find a comfortable place as the submissive husband.
“Try what?”
Her confusion was cute. He would keep fighting for her. He just needed Alchan to see what he saw, which meant his king needed to talk to the female.
“Talking to you,” Rain said with a one-shoulder shrug as he turned back to making breakfast.
“That’s…that’s quite rude for you to say, actually,” she declared, huffing. “He’s the king, and you’re okay with saying that?”
“I’m his Consort, his lover, and husband, the person who helps him with the weight of his responsibilities by staying by his side and loving him unconditionally. I’m allowed to call him out when I think he’s doing something wrong,” Rain said with a small smile. He finally got back to cooking breakfast, getting the eggs finished quickly. While he wasn’t looking, Lily walked around him and went into the cold box, pulling out the package of bacon. He didn’t take it from her, letting her prepare it on her own. He grabbed a second pan and let it heat while she did.
Over the month, he’d become proficient at cooking with her. When Alchan was in the kitchen, neither of them got in his way, allowing him that private time. The male loved to cook, but he didn’t have as much time as he used to, and there were more people to cook for. Rain and Lily learned to work together while they were both in the kitchen. It started because Rain never let her cook alone, uncomfortable with the idea of her taking care of them. After that, she started stepping up to help him. By the end of the third week, they had a rhythm.
“Thank you,” he said softly as she dropped the bacon in the pan. He caught her gaze, the amethyst eyes soft and pretty. He wasn’t into females, but he never denied their beauty. She had a type of beauty he’d never seen in an Andinna female. Even the most stunning females like Allaina were hard and rough, defined by their strong features. She reminded him of his Ziran mother or a pretty human woman. There was an undeniable softness that both the Andinna and the Elvasi lacked.
It’s like comparing the majesty of a mountain versus the gentleness of a cloud. One unbendable and imposing in its glory while the other looks breathtaking but could disappear with a strong wind.
Liking the poetry of his comparison, he kept the thought in mind as he cooked. As he finished the bacon and began to dish it out between their plates, he decided he didn’t like the comparison to a cloud anymore. A cloud was airy, indicating a lack of substance. That wasn’t Lily’s problem. He knew there was more to her beneath the surface, but he couldn’t convince her to let it out. She started eating as he sat down. He watched her, wondering what would be more appropriate. Females like Mave, Allaina, and Senri were exactly what he considered them to be—mountains compared to her. Strong females stood tall among the Andinna and became focal points, landmarks of their society. Lily wasn’t and never could become that.
“What are you looking at?” she asked softly, looking up from her plate.
“Ah, nothing,” he said quickly, focusing his attention on his own food.
When they were finished, he took their plates and dropped them into a bucket to be washed later. He helped her with her boots, laughing as she clumsily fought to pull them on.
“You need a bench,” she reminded him as she did most mornings. “In the temple where I was raised, there are benches at exits, so everyone can sit down and put their boots on. That way, no one tumbles.”
“We can ask a carpenter at the market,” he said with a grin, offering his arm. “Let’s go. You want to be there at the opening, so we’re going to get there by opening.”
She smiled brightly, weaving her arm with his. He walked her out of the home and down the trail. They could have flown, but Rain realized very quickly Lily loved to walk. She took in the world differently than anyone he had ever met—except one. She had that same open-eyed expression as Mave, though with less wary distrust. Mave had always been calculating the dangers of her environment, while Lily just took it all in.
“Did you never go to a village market up north?” he asked finally, wondering just how new this was for her.