He moved his to the steward.

“Sire—” the man started.

“Quiet,” Cassius ordered.

The steward quailed.

Cassius took a few moments to gather his patience before he spoke.

“You were in the courtyard when I brought your future queen to her new home, were you not?”

“Yes, sire, but—”

“And thus, you heard me say that she was to be considered your Princess Regent, did you not?”

The servant shakily nodded his head.

“I understand it will take some time, maybe decades, before the men of this realm understand the wisdom of the decisions I have made and the bounty I have bestowed on them in the making,” Cassius stated. “However, even understanding that, it is necessary…nay, crucial, that the example is set forth for the people of my land in my own home. And it will not be tolerated when it is not.”

“Yes, sire, I—”

“What’s happening?” Mac asked from behind him.

“You’re arresting the Citadel steward for gender sedition,” Cassius shared, not taking his attention from the man in front of him.

“Is there such a thing as gender sedition?” Mac queried, now at his side.

Cass turned his head and looked at him.

Mac’s lips quirked.

Mac then turned to the steward and rolled his hand at the man. “Right then, come along, old chap. Let’s get you in chains.”

“But, may I—?” the steward began.

“I will hear your words in two days,” Cassius said.

Visible relief swept through the man.

Mac moved to him and caught his upper arm, beginning to escort him from the room, but he stopped them when Cassius spoke again to the steward.

“It would be a shame, when you know what you do better than anyone in this city, to lose your knowledge and skills. Think on this, sir, in your two days, and how we will proceed after our chat.”

The man nodded fervently.

Mac pulled him away.

Cassius turned to watch but stopped watching when a beautiful woman with golden hair and flashing violet eyes came to stand in front of him in order to glare at him with her hands planted firmly to her slender hips.

And he was reminded how annoyed he was at not waking with her at his side.

“Was that necessary?” Elena demanded.

“What else have you done?” he inquired.

“Sorry?”

“Flowers in the foyer. A sofa that’s in the bloody way in our chambers. Aelia’s drawing. Truly, Elena, red pillows in the sitting room?”

“It’s a shock of color,” she muttered. “It works splendidly.”

“My warrior,” he said softly. “I appreciate the effort, but the gloom of this place cannot be dispelled by gladiolus.”

“Then you did not see them properly, my warrior, for it can.”

He looked beyond her to the stunning floral array.

The entrance hall was massive, the chandelier above it almost sinister in appearance.

But he could not deny that those spikes of lively blooms did transformed the space.

He looked back down to his future wife.