"H-hi, amichai," Galian squeaked. "Did you—"
"Save it," she barked, walking into the room. "I brought you some water. Or would you like me to find you an enema so you can take care of your bowel problems?"
I laughed as Galian tried his innocent act with Theo. It didn't work, although she did soften a bit when he winced and gripped his shoulder, which she then fussed over as she adjusted his pillow. He took her hand and kissed it, and her hard veneer fell away as her eyes filled with tears.
Sensing things were about to devolve into the disgustingly sweet territory, I excused myself from the room.
I closed the door behind me and ran into Mom, who seemed much happier than the last time I'd seen her. She smiled warmly at me and took my face in her hands, kissing my forehead.
"I'm so proud of you."
"What'd I do this time?"
"Taking on Bouckley is no easy task," she said. "I hear Ms. Collins joined you there?"
My cheeks warmed under her thumbs, and I stepped out of her grip. "She was invaluable. And I think she'll move operations back to Kylae, which bodes well for us."
"Indeed." She offered her arm. "Shall we?"
"We?" I blinked. "Are you coming to the coronation?"
"Of course," she said, as if the alternative were absurd. "It's not every day your son becomes king."
"But what about Gally?"
"I think Theo's got him covered," Mom said, cracking open the door.
Bickering ceased, Theo had curled up beside Galian in the small hospital bed, her head resting on his good shoulder. He was running his fingertips along her arm, although his eyes were closed. She seemed to be in a deep slumber, the tension gone from her face. And even though there were still hurdles, problems, riots, and Rave to free, seeing the two of them together made me think that things might just turn out all right.
Olivia
The sound of my heels on the tile floor was oddly familiar as I hurried toward Rhys' office behind his tall, bald guard. I'd only just arrived for the coronation after freshening up at the hotel when he'd come for me, telling me the king-to-be had an urgent message.
I found him standing at his desk, staring out the bright window, his hands clasped behind his back.
"How is he?" I asked.
"Back to his old self," Rhys replied, glancing over his shoulder. "Theo's already putting him in his place. It's beautiful."
I had to laugh. "So why did you need to see me?"
"I wanted to talk about that aid I promised you. Are you really coming back to Kylae?" he asked, turning and walking toward me. He wore a strange look that both unnerved and excited me.
"It will take some time, of course," I said, taking a step back. "We'll need to see about repurchasing our old buildings, finding the money to move our operations again—"
"I'll give you the money." He stood in front of me now, almost too close. "Just say you'll come back to Kylae. We need you." He took my hand in his and my pulse spiked. "We can't survive without Collins Shipbuilding."
I chided myself for being so silly. Of course, he meant the business.
"And, you know, we could get a drink sometime, too."
I raised my brow at the soon-to-be King of Kylae, grinning at me like some common schoolboy. "You want to get a drink? With me?"
"Yeah," he said, brushing the pad of his thumb against my palm. "Look, I'm not saying that I'll give you a crown, but—"
"I don't want your crown."
"But how about you get to know me?" His innocent eyes stared down at me, almost begging me not to say no. "Liv, there aren't many women out there who I trust anymore."
"Oh, so I'm your only option?" I said, but I didn't mean it.
"You're the only one I'm asking."
I swallowed, struggling to keep my composure. I'd dealt with his brother's charms with no problems, but Rhys was a different person. Perhaps I was drawn to our similarities. Perhaps it was that we'd spent the past week under an incredible amount of stress keeping three nations from devolving into war. Or perhaps I just found his charm a bit more irresistible than his brother's.
"How about this? Why don't you get your feet wet, stop the war, get your country in order, and then...maybe," I smiled, "I'll take you up on that drink."
"Promise?"
I strolled up to him and pressed my lips against his, staining them with my lipstick. "Promise, Your Majesty."
The End
As always, thank you, dear reader, for going with me on this adventure. As an indie author, I rely on my awesome folks like yourselves to help share the word about my work. Please consider leaving a review on your favorite book retailer. I am so excited to hear what you think—even if it's a short review. And don't forget to check out my other work below and subscribe to my newsletter to get all the latest info from yours truly.
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About the Author
S. Usher Evans was born and raised in Pensacola, Florida. After a decade of fighting bureaucratic battles as an IT consultant in Washington, DC, she suffered a massive quarter-life-crisis. She decided fighting dragons was more fun than writing policy, so she moved back to Pensacola to write books full-time. She currently resides with her two dogs, Zoe and Mr. Biscuit, and frequently can be found plotting on the beach.
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S. Usher Evans, The Complete Madion War Trilogy
The Complete Madion War Trilogy Page 75
