Emma smiled faintly, her fingers tracing the lines of his hand before lifting it to her lips. "You're going to work again tomorrow, aren't you?" she asked softly. "At the forge."
He nodded, and she sighed, pressing another kiss into his palm. "You don't deserve to spend your days under that heat, Elias."
His brows knit slightly. "Emma, you were counting every coin just hours ago," he said, half-amused.
"I know," she whispered. "But I have to tell you something." Her fingers tightened around his. "I have enough gold to buy us a two-storey house with a garden, and to keep you from ever working another day in your life."
Elias blinked, utterly stunned. The candlelight caught the disbelief in his eyes, glinting like molten gold.
She smiled at his expression. "Why are you so surprised? I worked for the Princess. She knew this might happen. Of course, she made sure I'd be safe and settled, in case I needed to survive on my own."
