To be released of one’s fealty was… a sign of disfavor that could well mark his family forever. My eyes shifted back to Amras’ parents, who looked as if they had received a blow to the heart.
But the Queen wasn’t finished just yet; she continued with, “As you no longer owe me Fealty, I cannot command you. Therefore I offer this advice, go to my Granddaughter who is also a Queen. I offer this with a Grandmother’s hope that you will continue to serve her well, and that she will keep you near her. For it is clear to me that you are meant to be at her side. And know this, Lord Amras; your family will not be injured in any way by this decree,” she added. Amras pulled a deep breath into his lungs and raised his head for the first time since he’d gone to the floor.
“Your Majesty, I welcome your punishment and…thank you for your trust.” When she waved her hand at him, he rose swiftly, coming back to my chair, while his smile lit up the room. This time he went to one knee in front of me and the entire court.
“Your Majesty, Princess Lexi Helyanwe of the Seelie Court of Air, and Queen of the Dragons upon this Earth. By the Goddess, I pledge my fealty and swear to protect you with my very life. As I have been given my life to you, so shall my heart remain in your care forever. Do you accept?”
His eyes were like drenched sparkling amethysts as I gazed into them. “Yes, Lord Amras, I accept,” I whispered and he bent his head over the hand I held out to him, kissing my knuckles and then pressing it to his wet cheek. Around us the Sidhe responded with a soft sigh, as if it had been holding its breath and was waiting only for my response to begin breathing again.
Chapter 6
“Lexi, will you call the Prince forward?” my Grandmother asked and I turned to look at her, as did Amras. “I believe he has sworn Fealty to you also and is therefore yours to command?” I nodded while Amras rose to his feet and moved to the back of my chair.
My eyes moved down to Cursed, who stood with his legs shoulder width apart one hand holding the other wrist. “Prince Cursed?” I called, and he was moving toward me before I finished speaking his name. He went to a knee as he reached the top step, bowing his head to my Grandmother, myself, and then my Mother. Apparently he was well versed in etiquette, I’m not sure I would have known the correct order.
“It seems this court owes you an apology,” she started, and beneath his lowered head I spotted Cursed’s eyes widen in shock. “It has recently come to my attention that you were guiltless in assisting my daughter to remove herself from the Sidhe. As for your having unlawful interactions with the Princess… I believe the relationship you have with my Granddaughter speak for itself, in that I’m certain she would never have accepted you into her affections had that been the case. Therefore I offer you a boon of your choosing in recompense for our poor treatment of you this past half century, as well as this Queen’s personal apology.”
Cursed raised his head and glanced at the Queen and then myself. My smile lit his eyes with wonder and he glanced back at the Queen. “Your Majesty, I accept, but would like to consider your offer carefully before deciding.”
She smiled and nodded. “Of course,” she told him and looked at me. I stared back at her for a second before realizing she wanted me to dismiss him and I turned back to Cursed, who was watching me with a sly smile. I waved my fingers at him and he rose and retreated back down the stairs. My eyes followed the pleasing sway of his hair about his trim bottom as he walked down the stairs. He glanced over his shoulder flashing his pointed teeth at me, letting me know he sensed my gaze and was fully enjoying it.
“Now,” the Queen informed me. “Your Mother and Father have been telling me about your other… attendants.” And I had to bite the end of my tongue so I wouldn’t smile. “I have never met a Second Level Chaos Demon of the Order of Limerence before,” she told me, her golden eyes showing a keen interest. I turned back to Kit and held out my arm, giving him a nod. He shifted to a black haze from which he exploded into flight, his black and silver Dragon form flying straight to me and landing gently upon my arm. I moved him closer so he might rub his head against my cheek. His rumbling purr of pleasure could be heard in the utter stillness that enveloped the room. I kissed and petted him for a several seconds then turned to my Grandmother with a smile.
