FORTY-FOUR
Xylander smothered what had to be his tenth yawn. It wasn't that listening to endless petitions from his subject was boring...but he'd scarcely slept more than half the night since he'd married Zurine.
She had insisted that a queen's primary duty was to produce heirs, and that meant he'd have to bed her two, or even three times a night. It was hardly a hardship – one look at her body stirred his desire, and her look of wide-eyed wonder every time she squealed with pleasure at his touch made him feel like the most skilful lover that ever lived. But a man needed sleep, too, or all the petitions ran together in his head, and he'd find himself nodding off in the middle of Hearing Day.
He'd wager Artorius had never fallen asleep on his throne.
Xylander pronounced judgement on t
