"What conversation?" I asked, my voice barely above the whisper.
"About their next patrol being scheduled for night, in front of the queen's chambers. And about how easy it would be to - " he had to take a deep breath "to get into her bedroom unnoticed."
"Are they really dead?" I had to make sure.
"Stephen helped me bury their bodies." Peter nodded "Martin got stabbed before I rushed to help him. But we got both of them." He raised his head with a proud smile he couldn't hide.
"That's good to hear." I sighed. It was obvious he already knew that there wouldn't be any punishment.
"How many of you took part in it? How many know about this?"
"Only Martin, Stephen and I," Peter replied, lowering his head again.
"Good job, Peter." I praised him and made up my mind "Bring those two to the council hall tomorrow at noon. I'll be there too, to decide about your - punishment."
I glanced behind my shoulder to my guards and moved without any hesitation. Has she noticed yet? Does she know she is a few men short tonight?
But Valleria didn't know about it yet, because she was probably already in her room as they changed their positions.
She laughed when she saw me barge in, all breathless and frowned. Dressed in a simple nightgown that hugged her curves in all the right places, she stole my breath once again.
"You made it in time. Did you really run here so we could fall asleep together? I'll wait for you to take a bath, there is no way you are coming to my bed looking like that." Her soft kiss warmed my skin on my chest, as she wrapped her arms around my waist and clung to me in a hug.
I forced myself to calm down. She must never find out.
"I wanted to talk with you about something, my love. Someone. What do you think about Peter?" I asked her and kissed her forehead, before she let go of me and accompanied me to her bathroom. There was still some warm water left, almost too warm for my taste.
"Which one?" Valleria tilted her head as she tried to understand my thoughts.
"The one with night shifts. Tall like me, dark hair with grayish sides."
"Oh, you mean old Peter? He has always been helpful and well-mannered." She replied and asked why am I so curious about him.
"I want to offer him a seat in the council. Everything he ever said to me was on point, even when I didn't like it at first. You spent more time with him, I wanted to consult it with you first."
"I talked with him only a few times." she laughed and handed me a bar of soap "I'm probably not the right person to judge his character. I don't really know anything about him."
"Give me a kiss and wait for me in bed. I'll join you in a short while." I asked her and watched her leave the room after she covered my face with kisses.
She was already asleep when I climbed into the bed. I watched her relaxed expression, submerged in dark thoughts.
It was my fault. I should have picked her guards with bigger caution. I was lucky with the three I chose in the beginning, but as the number of her knights grew, so did my mistakes.
I reached out and brushed my fingers across her shoulder, in a sudden need to touch her.
She was usually easy to wake up, so I tried to trace my hand carefully above her skin, worried about interrupting her rest.
Every night. I'll be here every night for her from now on.