“Ma’am, may I present Kit, my Lust Demon?” I asked and she looked like she was torn between laughing and being shocked. On my arm Kit stood to his hind legs then dipped his head, while his small wings fanned out to assist with his balance.
“Your Royal Majesty,” he murmured. “It is a pleasure to meet you.” And he leapt from my arm and flew toward my Grandmother, landing at her feet and blinking his large red eyes up at her. The guards behind my Grandmother flowed around either side of her chair and stood glaring down at Kit, hands gripping sword hilts.
My Grandmother ignored them and leaned forward so she could stare back at him. He shifted to haze and was suddenly sitting cross-legged at her feet, his beautiful face lifted to hers. The guards growled threateningly and Kit grinned and leaned forward. She surprised me by reaching out and brushing his cheek with the back of her hand, causing Kit to smile and lift an eyebrow. “Mmmm,” he murmured. She quietly removed her hand and I swear she flushed while he chuckled and turned to glance at me.
I nearly rolled my eyes and pointed to the arm of my chair. He shifted and winged his way back to me, landing gracefully and settling himself by wrapping his tail about the arm. I stroked him gently and he settled in to softly purring for me. My gaze moved back to the guards and in my mind I scoffed at them, thinking how foolish they were for believing I would allow any of my men to harm my Grandmother! Their reactions to my thoughts were as disparate as the two of them. The dark one glared at me, his lips a fine line of anger, which I dismissed, completely unimpressed. The pale guard stared back at me, a look of interest in his fine green eyes. Hmmm, I thought, and turned my attention to my Grandmother to find she had an almost wistful look upon her face.
“Owen?” I called, and he glanced at me and nodded. “Ma’am?” I asked and she shook herself and turned to look at Owen.
“Ve,” she told him with a curious note in her voice. “It has been a very long time. Where have you been keeping yourself?”
He bowed from the waist and replied, “Here and there, Your Majesty. Mostly here, and never there.” Then he flashed a smile that made his dark brown eyes light up and she chuckled softly.
“Still as charming as ever I see,” she replied and he bowed again.
“I am sorry for your loss,” he told her more seriously. “His Majesty the King, was a good man. And I wish that I had the power to assist you,” he finished, his dark eyes shifting to me then quickly away.
She sighed and glanced over her shoulder at her husband while the court held its collective breath. “Thank you,” she told him, her face thoughtful as she turned back to him. “It pleases me that you have joined my Granddaughter.”
He bowed again and glanced at me. “It is pleasing to me also, Your Majesty,” he told her, and chuckles broke out around the room while my cheeks turned pink.
The Queen just smiled and gave him a nod as he stepped back. Her eyes went to my Drakes next and I sat forward and smiled at them. “If it pleases you, Ma’am?” I asked and she smiled while I called them forward. The three stepped around Owen and the guards, and I watched them come toward me while my heart swelled with pride. They stopped on the second to the top stair and dropped their heads to the Queen, and then turning to me, all three went down to a knee on the carpet, much to my surprise.
I rose from my chair with a murmur and walked to them, my eyes searching first Jace’s then Gareth’s face. Their eyes held the riches of their feelings for me and I closed my own and sent each of them a soft kiss. Gareth rumbled deep in his chest while Jace hummed for me. I held out a hand to them and they stood. My fingers squeezed theirs and then I stepped away with a smile, turning back to my chair and seating myself once again. The Queen sat quietly, her golden eyes watching me
intently. When I was once more as comfortable as before, she moved her eyes back to Jace and Gareth, then finally to Dane whom I’d left kneeling on the steps.
“Sirs,” she began, eyeing them thoughtfully. “I have heard much about you, though I have never had the pleasure of your company until now. From the first moment you stepped foot upon this world you have shown the fine characteristics that set your race apart from all others. It is an honor to have you here.” She smiled when they both dipped their heads. “This Queen is most grateful for your care of her Granddaughter. I am aware that she has turned your lives upside down and yet you seem pleased that it is so. The doors of this Sidhe welcome you, Sirs, and know that you have this Queen’s favor.”
