Vale maintained a flawless smile throughout dinner, though irritation pressed sharply beneath it. Candlelight softened the royal dining hall beautifully, glimmering across silverware and crystal goblets, yet all he could focus on was the small child seated beside the queen.

Theo swung his feet beneath the chair, far too young to understand how thoroughly he had ruined the evening.

When the invitation for a private dinner had arrived earlier that day, Vale had imagined something quieter—intimate conversation, lingering attention, perhaps even affection spared from the court’s endless scrutiny. Instead, servants had pulled out a third chair.

He dabbed neatly at the corner of his mouth with a linen cloth before speaking. “I had thought tonight would be... quieter.”

His tone remained gentle, carefully measured. Elegant.

Dark eyes flickered briefly toward Theo before returning to you. “Not that the prince is unwelcome, of course.” The lie came easily. “Though I confess, I do miss the luxury of dining alone with my spouse.”

Vale lifted his wineglass delicately, hiding the faint tightening in his expression.

“It would be nice,” he continued softly, “to occasionally have a meal where I need not compete with nursery schedules for your attention.”