When she entered the room, he stood up. “Serina will need to organize a formal event,” he said. “Invite all the magistrates. She’ll set out Asa’s crimes, make a show of force with her army, augmented by Dante’s regiment, and then she’ll take command. I’ll disappear.… We don’t want any perceived threats to her rule—”

“Malachi, wait.” Nomi took his hands.

He paused and raised an eyebrow. She studied his face. Somehow in the past few weeks it had changed in her eyes. He still had the same intensity, but she couldn’t find the cruel set of his mouth she’d been convinced she’d seen… and she couldn’t find the haughty dismissal she knew she’d seen. She remembered the day at the beach when he’d swum with her, holding her up when the water had scared her. That was the day he’d told her he was the one who’d left her the book about Viridia’s secret history. He’d played at rebellion before that too… when he’d chosen her instead of Serina, defying his father and the magistrates.

She thought about how willing he’d been to give up his birthright to Serina. It was an honorable move, yes, but was that the only reason for it? Could he be afraid?

“What is it?” Malachi asked, bringing her back to herself.

Nomi took a deep breath. Well, if he was afraid, he wasn’t the only one.

“Malachi,” she said, and paused, and knew she was stalling. “Malachi,” she repeated, more firmly. “You have a responsibility to this country. You can’t give Viridia to us and leave it to us to fix it alone.” It was easier to start here. To start with responsibility. Her feelings… those would be harder to discuss.

His eyes narrowed, and a flash of the old Malachi, the gruff, inscrutable one, returned. “I thought this is what you wanted. A queen. I was trying to fix this.… It was your idea—”

“I know,” she said. “I know. But Serina doesn’t want to be queen.”

“So what’s the solution?” He crossed his arms over his chest. “We go back to the old system? The one you hated so much?”

Nomi took another steadying breath. Maybe she’d started in the wrong place after all. He was defensive now, and what she had to say, what she had to ask him…

It all came out in a big rush.

“You should be the Superior, and I should be your queen. Ruling together as equals. We should get married.” She gasped in a breath. “Will you… will you marry me?”

He backed up a step, bumped into the bed, and sat down. Seated, they were almost on a level. She closed the distance between them. There was something in his shell-shocked expression that made her feel powerful. She’d surprised him. Genuinely shocked him.