“I’d hope that Rieo’s Assassin would choose to attack me in a more dignified manner. At least with a sword or a knife, through preferably not in the back.”
She clutched her belly and bent over. Sometimes she hated being a woman.
“It’s Dorian, by the way. Not ‘Your Highness.’ ”
“Very well.”
“Say it.”
“Say what?”
“Say my name. Say, ‘Very well, Dorian.’ ”
She rolled her eyes. “If it pleases Your Magnanimous Holiness, I shall call you by your first name.”
“ ‘Magnanimous Holiness’? Oh, I like that one.” A ghost of a smile appeared on her face, and Dorian looked down at the book. “This isn’t one of the books that I sent you! I don’t even own books like these!”
She laughed weakly and took the tea from the servant as she approached. “Of course you don’t, Dorian. I had the maids send for a
