The study was quiet except for the steady sound of Derekās typing. He had been at his MacBook since mid-morning, working through a backlog of correspondence that had built up during the war council.
A soft knock at the door broke his concentration.
"Come in," he said, without looking up.
The door opened, and the scent reached him a half second before he registered the figure in his peripheral vision. Her scent was mixed with a floral and expensive perfume, the same thing she had worn for years. He looked up.
Ruby stood in the doorway in a midnight-blue trouser suit, her red hair swept into a style that had clearly taken time and effort. She was smiling, broad and warm, as though the past two weeks had been a pleasant holiday rather than a suspension from duty.
"Your Grace," she said.
"Ruby." He leaned back slightly in his chair. "How are you?"
She moved to the chair across from his desk and sat down, crossed her legs and looked around the office as if she were inspecting a crime scene.
"How am I?" she repeated, with a dramatic sigh. "I have never been confined in one place for that long in my entire life. I think I was starting to talk to the walls." She gave him a playful, mock-pout. "You really know how to make a girl feel welcome in her own home."
A small smile played at the corner of Derekās mouth.
"At least you rested well enough to get your head back on track," he teased. "I assume you wonāt be forgetting your job description anytime soon."
Ruby blinked. The smile stayed on her face, but something clicked in her head. She had expected cold. She had expected the careful, distant professionalism he usually wore after disciplining someone. She had not expected him to tease her.
She filed it away quietly and said nothing.
Derek resumed typing. "For what itās worth, I missed your efficiency. Fiona is thorough, but she is not you. The border pack ledger situation alone cost me two extra hours I did not have."
Pride moved through Rubyās chest like warm light immediately. This was what she had built.
Years of making herself indispensable, of knowing things before he asked, of being the person the palace could not properly function without. That had not changed.
Whatever the werewolf runt had done in the past weeks, she could not replicate this.
"Iām sure you barely noticed I was gone," Ruby said lightly, smoothing her cloth over her knee. "Youāve been so very occupied with your wife."
Derekās hands stilled on the keyboard. The mention of Kira brought a sudden, vivid image of her shrieking with laughter as he carried her through the courtyard.
It lasted only a second. Then he resumed typing, his expression settling back into its usual composure. He cleared his throat. "I have to take care of my wife. At least."
Rubyās smile brightened to something that did not reach her eyes. "Of course you do."
She tilted her head, her voice taking on the warm, conversational tone of an old friend rather than a subordinate.
"I know you as many things, Derek, but a convincing actor has never been one of them. You donāt have to keep the mask on with me."
Derek didnāt look up from the screen. "What are you talking about?"
"The gossip," Ruby said. "When I went to check in on the staff quarters, the gossip was extraordinary. The King doting on his werewolf queen. Carrying her across the courtyards. Eating food she cooked herself."
She paused, as though the words were purely observational. "You really have committed to this, havenāt you?"
Derek said nothing. His face had returned to its default, giving her absolutely nothing to work with.
Ruby pressed on, keeping her tone easy and light, almost amused. "I only hope itās all worth it in the few months remaining before the coronation. That she doesnāt betray us all before you get your crown." She smiled, as though she were sharing a private joke between old friends.
The typing stopped.
Derek looked at her then. Not the distracted, peripheral look of a man half focused on a screen. It was a full, direct look.
"Stop listening to cheap gossip," he said.
Ruby lifted her hands in a small gesture of surrender. "Iām only concerned about you. As your friend. As someone who has been here since before any of this."
She let that settle for a moment, then softened her voice deliberately. "You remember when your father was killed, and the whole court was scrambling to figure out who would take your side? I was fifteen years old, and I was already in your corner. Iāve always been in your corner, Derek. Everything I say comes from that place."
Derek held her gaze for a moment longer, then looked back at his screen.
Ruby straightened and reached into the slim folder she had brought with her, sliding a printed budget across the desk towards him.
"I want to host a luncheon. This Friday. For the ladies of the court, mated and unmated. Iāve already sent out invitations, and I need the funds cleared before Wednesday to get the catering organised properly."
Derek glanced at the paper for only a second before sliding it back. "Youāll have to move it to the following week."
Rubyās smile dropped. "What? Why? Friday is the perfect day. Preparations are already ongoing."
Derek leaned back in his chair and looked at her. "The Queenās charity event is on Friday."
Ruby stared at him. "I beg your pardon?"
"Her fundraiser. Itās been in the calendar for weeks. Youāll need to move yours."
The silence that followed was very brief and very full.
"I have already sent invitations," Ruby said, her voice measured with visible effort. "To everyone. I cannot simplyā"
"So has she," Derek said simply.
Ruby felt as if he had slapped her. She sat back, her face turning a pale shade of white. She blinked, one time and again and then her eyes began to glisten with tears.
It wasnāt because she was sad; it was a weapon she had used since they were children. She knew exactly how to make Derek feel like he was being a monster.
"Derek, please. Iāve just come out of two weeks of confinement. Iāve been isolated and bored, and I barely feel like myself. This luncheon is the one thing I have been looking forward to."
Her voice caught, just slightly. "Youāre married now, and I understand that, truly I do. But youāve been so occupied with her that I have barely seen you."
Her voice trembled as a single tear escaped and rolling down her cheek.
"Iāve been by your side for years. Iāve neglected my own life to help you build yours, and ever since you got married, youāve treated me like an intruder. Please, Derek. Donāt humiliate me by making me recall my invitations. You know I host something by this time every year. Iām bored, Iām lonely, and I just need to feel like Iām still part of this palace."