"Have you made any progress in sorting out the issue?" Veyron asked.
Damien raised a brow at him, then leaned back against the chair. "You mean about me dying?" he asked with a chuckle, the sound dry and far too casual for a man cursed with impending death. "I've accepted my fate. I just want to enjoy the time I have left."
"You sound like a man making peace with death," Veyron said, plopping down into the chair.
Damien smirked.
The levity faded a bit, though, as Veyron grew more serious. "Your Highness, if I may ask—Your father steps down after your marriage to the princess. You become king. If what we fear does happen... does your queen rule until the child is of age?"
"Yes, Veyron," Damien said. "But it frightens me. The trials she'll have to face… to protect our child, to protect herself."
