The King's Unbreakable Wife-Chapter 77: Good night (1)

"Why do you look so stressed when you were the one to let him plan tonight? Just come to bed," Jeffrey said, patting the space beside him.

Jeffrey was too tired to be up thinking about what Tobias was doing with Hazel. He wanted to go to bed and he wanted Tabitha to join him.

"I am not stressed. Just thinking," Tabitha answered, looking out the window in the direction of the garden. "If only this tower wasn’t in the way I could see the garden. Why would he choose to take her to the garden when he doesn’t care for it?"

"The answer is easy, Hazel must like gardens. Sometimes you put up with what you don’t like to make someone you love happy. Like how I take part in some of your hobbies and you with mine. Certainly, you don’t like everything I like," Jeffrey said, turning around to fluff his pillow.

"He chose the garden that is only for us. I told the head maid to not let it spread around that he did this or tomorrow everyone would start talking about Hazel being the next queen. I need that to be a secret for the big reveal," Tabitha said, pulling the curtain across as she gave up looking out the window to spot the garden. "The court wants to be too involved in something I have control over."

"Well, most of them want the next queen to come from a house they all are close with. Just do what you have been doing and ignore them. They will soon be busy talking about war. Are you ready to join me in bed now? A few more minutes and I will be going to sleep without you. Hurry," Jeffrey held out his hand to her.

"Just go to bed. You should have been sleeping from the second when you came back from dinner. You need to have more breaks during the day or you will fall sick and worry us again," Tabitha replied, going to bed to join him.

"If you would have come to join me right away instead of spying on our son, I would have been long asleep hugging my beautiful wife. You are worried about something. What is it?" Jeffrey asked.

Jeffrey failed to see what there was to stress about when Tobias was quick to pick a woman he liked and was picking her all the time. This was a new side to their son and he enjoyed it. They wanted Tobias to settle down and he was doing it. What was the problem?

Jeffrey took the risk to ask, "Is it that you’ve lost your control?"

Tabitha stopped right before she could get onto the bed. "Do you want to sleep alone tonight?"

"It is an honest question, Tabitha. Given everything that has happened between you two and the strange behaviour, I must ask. Is it?" Jeffrey inquired.

"It is not," Tabitha answered.

"Good because that shouldn’t be on your mind. While we are on the topic of Hazel, find her sister a good husband and send her out of the palace as fast as you can. I managed to run into Nathan and he doesn’t seem thrilled about all this. We cannot be at odds with him," said Jeffrey.

"I am keeping her here and helping her marry as an apology to Nathan. I could have sent her out of the palace and not worry about her reputation, but I-"

"Care for her. Yes," Jeffrey nodded his head. "So I’ve been told. Hurry and get her out of the palace. Don’t let the selection end and she will still be here in the palace. If you can’t find someone who wants to court her when the four days are over, send her to her parents and continue to help her from afar."

"I know that, Jeffrey. I will take proper care of her. She has already cheered up from being taken out of the selection. It will all be fine," Tabitha promised.

"I hope so," Jeffrey said, lying on his side as he was ready to go to sleep. "It’s good I only have to be around for two selections. Mine and Tobias’s. I don’t want to witness another one. You and I will be out of the palace by then or if we are here, we can ignore it."

"Why wouldn’t I want to be involved? I love seeing a new queen be picked," Tabitha said.

Tabitha sat on the left side of the bed and started to move her hair to the side so it would not bother her as she slept.

"It would be Hazel’s duty as the queen and I doubt she would want you breathing over her shoulder," Jeffrey answered.

"I would only be there to offer advice," Tabitha replied.

"You would be like the court. Hovering around trying to get what you want out of the selection. We’ve had many years dealing with matters of this kingdom. Let us rest when our time as king and queen comes to an end," Jeffrey said as he was tired.

"Tobias is grown now so we can focus on Sofia more. I don’t look forward to when it will come time for her to wed. Let her marry a noble here."

Jeffrey didn’t want his daughter going anywhere far. There were no wars with other kingdoms that he didn’t think he could win for him to have to send his daughter off to have peace.

"You listened to when one of those bastards in court suggested that you let Tobias take one of those savages as his woman. I would have strangled you in your sleep if you had allowed that. I never want Tobias to take other women to his side let alone be from the border. I get angry just thinking about it," Tabitha said, roughly pulling her blanket up to her chest.

Tabitha didn’t want the land there that bad to have Tobias have one of those people at his side.

"I only listened. I’d prefer it if you go back to worrying about Tobias and Hazel. I want to sleep peacefully and not worry about you slapping me. Come closer," Jeffrey said, snaking his hand around her waist to pull her to him.

Tabitha lay with her arms folded as she was still upset, but that went away as she was now in Jeffrey’s arms. "I want the best for our children. Don’t let anyone bring up that idea and you must find a way for Sofia to marry and be safe in the palace in the future."

"A noble will have their land and home. They won’t want to live in the palace and who is to say Sofia won’t grow tired of being here? I don’t want her to be in this palace all her life. She needs to taste freedom. She is always watched here. We have some time to think," Jeffrey said, closing his eyes as he could not stay awake any longer.

"That time goes by faster than you realise. Tobias was just running around the palace with wooden swords and now he has been off to war. I would love it if we could go back to when he was just a boy. Jeffrey," Tabitha called, turning to face him only to find that he had dozed off to sleep. "Good night," she whispered.