked up the basket, then offered her his arm. “Let’s get you home.”
Gallow House wasn’t her home and never would be, but she kept that to herself as