Chapter 50: I Can Answer for Myself

Naya woke still thinking about the way Ronan had said My Queen the night before, the sound of it settling somewhere warm in her chest that hadn’t quite faded overnight.

Mira noticed immediately, arranging her hair with a suspiciously knowing smile. "You’re in a good mood."

"I’m not," Naya said.

"You’re smiling at the mirror."

"I’m smiling at you."

Mira laughed and let it go, though the teasing look didn’t fully disappear. Naya’s thoughts drifted back to the day ahead, the formal council luncheon with visiting Alphas that had loomed over her since the schedule was first announced. She noticed, turning the thought over, that the nervousness she’d carried into yesterday’s gathering had quieted considerably.

Ronan joined her shortly before they left, his expression more serious than usual.

"Today will be harder," he said. "The visiting Alphas can challenge royal policy directly during the luncheon. Yesterday was mostly appearances. This is substance."

"Do you want me to simply sit beside you?" Naya asked.

"I want you to speak when you have something to say."

"And if I disagree with you?"

"Then disagree with me," Ronan said, without hesitation.

Naya groaned, dropping her head back against the chair. "I completely forgot."

"That’s not entirely surprising," Ronan said. "You’ve had a great deal else occupying your attention."

"You could have reminded me earlier."

"I assumed you’d remember on your own."

"That assumption was wrong."

He almost smiled at that, something she caught before he smoothed it away. "The territories will expect a proper reception. Formal introductions, a seated dinner, likely several days of smaller gatherings woven between the larger ceremonies."

"That sounds exhausting."

"It is."

"And you’ve survived this every year?"

"I’ve endured it," he corrected. "There’s a difference."

She studied him for a moment, something easing in her chest despite the dread of the days ahead. "At least I won’t be doing it alone this time."

"No," he agreed. "You won’t."

The simplicity of that steadied her more than she expected, and she let herself set the worry aside for the moment, trusting that whatever the Moon Court demanded, she wouldn’t be facing it the way she’d faced everything else in this palace during those first terrible weeks.

The luncheon began formally enough, polite conversation and careful diplomacy filling the early minutes, until an older, well-respected Alpha turned the discussion toward Naya’s recent reforms to the territory relief system.

"An admirable effort," he said, his tone measured and courteous. "Though one wonders whether such significant changes should rest in the hands of someone so recently arrived to the responsibilities of the crown."

Naya recognized the test immediately, the same pattern Kael had drilled into her over the past several days. She kept her expression steady.

"The reforms have already reduced shortages in three struggling territories," she said. "I’d be curious to hear which specific outcome concerns you."

"The precedent concerns me," he said. "Established systems exist for reasons that aren’t always visible to newcomers."

"Then perhaps you can explain the reasoning behind the previous allocation model," Naya said. "I reviewed it thoroughly before proposing changes, and I found none that accounted for actual need rather than territorial size."

He hesitated, clearly not expecting to be asked to defend the very system he was using to challenge her.

"The system has functioned adequately for generations," he said finally.

"Adequately for whom?" Naya asked. "Your own territory received one of the larger increases under the new allocation. I’d assume you’d have noticed if the change genuinely harmed your interests."

A ripple of quiet attention passed through the surrounding Alphas, several exchanging glances at the exchange. Ronan remained silent throughout, watching without offering a single word of interference, though Naya caught the faint approval in his expression when she glanced his way.

She wasn’t trying to humiliate the man in front of his peers. She was simply refusing to let status substitute for actual argument, forcing him to defend his position with facts rather than assumptions about her inexperience.

The Alpha eventually conceded, gracefully enough, and the conversation moved on to other matters.

Once the gathering ended, Naya pulled Ronan aside. "Why didn’t you say anything when he kept pushing?"

"Because you were handling it," Ronan said.

"You looked like you wanted to kill him."

"I did."

Naya laughed, surprised by the bluntness of it. "But you didn’t intervene anyway."

"I wanted to," Ronan admitted. "But you didn’t need rescuing."

Kael found them shortly after, grinning as he approached. "Congratulations. You’ve officially survived your first royal argument."

"Thank you," Naya said.

"You, on the other hand," Kael said, turning to Ronan, "looked like you were about to challenge a man twice your age to a duel over lunch."

"You weren’t helping," Ronan said.

"I wasn’t trying to," Kael said, entirely unrepentant.

Naya laughed again, the tension of the morning finally easing into something lighter.

"She’s getting dangerous," Kael added, looking at her with obvious approval.

"She’s always been dangerous," Ronan said.

The words landed with a warmth Naya hadn’t expected, something in his tone suggesting he found that quality far more appealing now than threatening.

Later, once the crowd had cleared and they found a quiet moment alone, Naya admitted something she hadn’t planned to say aloud.

"I was terrified before the luncheon," she said. "I kept thinking everyone would see the frightened girl who arrived at your palace months ago. The one who didn’t know how to defend herself against anything."

"I don’t see her anymore," Ronan said.

"Who do you see?"

He looked at her for a long moment, something steady and certain behind his expression.

"My Queen."

The simplicity of it affected her more than any elaborate declaration could have, and she let the words settle without needing him to explain further.

Their quiet moment didn’t last long. An aide approached shortly after, delivering news that made Naya’s stomach tighten slightly.

"The visiting territories have requested a formal Queen’s audience," the aide said. "Tomorrow morning, Your Majesty."

Naya glanced at Ronan. "They specifically requested me."

"They want to test you," Ronan said. "Not through me. Directly."

"I assumed as much."

"Do you want me beside you?" he asked.

Naya considered the question for only a moment before answering.

"No."

Ronan raised an eyebrow.

"I can answer for myself," she said.

Something shifted in his expression, pride settling comfortably alongside the challenge in his eyes.

"Good," he said.