Throughout the kingdom of Kaska and into the countries beyond, they gossip about the scandalous Fox, the beautiful commoner who went from singing in taverns to being court musician and the king’s lover. But the king has grown distant and now seeks a proper consort, leaving Fox shut out of the king’s bedroom and uncertain of his place at court. His worries are compounded by the crowded accommodations during the King’s Tournament, as even nobles fight for space within the castle. Fox might have nowhere to go.

Then legendary knight Byr Conall, the famed Dragonslayer, steps in to offer Fox a place to stay among the knights competing in the tournament. Conall is the one person at court not intimidated by the king, and therefore the one person Fox has avoided so as not to incur the king’s wrath. At least, that’s one reason. The other is that something about the thoughtful, crafty mountain of a man makes Fox feel less like the glamorous, clever figure known far and wide as the King’s Fox and more like the jittery, uncertain youth Fox was when he first arrived at court.

Conall almost makes Fox believe in the romantic songs he sings to entertain others. But nobles do not marry commoners, and even if they did, Fox can’t believe that an actual hero like Conall would choose a jumped-up street musician only lately out of the king’s bed. It might take winning a tournament, defying the king, and shocking the court, but Conall is out to convince Fox that Fox doesn’t just deserve his heart, but also a home.

Melis, the fledgling God of Desire in All Its Forms, is of course aware of the famously beautiful and famously unwed King Antero. Though the human king has been approached by many suitors, all have been intimidated by the strength of his remarkable heart. The lonely Antero has been praying for a companion, a friend who will stay by his side if he is not meant to find the other half of his soul. For years, he has been making those prayers to Melis.

Known by many names including Melis the Prankster and Melis the Cruel, Melis is blamed by humans and gods alike if he answers their wishes—and if he doesn’t—and almost never thanked for the stories that turn out well. He has listened to Antero’s yearning without responding, secretly pleased to have the noble king’s devotion for himself, but mostly convinced there is no one on earth who could ever be Antero’s equal.

But when some of the elder gods insist Melis would serve the world better if he knew anything of desires for himself, the little God of Desire decides to visit the private chambers of the king and finally respond to his most faithful servant—only to find himself wanting to answer the king’s wish in a more personal way than he’d anticipated. Melis might be divine, but one clever human king is more than a match for him, especially once Antero decides it’s time for Desire to learn something of Love.

Royal librarian Mattin has a habit of overworking himself and forgetting that his heats are approaching. That's annoying but bearable. What is mortifying is that the king and his husband seem to have noticed.

An alternate universe omegaverse-esque novella featuring the characters from A Suitable Consort (For the King and His Husband) an m/m/m romance