by Bianca D'Arc
“I don’t really like this,” he said to her privately as they stood from the table.
“I know. I don’t either. But it must be done. A monarch cannot hide behind temple walls, and with your people here, I doubt the Eyes will get another real chance at me. Plus, appearing to be out in the open might tempt Sendra into revealing herself. You don’t know my cousin. One thing about her—she always likes to gloat. I think she’d want to be present if and when her assassins strike.”
“She wasn’t present before,” he countered.
“As far as we know. Now that I’ve had time to think about it, I’d bet she was somewhere in the vicinity of the inn, and when that failed, she probably went back to her estate, where we were accosted next. Either there or the palace, which was also in disarray. She would have wanted to be nearby.”
Hugh definitely didn’t like the sound of that, but he had to trust Lera’s judgment regarding her cousin. She knew her. Hugh did not.
“If we do this.” Hugh spoke louder so they could all hear their words, “I want your agreement, Lera, that you will not leave my sight—or that of my people. They are the only ones I trust in this land to defend you as I would.”
Put on the spot, Lera paused, looking at the newcomers. Sir Mace and the twin princes stood with their expressions solemn, their heads bowed slightly though they held her gaze with purpose. The dragons also bowed their heads downward to be on a level with hers.
She faced Hugh, taking both of his hands in hers. This was a serious moment and she had to treat it as such. From this moment forward, Hugh would be her partner in all things. She had to give him the respect he was due as she knew he would give her.
“I will stay by your side, Hugh. And I will accept the protection of your people with grateful thanks. You also have my thanks for joining me in going on the offensive. I will not hide any longer. I want to go on the attack—even if my attack is a subtle one.” She released one of his hands and turned so that they were both facing the group. “You will be my defense, but also my offense. I thank you for your willingness to help me and my land. Helios and I will not forget your valor.”
The time had come. She was not going to stay in the temple any ce t my longer. She had allies now. Allies and a mate who was fiercer than any man she had ever known. With such things in her favor, there was no way Sendra could succeed.
Or so she hoped.
The flight to the palace was accomplished quietly. The only hiccup was Miss’s refusal to go anywhere outdoors unless she was hidden. She would only agree to fly on Hugh’s back if Lera kept her under her cloak. It was a little awkward, but Lera didn’t really mind humoring the child. She just didn’t understand the fear that drove the gryphlet.
When asked, Miss refused to explain exactly why she didn’t want to be seen. She clammed up and declined to say anything more, her little body quaking in fear. At that point, Lera calmed her and held open the cloak under cover of the wall so Miss could scurry up onto Hugh’s back and hide her shivering body between the dark cloak and Lera’s body.
It had to look a little odd, but Lera hoped nobody would note the extra bulk under her cloak. It was only a short flight to the palace, after all, and once there, the halls were designed to allow easy passage of gryphons within. The dragons would fit nicely and Miss could climb down once they were inside.
The princes didn’t shift shape, preserving their secret. Instead, they rode on Jenet’s back, while Mace rode with his fighting partner, Nellin. Lera liked the way they worked together. It was clear they had trained to work that way in both the air and on land. She wondered if her gryphons would find it as seemingly easy to do the same with the priests.
No doubt, the experience of the dragons and knights would come in handy when fulfilling the Lady’s wishes to create the new, integrated wing of fighters. Once again, Lera had to marvel at the Lady’s plans and the way she had drawn them all together in perfect timing for Her plans.
This time when they approached the palace and the landing platform nearest the throne room, to which she guided Hugh, the guards were exactly where they were supposed to be. In fact, they looked more vigilant than they had in a long time. Had she grown so complacent over the years that she’d let a lax attitude in her guards develop? Perhaps. Though her Guard captain should not have let his men grow sloppy.
She would have to look into it. Or better yet, ask Hugh to take the matter in hand once things had settled down. She almost smiled to think how he would deal with any warrior who had grown negligent of his duties. Yes, that was a job Hugh would enjoy.
The temple had sent a runner with the message that dragons would be arriving at the palace in order to clear the way for them. A set of gryphons waited on the platform—a pair Lera had known most of her life. She didn’t think they would be in on the plot to dethrone her, but she’d agreed to let Hugh’s people see to her safety and she would defer to her mate’s judgment.
She had been wrong in the recent past, to her own detriment. Now was the time to allow Hugh to exercise his area of expertise. He was a warrior born and bred. He knew how to keep her safe. All she had to do was let him and not interfere.
They landed without incident, Jenet going first with the twin princes, followed by Hugh and Lera, with Mace and Nellin acting as rear guard. The gryphon pair, Taldor and Rulith, eyed the dragons with suspicion. The mated pair had been members of Hyadror’s elite wing for the past ten years or more and were both accomplished aerial fighters.
Hampered by Miss’s terror of being seen, Lera kept her seat, allowing Hugh to walk her under cover of th cr c/p>e roof. He’d landed neatly in the center of the platform instead of near the edge where it might’ve been more dangerous to her, and it was only a few of his large steps to the pointed arch that led inside.
