Chapter 6: The Husband who came to Dinner

The heavy oak doors of her private dining chamber swung open, and Karina’s fork froze halfway to her mouth.

Leonidas stood in the doorway.

He had changed from earlier. Gone was the open white tunic and warrior’s braid. Now he wore a fitted black doublet embroidered with silver thread, the fabric stretching across his broad shoulders.

His raven hair was tied back with a simple leather cord, and his eyes immediately landed on hers.

Karina’s grip tightened on her fork.

What the hell is he doing here?

"Your Imperial Majesty," Leonidas said, his deep voice rolling through the room. He stepped inside without waiting for an invitation. "I wish to dine with you."

Karina blinked. Then blinked again.

"You wish to.....dine with me?" she repeated, her voice filled with confusion. "Why?"

Leonidas huffed. "Is that not what husbands and wives do?"

"Husbands and wives," Karina echoed, setting her fork down angrily. Before she could continue, the Panther King stepped further into the room, his gaze sweeping over the dining table, the half-eaten steak, the untouched side dishes, the flickering candlelight. He looked at Aldric, then at the servants hovering near the doors.

"Leave us," he commanded. "All of you."

Tch. He doesn’t want the servants eavesdropping.

The servants glanced at Karina, their eyes wide with uncertainty. Karina gave a small nod. "Do as he says."

Aldric hesitated, his hand resting on his sword hilt. His eyes met Karina’s, and there was a clear question in them: Are you sure?

She nodded again, firmer this time. I’m fine. Leave.

Aldric’s jaw tightened, but he stepped back, motioning for the servants to follow. The heavy oak doors clicked shut behind them, sealing Karina and Leonidas alone in the candlelit chamber.

Karina broke the silence first.

"Funny you speak of husbands and wives. I was under the impression that you were in the process of annulling our marriage. Or did I imagine that earlier conversation?"

Leonidas’s purple eyes narrowed. "The annulment is.....being reconsidered."

"Reconsidered." Karina let out a short laugh. "I see." She picked up her wine glass, taking a small sip. "Well, I am afraid I’ve lost my appetite. You can have my steak."

She made to rise from her chair, but Leonidas’s voice stopped her cold.

"Sit down."

Karina froze. Slowly, she turned her head to look at him, one eyebrow arching. He had the nerve to speak to her that way? "Excuse me?"

Leonidas’s expression didn’t change, but there was a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes. He cleared his throat, and when he spoke again, his voice was marginally softer. "Please. Sit."

Karina stared at him for a long, tense moment. Then, she sat back down. She crossed her arms over her chest and looked at him with a strong glare.

"Fine. I’m sitting. What do you want, Leonidas? You made it very clear earlier today that you wanted nothing to do with me. ’Terrible mother. Terrible wife. Pathetic burden.’ Those were your words, were they not?"

Leonidas scratched his neck, inhaling deeply. He pulled out the chair directly across from her, and sat down, his massive frame seeming to dwarf the chair.

"Until the annulment is finalized," he said carefully, "you are still my wife. And it has come to my attention that I have been.....remiss in my duties."

Karina let out a sharp bark of laughter. "Remiss? That’s one word for it." She reached for her wine glass again, swirling the dark liquid. "Let me guess. You realized that if you leave me, you lose your claim to the imperial throne? That the other beast kings would swoop in and take what’s yours? Or perhaps I would find another man and make him emperor?"

Leonidas’s eyes flashed. "You think so little of me?"

"I think exactly what you’ve shown me," Karina shot back. "You and the other three have spent years ignoring me, cheating on me, flaunting your mistresses in my face, and leaving my—our—children to be raised by themselves. And now you want to sit at my table and pretend you care about duties?"

She set her glass down with more force than she intended, the wine sloshing dangerously near the rim. "I don’t need you, Leonidas. I don’t need any of you. And I certainly don’t need you to grace me with your presence at dinner like you’re doing me a favor."

Leonidas was silent for a long moment, and Karina worried she might have overdone it. But when he finally spoke, there was no anger in his voice.

"You’ve never spoken to me that way before," he said simply.

Oh.

Karina swallowed, tearing her gaze away. Maybe because the wife you knew is gone and some college student took over her body.

But of course she couldn’t say that.

"Perhaps I grew tired of you, that’s all." She offered, but the panther king was not convinced.

His lips curved into the faintest hint of a mischievous smile. "Or perhaps you’re just pretending."