“I…pardon?” I asked.

His neck bent so his face was in mine.

“You left me.”

Oh dear.

I was melting again.

“Aramus.”

“You cannot even begin to imagine the terror that struck my heart when Nis found your clothes, but not you in them.”

I shoved my hands between us so I could press them tight to his chest.

“My king.”

“There was no sign of you. Nothing. This meant the best scenario, Ha-Lah, was you being swept out to sea. That was the best scenario, my wife. But even in that scenario, you were lost to me.”

“But now you see I was safe and never in any danger.”

“A husband could fall asleep beside a wife who commands the sea and the skies, the earth and all fire, and if he woke to find her missing, he would not roll over and fall back to sleep if she has a place in his heart.”

A place in his heart.

Dear Medusa.

He was going to make me weep.

“Is this understood, my Ha-Lah?” he asked.

Oh yes.

It was very understood.

I nodded.

“Please say the words, my queen,” he prompted.

“It is understood, Aramus.”

His fingers in my hair depressed in an affectionate squeeze as his arm about me tightened in the same manner.

“You do not wish my men to know you have this power,” he deduced.

“I…it is…”

“You did not wish me to know.”

I decided not to answer.

“It was wise of you, Ha-Lah. I sense I’ve only witnessed a hint of it and I still know your power is awesome. A thing of beauty. I do not know of another who wields it. And if it was known, it would be coveted. Coveted by those who would stop at nothing to possess the one who commands it. We will need to keep it, and you, safe.”

And again I felt like weeping.

For he understood.

“My closest men should know,” he decreed. “But we will talk, decide how to share, and when. Not now. We have other things to sort through, you and me.”

I nodded again.

When I finished, his thumb swept my cheek as his hand drew forward and he cupped my jaw.

All of this as his face got even closer.

“Do you forgive me?”

“Your temper is damaging,” I whispered.

This time, he nodded, and he did it solemnly.

“Indeed,” he agreed. “I have thought on this long and often during our travels here. It will be something I’ll endeavor greatly to work on, though I fear I must ask your patience with this as it is a part of me and thus might prove difficult to overcome.”

“You called me stupid in the tent,” I reminded him and watched his full lips twitch.

“My wife, my queen, my Ha-Lah, I woke, and you were gone.” He hesitated for emphasis and finished, “Swimming.”

I pulled my lips in and bit them.