Jace and Gareth both bowed from the waist much as Owen had done and turned to me, dropping once again to a knee while I smiled at them. They rose as one and went back down the steps retaking their places, leaving Dane still kneeling where I had left him.
I turned and looked at the Queen, who stared first at me and then Dane. “He is half Pixie, Ma’am,” I told her, and her eyebrows rose in surprise. “His name is Dane Elensar, his mother was Seelie, and his sire was Dragon and is no more.” I told her softly, “He has also declared.” And then to Dane I said, “Rise, Dane, you are mine.” He pulled himself to his feet, his dark eyes glancing toward first me than the rest of us seated upon the dais.
“Your Father told me he had assisted with his birth. I did not realize…” and she fell silent, her eyes searching Dane’s face. “May I?” she asked me, and I nodded and turned back to Dane.
“Go to her,” my mind whispered, and he stepped up to the dais and crossed to her, stopping several feet before her chair and dipping his head.
“He is… unique,” she told me, her eyes flicking to me then back to Dane. “Different than you or anything I have ever sensed.” Dane stared down at her and smiled, his dark eyes filling with humor.
“Tis the Irish in me, yer Royal Majesty, it is,” he replied and I bit the inside of my cheek at the look on my Grandmother’s face.
“Ah…” she breathed, “the black Irish.” Nodding her head once, she then turned to look at my Father, who had a pleased smile on his face. I don’t think he could have been more proud of Dane if he’d been his own son. That thought got me a raised eyebrow from Dad and I fought not to roll my eyes as that would have been completely inappropriate. “What is your age?” she asked and I sat forward, wondering myself.
“Two score and eight, I am,” he replied.
“Older than the other that waits,” she replied thoughtfully and I got my first clue what Marcus was up to. “You are quite handsome for such a youngster,” she told him and glanced at me with a smile. “As are they all, I could almost envy you, Granddaughter.”
I dipped my head to her. “I am most fortunate, Ma’am, to be blessed with so many pure hearts to attend me.” She raised an eyebrow and I added, “Yes they are all wondrously handsome and each knows full well how that pleases me.” On my chair arm Kit snickered while the rest of them… except Dane and Tdem… chuckled. The Queen glanced at Dane and raised her eyebrow again. Tdem she completely ignored.
“He is newly come, Ma’am. It has not yet occurred to him,” I informed her while Dane turned slowly and pinned me to my chair with the smoke filled look in his inky black eyes.
“Go sibh cead cainte a fháil mo banríon,” he replied and dipped his head to me. I tilted my head to the side and raised my Dragonsward. He sighed and whispered, as you say my Queen and I dropped my Dragonsward once again, noticing that the room had suddenly gone still.
“Lexi, child… what did you just do?”
“My pardon, Ma’am. I did not mean to alarm you,” I thought then gritted my teeth for having been so foolish. “I simply… lifted my shield.”
“Oh,” she replied and glanced at my Mother, then back at me. “I was not aware you had the power to sciath an intinn amach is amach. Dane looked surprised and glanced back at the Queen. I supposed he knew what she’d said and rather than raise my shield again I simply nodded. After all, there were few things she could have finished that sentence with. I was betting it was something to do with my ability to shield my mind from the Fey.
I dismissed Dane and he returned off the dias with the rest of them while my eyes followed. I couldn’t help being slightly annoyed but would take that up with him later.
“Will you stay?” my Grandmother asked, her voice neither a command nor too eager.
