Resonant

Chapter 26

Zale

I woke up before Fen in the morning, and I saw absolutely no reason to leave him. Sure, my mother would probably be eating around now and it would be good to see her for breakfast before she put on the mask of her station and became Queen Undine rather than just my mother, but I couldn't convince myself to move. That was despite knowing that she would want to hear about how the party was last night; I knew how worried she had been on my behalf, as well as the admittedly justified fear she had of me causing an international incident.

Euripides' vitriol toward Fen echoed in my mind. There was no need to tell my mother just how close it had been. If Fen hadn't stopped me, I probably would have caused some real damage to our political standing last night. I needed to remember to thank him later, since I neglected to in the moment. It was yet more proof on the ever-growing stack that he was good for me and my people. Harlow never tried to diffuse my temper. He was always too accepting of that part of myself, completely content to ride it out. It made me feel supported, back then, but now...

Now I was beginning to see that true support isn't blind acceptance. Fen somehow balanced accepting me and helping me strive to do better.

He made a soft sound in his sleep and began to stir. I held him tighter, knowing I'd soon have to let him go. If today followed the pattern we had settled into over spring break, Fen would want to spend most of the morning working on his garden, which I was still not allowed to see. And I...

Well, I'd be breaking my habit. My mother would understand if I didn't attend the council meeting with her after breakfast, though I was supposed to be there in preparation of my upcoming coronation. There was something more important I had to do.

Fen shifted some more and blinked bleary golden eyes up at me. "Zale?" he asked in groggy confusion.

"Good morning," I said, completely unable to fight back a smile. He was especially adorable all mussed and bewildered-looking.

He smiled back at me reflexively, and I watched as his mind caught up to the situation. "Oh!" he said, looking around at my bedroom. When his eyes met mine again, his cheeks flushed. "Um, you weren't bored waiting for me to wake up, were you?"

"It's like you don't know me at all," I joked dryly.

He chuffed a bit at that. "I forgot how much you like your bed."

"I especially like my bed with you in it," I said, smirking. It felt good to tease him like this, especially when he went bashful again and looked at the floor. His little smile told me I hadn't embarrassed him too badly.

Fen shifted so he was sitting up and I followed suit. "What time is it? I feel like I slept for ages."

"A little after nine," I answered.

"My flowers!" Fen exclaimed, jumping up and looking around frantically.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

Fen's eyes kept sweeping the room while he answered me. "Where are my-? Um, my flowers. It's best to water them early in the morning, and it's already so late! Where are my clothes!"

Fen vanished before my eyes before I could get in a word, and I sat in stupefied silence. He reappeared a minute later in a new outfit, with his shirt hanging a little askew and still tying the laces on his right shoe. When he looked back up at me, his eyes were still frantic.

"Hey, it's going to be okay," I said, though I really had no idea about gardening.

"But my flowers! It's up to me to take care of them, and I'm doing a bad job."