"You are a king?" It shouldn't have surprised her. Given his temperament and manner, she had assumed he had lived a hard life, not only in terms of difficulty but also the toil he must have endured. If he was a king, he didn't live in finery and indulgence. "Were you born a king or became a king?" That was always the difference.

That was a different sort of bond than she had, but clearly still steeped in magic. He was no pharmakis, but it was possible that he had been touched by the gods in some way. Great men often were. "Sleep and dreams are more novelty for my kind. It doesn't have the same meaning as it does with mortals. But my lion is loyal and powerful, as are many of the animals on my island."