I looked at Gareth and Jace then turned to her. “For a day or two only. My men have commitments, and as you say, I have already turned their lives upside down. But we would be pleased to visit for a while,” I told her, while out of the corner of my eye I watched Tdem shift and frown. My gaze moved to him and I leaned back while his black eyes pinned me to the chair. Behind my head Amras’ fingers slipped into my curls and rubbed gently at my scalp. Obviously that was not what Tdem was expecting to hear, nor did he seem happy that my Grandmother had not commanded me as he had assumed. I smiled at him, realizing as King with a full Court of his own, it would be difficult for him to get at me often once I left the Sidhe. In fact I didn’t think it was going to be easy for him here in the Seelie Court either, and watched has he frowned slightly back at me.
“That would please me,” she told me with a smile. “Now I would like very much for you to meet my Court. And they, in turn, are most eager to meet you. I believe Amras and Cursed can be your guides.” And she sent me off with a wave of her hand as she turned to my Mom and struck up a conversation with her. I smiled and held out my arm for Kit who hopped on, then moved to my shoulder and wrapped his tail loosely about my neck. I gripped my flute and off we went.
“Try not to tear the dress would you?” I whispered and felt his tongue reach out to tickle my neck.
“Maybe later when we unwrap you,” he replied. I smiled and took Amras’ arm so he could lead me down the steps. Kit left my shoulder and went to mingle. I think he was enjoying the sensations he was picking up and wanted the freedom to move about. Amras meanwhile, steered me directly to his parents while my men spread out amongst the crowd who quickly encircled them, neatly separating us. When the introductions were over, Amras was speaking with his father and his mother turned to glance down at me. Odd everyone here seemed to be taller than me, even in their flat slippers and I my heels.
“Your Majesty, I cannot thank you enough,” Amras’ mother told me, her lovely voice sounding as if it might break from emotion.
My hand reached out to grasp hers and I leaned in to whisper, “He is a fine man, a good man. It is an honor for me to meet his mother.”
At my words a tear slipped down her cheek and she took a deep breath and slid her arms around me, giving me a quick hug. It was a rare show of emotion for an Elf to touch someone in so familiar manner who was not immediate family. “Lle en’ amin corm.” Daughter of my heart, she called me, and I felt my own eyes moisten in response.
I hugged her back and promised, “I will try not to get myself killed, as he seems to delight in risking his life to save me.” It was the best I could promise given it appeared I had a propensity toward trouble. From where he spoke to his father, Amras eyes brushed mine and he smiled shyly and grinned. Linwe released me and I let her go to Amras, who looked like he’d be tied up for some time. Parents were just funny that way.
The area in front of the dais was suddenly crawling with Fey. I turned back toward my men, finding my way blocked by a tall man with two tone blue eyes who reached out to steady me when I swayed on my heels in my attempt to keep from mashing my face against his chest. “Your Royal Majesty,” he murmured. I glanced up at him and lifted an eyebrow when he failed to remove his hands from me promptly. His eyes were cool as he stood there for a moment, before releasing me slowly. His intent must have been to show me that it was his choice to do so. I suppose since no one was attending me at the moment he felt free to take liberties with my person.
“Excuse me,” I told
him and would have swept past him, but he neatly stepped into my path causing me to halt once again. I took a deep breath and glanced up at him with an accessing look. “You must be the welcoming committee,” I told him and he frowned down at me. “Here to tell me your kind don’t like my kind and if I know what’s best for me I’ll beat feet out of town or you’ll call me out at high noon, or some such nonsense?” I hazarded a guess. His frown turned to confusion and then irritation. “Oh yeah, that’s the look I was waiting for,” I told him, and then held up my hand when he would have spoken. “Don’t bother; it doesn’t matter to me anyway.” And I went to move past him again only to have him once more step in my path. This was getting old and I glanced back up at him and placed my hand on my hip. Now people that know me, know this is not a good sign. Of course, this yahoo didn’t know me so how could he possibly realize he was treading on such thin ice?
“What is a yahoo and why would I tread upon thin ice?” he asked in a deep lovely voice that went with his painfully beautiful face.
“I could tell you, but then I’d have to kill you,” I told him tongue in cheek as he stared down at me in distress.
Dragon Envy Page 9
