She looked up. "Come in."
The door opened, and Larus entered carrying a tray laden with fresh fruit, small pastries, and a pot of that milk tea he'd made for her before.
Heena set down her pen, looking at him with raised eyebrows. "Why are you doing this? There are servants for this. You don't need to carry things yourself."
Larus smiled as he set the tray on the table beside her desk. "Well, I thought that by doing this, we could have some alone time together. I wanted to spend time with you."
Heena's lips curved into a teasing smile. "Oh my, isn't this the same person who told me very seriously that he wouldn't meet me before the wedding? Something about tradition and propriety?"
Larus's face turned red. He looked down, suddenly fascinated by the tea tray. "Well... I thought the marriage was only one day away. But now it's five days, and I was just... slightly lonely in the palace."
His voice was almost plaintive, like a puppy left alone too long.
