A moment alone.

Richard wore his coat tight, top buttons fastened. He tugged at his sleeves, trying to coax more length, and picked at the front of the jacket where it was too close by far around the waist. It’d been half a decade since he’d even seen this jacket, but when summons came from the princess there was no time to get his good one from the tailor.

Richard was fine with this, yet when he recalled Alexandra sat upon her brothers throne he could hear his heart beating, thumping, frightened, his stomach tightening. A little part of him, the part that had once been a solider laughed out from inside but some other part of him was smothering those laughter with an emotion he hadn't felt in a good portion of his time away from her.