“Zaid, why are you helping me?” she asked.
His eyebrows went up. “Um, what? You might need to elaborate on that one.”
“I mean, having the Elders continue as the government is still a plausible option; even having Eta as the Grand Elder wouldn’t be a bad idea. And I never did give you a logical reason to accept me as your queen. Why are you choosing to?”
Zaid looked at her a second before coming over and placing both hands on her shoulders and ducking his head a little to look at her. “Are you getting cold feet?” he asked. “Of course I’d accept you.” He shook his head. “You’ve done more for Rhapta in a matter of weeks than the Elders had for centuries. I’m sure the remaining Elders—and Eta—are much better than Tahir, but I’ve seen first-hand what you’ll do for people you care about.”
He