The gryphons watched in bemusement as she rode on the black dragon’s back until they were inside. Once there, Lera hopped down, holding out her arms to help Miss untangle herself from the voluminous cloak Lera had unbuttoned and left behind on the dragon’s back.
“Ssafe?” she asked.
“It is safe, sweetheart,” Lera promised. “Only Taldor and Rulith will be able to see you. Is that all right?”
She stared toward the archway, wide-eyed as the two gryphons followed the dragons indoors. Relief was evident in the relaxation of her small body when the gryphons were fully visible.
“Is it all right?” Lera repeated, keeping low to talk to the gryphlet.
“Don’t know dem,” Miss whispered. “Iss all right.”
Lera looked at Hugh. He had shifted shape as soon as Miss had jumped down off his back. He was clearly as puzzled by the child’s words as she was.
But there was no time to discuss it further. The gryphons tried to get close and Sir Nellin stepped into their path. A confrontation was in the making and Lera had to make a few things clear to her gryphon friends.
“Taldor and Rulith have been members of my court and Hyadror’s fighting wing for a long time.” She spoke to Hugh as he stood beside her. “I cannot believe they would be involved in a plot against me, but I understand your caution. Please let me explain to them.”
“Do it from here, milady. Once again I would remind you that I cannot protect you if you are too far from my side.”
“Please, Sir Nellin, stand aside so that I make speak to my friends,” she said in a louder voice.
With a more graceful move than Lera would have expected from a creature so large, Nellin swept aside, allowing the puzzled gryphons to see her.
“Milady, are you all right?” Taldor asked, stepping forward. His motion was intercepted by Nellin’s tail. It whipped around, sitting across the gryphon’s path. The feathers around Taldor’s neck rose in agitation as he shot a glare in the dragon’s direction.
“I am well, my friend. Please do not take offense. Prince Hugh of Draconia has saved my life several times in the past two days. I have put my safety and my life into his hands until this crisis is over.” And beyond, s
he added mentally. When this was all settled, there would be a party for the two-legged and four-footed alike to celebrate their marriage in the more traditional way.
“Milady, I know we were in dissarray, but iss it wisse to trusst thesse foreignerss?” Rulith stood forward, beside her mate, concern clear in her raptor’s gaze.
She made the formal introductions. “Lady Rulith, Sir Taldor, please meet Prince Hugh of Draconia. It is not widely known yet, but he is my mate. I trust him with my life.” She could see that her news startled the gryphons, but there wasn’t time to let them adjust. They had to know the decisions she had made that would affect them all. “These two identical gentlemen are his brothers, the Princes Collin and Treymayne,” Lera went on with the introductions. “Sir Mace is a knight and his fighting partner is the dragon, Sir Nellin. His mate is the Lady Jenet.” Lera motioned toward the gorgeous peach-gold dragon and saved the best cave on wi bit of information for last. “Lady Jenet’s knight partner is someone known to you, I believe.” She smiled, wondering how they would react. These two, more than any other gryphons in Helios, had a soft spot in their hearts for the golden-haired bard.
“Who iss your knight, Lady Jenet?” Rulith asked, her head cocked in puzzlement.
“Drake,” Jenet said simply, broadcasting to everyone present.
“Drake?” Taldor’s crest feathers ruffled again in surprise as he looked from the dragon back to Lera.
Lera grinned. “Indeed, Drake of the Five Lands is now a knight of Draconia. I saw him myself not two hours past. He’s out in the city right now, but I believe he will be back at court in time for dinner. Perhaps we can persuade him to sing.”
Taldor and Rulith settled down once they’d all moved into the throne room. Big enough to hold a few wings worth of gryphons, there was plenty of room for the gryphon pair and the dragons as well. Hugh and his brothers were in human form and Mace stood guard over all. He seemed such a serious man. Lera liked his dedication and his quiet capability. He made her feel more confident. If all of the knights of Draconia were like him, it was no wonder that land was such a strong one.
Lera looked at her simple throne, a large, straight-backed chair set on a slightly raised platform at one end of the big room. That would soon change. Instead of a single chair, there would soon be two.
“What brings that little smile to your luscious lips?” Hugh asked, his voice pitched low near her ear as he came up behind her and took her into his arms from behind. His warm hands wrapped around her waist and she felt enveloped in his warmth. It was a heady feeling.
“I was thinking about my throne and how I’ll be sharing it with you from now on.”
“And that makes you happy?” He turned her in his arms, his gaze serious, which she hadn’t expected.
“Having you in my life, at my side, makes me very happy indeed.” Her voice held the same seriousness she saw in his eyes.
“I feel the same way,” he replied. He leaned down to place a chaste kiss on her lips, then drew back. “But I’m not marrying you for your throne, Lera. I would love you no less if you were a beggar in the street. I have no desire to steal your power or usurp your authority. I need not have a throne. As long as I have a place in your heart, that is enough for me.”
His words nearly made her melt into a puddle on the spot. She felt the truth of them. She knew he meant every word.
“Which is exactly why you shall have a throne of your own, my gallant Hugh.” She wondered how she got so blessed to have this magnificent man for her own. “I loved you when you were a simple warrior and I will love you as my co-ruler. Your wisdom and skill will help Helios—and me. I love you, Hugh. And so will Helios.”
