Ragnar was deep in conversation with the head of the royal guard and his subordinate when Circe found him that afternoon.

His eyes found her the moment the doors opened and he immediately stopped paying attention to everything else.

The man currently speaking to him trailed off mid sentence as Ragnar’s focus shifted entirely toward Circe standing near the doorway. The serious look he had worn all day eased almost instantly.

"Leave the reports," Ragnar told the man without taking his eyes off her. "I’ll review them later."

The royal guards exchanged brief glances before quickly excusing themselves. Within moments, the room had emptied until only Ragnar and Circe remained.

"You look tired," Ragnar said as he crossed toward her.

She couldn’t even refute it. She had spent hours looking through the mountain of gifts when more were being added to the pile.

"So do you." Circe retorted.

"That is the privilege of becoming king, apparently."

A faint smile tugged at her mouth as his hand brushed lightly against her waist as he leaned down to press a kiss against her cheek.

"You should be resting," he murmured.

"I was going to," Circe said. "Then I discovered an entire room full of noble families attempting to purchase my affection."

She had been part of Westerian high society long enough to know what it looked like when nobles were trying to barter their money for favor.

"Ah," he said. "So you finally found the gifts."

Circe narrowed her eyes at him. "You knew about this?"

"Of course I did."

"And you neglected to warn me?" Circe gave him a disapproving look and folded her arms. "What could they even want from me that would make them send me all those things?"

Ignoring the look she was giving him, he took hold of her hand and guided her toward a chair so she could sit down. "Because you became queen yesterday and you still haven’t selected your ladies-in-waiting."

She frowned faintly. "How is that a matter of concern?"

Ragnar said patiently, "You are currently the most valuable women in the kingdom. The noble houses now see you as a ticket to climb higher on the social ladder."

Ragnar watched as understanding slowly crossed her face with obvious amusement.

"If one of their daughters is chosen to serve as your lady-in-waiting," he continued, "their family gains proximity to the crown. Influence. Prestige. Better marriage prospects. Access to court affairs. Your favor elevates their standing considerably."

"So they’re bribing me."

"They are courting you politically."

"That sounds like bribery with prettier wording." She quipped.

Ragnar laughed softly under his breath. "Essentially."

Circe looked away with visible dissatisfaction.

Almost all those nobles sending gifts now had barely acknowledged her existence before the coronation. Back then, she had simply been Ragnar’s human wife. Tolerated because of him. Watched because of curiosity. Judged because of what she was.

Now they suddenly wanted her favor. It left a bitter taste in her mouth.

She should have felt flattered but she didn’t. "They did not seem particularly interested in me before," she said quietly.

Ragnar’s expression softened slightly. "They are interested now."

"That does not make me trust them."

"No," he admitted. "It shouldn’t."

"The people closest to a queen know everything about her. Her routines. Her private thoughts. Her weaknesses." Circe continued. "But some of those same people would happily bury me the moment I became inconvenient to them. They would use every weakness against me if they had the chance. And now I’m supposed to let women from those families into my private life?"

"You don’t trust them," It wasn’t a question.

"No," Circe answered honestly. "I don’t. "If it is so important that I choose ladies-in-waiting, then I’ll choose Mina and Elara. They would make perfect companions. They’re all I need."

"Most queens select somewhere between five and ten," he said.

Circe looked horrified. "Why would I need ten?"

"To assist you." As he said that, he remembered how Circe had acted before, barely allowing any of the maids at the manor to tend to her.

"I would hate to have that many people crowding me at all times."

"That has not escaped my notice."

She ignored that remark from him and pushed on. "Two women come to mind. That should be enough."

"Perhaps," he muttered as he sat down beside her. "But you should still consider meeting some of the interested candidates."

Circe sighed immediately. Ragnar continued before she could object further.

"You are queen now, Circe. Whether you like it or not, these people will become part of your world. And building your own relationships within the nobility matters. Loyal allies matter. It won’t be difficult for you. You’re more charming when you want to be. Determined too. You have a way of pulling people into your orbit without even trying." His thumb brushed absentmindedly across the back of her hand. "Invite some of the more promising candidates to the palace for tea. Speak with them. Learn who they are before making your decision. You should at least consider the offer," he said.

Circe gave a small nod. "I will think about it."

She eventually rose from her chair.

"I should go before another room full of gifts mysteriously appears."

Ragnar caught her wrist gently before she could take more than a step.

"Circe." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

She turned back toward him.

His expression had shifted slightly now. The humor remained, but something more thoughtful sat beneath it.

"The guards you took with you this morning told me you visited the royal burial grounds." Ragnar watched her carefully. "What were you doing there?"

She answered honestly. "I went back to Marzen’s grave. I used my magic to send his soul into the Veil to repair what he used his own hands to destroy. The Veil was damaged because of him. The barrier weakened more and more every year after what he did. I used his essence and magic to heal it. The people of this kingdom will no longer spend every winter solstice fearing fae beasts crossing into their lands." .