Summer breeze from the open window cools my skin. I keep my eyes closed, but sunlight still filters in through my eyelids. The room is quiet, save for occasional tweeting of birds coming from the outside. I lie on my back, my mind still empty of plans and chores, savoring the last moments before the day begins.

Then, there’s a movement next to me, and it’s neither cool nor silent anymore. Emilio’s hand wraps around my chest and he presses to my side.

“How about,” he murmurs in my ear, “you take a day off?”

“You deem asking this a valid reason to wake me up?”

“You weren’t sleeping. You were smiling.”

“Maybe I was dreaming about something nice.”

“When you dream, you usually make faces like you’re trying to kill someone.”

I chuckle and open my eyes, then quickly squeeze them shut again. The room is too bright, sunbeams playing on the wooden ceiling above us.

“I can’t take a day off.” I put my hand on his, resting on my chest. “People are waiting.”

“Tell them to go wait some other day. You’re the king.”

I look down at his head resting on my shoulder. His face upturned, his green gaze meets mine. As always, morning light gives his skin a gentle matted color, and makes long strands of his fair hair glitter like gold. I brush them away from his face.

“It was you who kept lecturing me about being responsible.”

“And it will be I who reminds you that spontaneity is also important.” He smiles. “I’m trying to turn you into a well-rounded individual, you see.”

“You’re just trying in your roundabout way to get something you want. Why don’t you just tell me what it is?”

“Oh, I don’t know.” He rolls on his back, his hand leaving my chest. His leg slides off my thigh where I was already beginning to enjoy its pressure against the part of my body that awoke before the rest. “It just…feels like everything is so repetitive every day. It would be nice to break the routine a bit. To go somewhere different. In Lotinen, there were always new people, new things, new topics. Here––”

“It’s an island,” I say. “And a remote one at that. Also, we’ve had plenty of action two years ago—I’m sure you wouldn’t want to go back to those times.”

“I know.” He sighs. “I’m enjoying the peace. Still, things feel a bit monotonous lately.”

“You can’t complain. It’s me who has to deal with the humdrum things while you flutter about like a carefree butterfly.”

“More like a busy bee helping you to run this kingdom.” He looks at me askew. “I hope you do appreciate that. How about the opening of that new winery yesterday, why didn’t you show up? You were supposed to be there. I tried to be extra charming, but people were still disappointed.”

“I was busy.”

“Doing what? It was past the petitions hour, and you have no council on Tuesdays.”

I groan inwardly. He knows my schedule too well, and it’s getting harder to conceal my occasional absences. Making up convincing excuses for disappearing for half a day every now and then has been tricky, given how well-trained his ear is in detecting lies. Still, I wanted to postpone telling him the truth, unsure how he would react. Yet now that he has brought this up, perhaps it’s the time. I can’t keep this secret forever.

“How about,” I say, turning to my side, propping my head on my hand, “I finish with the petitioners today, and then we’ll do something special?”

His eyebrows go up. “Like what?”

“Say, I’ll take you somewhere new and I’ll show you something new.”

“You’re not just talking about sex, right?” He looks at me suspiciously. “Because if you mean doing it in some new place in the palace, I think we’ve covered them all already. Also, I don’t believe there’s a part of you I haven’t seen yet.” He smiles a little. “Or kissed.”

“No,” I say slowly, “that’s not what I meant, although it also sounds interesting. I do have an actual surprise for you.”

“Really?” His eyes sparkle. “I love surprises—I mean, good ones.”

“You’ll like this one,” I assure him, but something about the way I say it brings a hint of worry into his gaze.

“Are you sure?” he says slowly, peering at me.

“Of course,” I say, faking the confidence I really don’t feel. “Trust me, you’ll love it.”