The coronation morning began before sunrise.
Dean knew this because he had been awake for most of the hour before anyone entered their rooms, not from nerves so much as the increasingly limited number of positions in which a full-term pregnancy allowed him to remain comfortable for longer than twenty minutes.
Their daughter had apparently chosen that particular morning to occupy as much space as physically possible.
Arion found him standing near the windows in a pale dressing robe, one hand supporting the underside of his stomach while he watched the first light spread across Roslew.
"You should be sitting."
Dean glanced over his shoulder.
"You are not emperor for another three hours. Do not abuse the authority early."
Arion smiled and crossed the room.
