Total pages in book: 362
Estimated words: 347293 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1736(@200wpm)___ 1389(@250wpm)___ 1158(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 347293 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1736(@200wpm)___ 1389(@250wpm)___ 1158(@300wpm)
He grinned, returning his attention to the piece of parchment the god had given him that he’d been scribbling on. Reaver had followed me when I went to find Rhain while Jadis was still, well, I imagined terrorizing Aios and Bele.
I smiled.
“I find that hard to believe when you appear half-asleep,” Rhain stated. “And rather uncomfortably.”
“I’m not half-asleep, and it’s perfectly comfortable,” I grumbled, pushing up with an obnoxiously loud sigh. I then sat like an adult in the chair. “Happy?”
“Thrilled,” he deadpanned.
My eyes narrowed on the god. We had vastly different ideas about what was important.
When Saion said that Rhain wanted to see me, my mind immediately went to the worst-case scenario: that he wanted to talk about how I had convinced Kolis to free him, even though that seemed unlikely. As it turned out, he’d wanted to go over the day-to-day functions of the palace.
Adjusting the bound parchment in his lap, Rhain leaned back. “Since you weren’t half-asleep, you should be able to tell me what I’ve said.”
“You were talking about…” What had he been talking about? “You were saying something about…cleaning.”
One eyebrow rose.
“Is that wrong?”
“Technically? No.”
I smirked.
“But you’re only in the general vicinity of what I was talking about,” he said, tapping the slender quill against the parchment. “I know you weren’t listening. I called your name three times before you heard me.”
I clamped my mouth shut, only grazing the inside of my lips with my fangs this time.
“I was speaking about how there really hasn’t been any household management.”
I nodded. I had heard him say something like that.
“No actual schedule for any of the staff, be it for cooking or cleaning,” he continued. “In other Courts, it typically falls to the Chosen to organize such things.” He stopped and frowned. “Or it used to. But it has been Aios and…was Ector,” he said, and my heart twisted sharply, “who handled it in the past.”
“I haven’t seen any staff here besides Pax and Baines,” I said, referencing the stable hand. “And I think I’ve only ever seen one of the cooks once. Valrie.”
“Exactly,” he replied. “That’s my point. Nyktos has never really focused on those areas.”
It wasn’t for lack of caring. Instead, it was due to the exact opposite. Ash hadn’t wanted staff in his house at all since Kolis could target them.
“I think it’s time we establish household management.”
My brows lifted. “And you thought I’d be the person to talk to about it?”
“I know a Queen doesn’t oversee such—”
“It has nothing to do with being a Queen and everything to do with me having no household experience,” I said. “I wasn’t exactly raised to be a lady of the house.”
Rhain pinched the bridge of his nose. “I wasn’t suggesting that you personally oversee such things. And if you had been listening, you would know that.”
“Oh,” I murmured, starting to sink into my chair as Reaver’s grin went up a notch.
“I said we’d hire someone to do it,” he said. “And since you don’t know the people here, and we will likely be busy in the coming weeks, I was also going to suggest we ask Aios to assist with that.”
“You think she’ll want to do that?”
“I wouldn’t have suggested her if I didn’t,” he replied.
“Then it’s fine with me.”
Rhain wrote something down. “Whoever Aios determines is fit to run the household should live on-site, and the option to do so should be offered to any of the staff.”
“Do you think it’s wise for us to start bringing in staff now? All things considered?”
Rhain got what I was referencing without me having to say it. “I think it’s time to start living free of Kolis’s shadow.”
I agreed with that sentiment, but we weren’t free. We were far from it.
“I think we should bring in staff, as long as Nyktos is okay with it. But things,” I said, nodding at Reaver’s bowed head, “will need to be settled first before we allow anyone to live here.”
“Agreed.”
As Rhain reviewed how the staff would be paid, I watched Reaver scribbling away. We were making plans, which felt both amazing and terrifying. Even a bit risky. Like we might jinx ourselves.
“You’re not listening again.” Rhain sighed. “Look, I know you probably have a lot of stuff on your mind, and this feels like the last thing you need to be considering right now—”
“I wouldn’t say it’s the last thing.” I tapped my fingers on the arms of the chair. “But yes, I do have a lot on my mind.”
A moment passed, and then he asked, “Do you want to talk through those things?”
I huffed out a dry laugh.
“It’s a genuine offer,” Rhain insisted. “And not an entirely altruistic one.”
“Really?” I drawled.
“Yes. Maybe you can focus if you get out whatever is on your mind.” He paused. “Though I feel focusing isn’t one of your strong suits.”