He kissed her then, the emotion welling up between them, firing their individual magic to glow and spark and twine around each other. Lera lost track of her surroundings in an instant, caught up in the perfection of being with the only man who was meant for her. The man who completed her and embraced and met her inner fire with his own.
“Your majesties,” came a warm female voice in their minds. It had to be the dragoness, Jenet. “The child is watching.”
Lera pulled back, looking around in surprise. Hugh had that effect on her. She’d forgotten c7;d21;
Sure enough, Miss was at their side, staring up at them. Hugh released Lera and bent to the child, rubbing behind her ears, trailing sparks of magic over her fur that danced and played with Miss’s own replenished magic.
“Magic feels good,” Miss observed. “Warm and cuddly.”
“That’s love, sweetheart,” Hugh told her in a quiet voice that carried only to Lera as he looked up at her.
“Love’s nice,” she answered simply. Lera wasn’t really sure how deeply the child understood the concept. She’d known so little love in her young life. Lera would see that changed, if it was within her power.
“One of the nicest things in the world,” Hugh agreed, scratching Miss behind her ears as he smiled up at Lera.
She had to agree. Loving Hugh was amazing. Breathtaking. Incomparable.
A commotion near the interior entryway to the throne room caught their attention and broke the spell. There would be time to explore the love between them later, she hoped. Now that Hugh and his friends were here, she had powerful allies in the fight to stop Sendra and stay alive. For the first time since she’d first realized someone was trying to kill her, Lera had hope. Hugh would do everything in his power to keep her safe.
The twin princes and Mace moved to surround her, while Hugh took point, placing her slightly behind him. The guards at the door seemed uncertain with the Draconian contingent inside the room. She recognized one of them—a young warrior named Kendrik, who was the nephew of the leader of the Palace Guard, newly arrived from his home in the country. He’d been introduced to her the week before.
“Kendrik,” she called to him from over Hugh’s shoulder. “What’s going on out there?”
“Milady.” The young man stepped into the room and faced her while his companion held someone back, just out of sight. “Counselor Orin and a few others seek an audience. He does not have an appointment and he is being rather…difficult.” The young man threw a disgusted look over his shoulder.
“I demand to see Milady Valeria!” A voice boomed from the hallway, just outside the door. She recognized both the voice and the tone.
“Sounds like word of your arrival has already spread. Do you want us to get rid of him?” Hugh asked at her side.
Lera sighed heavily, wishing she could lean on Hugh and not have to deal with this, but this, after all, was the reason they’d come back to the palace. She had to stand firm and root out the traitors in her court. Orin might not be one of them…but then again, he might also be plotting her death. It was time to find out which.
“Orin was one of my father’s friends. He’s also a distant relation. I’ve kept him on as a counselor, but more often than not I don’t agree with his hardline stances on things. We mostly don’t see eye to eye, but I do value his opinion as a dissenting voice. Sometimes he has valid points that help me make better decisions.”
Hugh seemed surprised by her frank appraisal of the man.
“I want you to know my opinions on who we’re dealing with,” Lera went on. “If we had more time, I wouldn’t say a word so you could form your own opinion, then we could compare notes later, but with the current state of things…”
word so yodth="22">“This is a much wiser course of action, Lera.” Hugh squeezed her hand. “I need to know the cast of characters to this play before the curtain goes up.”
She was relieved he agreed with her strategy. “Good. Then you should know that Orin is married to Sendra’s mother, Yasmin. It’s a second marriage for both of them. Sendra’s father was my father’s brother. Her mother was a noblewoman from the kingdom of Talinor, across the sea. She’s always been a social climber, and marrying Orin gave her access to his considerable wealth. Sendra inherited almost everything from her father upon his death. He�
�d been estranged from Yasmin for some time and cut her out of his will as much as possible before his death. I should also mention that he died under suspicious circumstances.”
“This Orin seems closely tied to your enemy.”
“He is, but he is also very much his own man. I don’t think Yasmin has any control over his beliefs. She is very beautiful and the entire court watched the concerted play she made to ensnare him after her husband died. He was the richest single man at court at the time and it was widely believed that all she cared about was his fortune. Yasmin and Sendra do not speak. Sendra refused to continue supporting her mother out of her father’s estate. She cut her off completely.”
“Nice family,” Hugh said dryly. Lera agreed. That branch of the family had turned into a nest of vipers the moment her uncle’s riches had come into question.
“Orin is tough, but not as devious as his wife. At least, that’s my read on him. I’ve known him my whole life and he’s always been a tough man, but he does have a quick mind and principles he sticks to.”
“We can work with someone like that. As long as he’s on the right side of this mess.”
“Shall we find out?” Lera gave Hugh a mischievous look, raising one eyebrow as she tilted her head toward the doorway, where Orin was still arguing with the guard.
“Let him in, but don’t let him too close. Follow my lead.” Hugh motioned with a jerk of his head toward his brothers. Both stepped forward on either side of him and Lera, a few feet in front of them to each side.
Lera called to Kendrik. “Allow Counselor Orin to enter.”
The man that entered a moment later looked genuinely concerned. When he would have moved close to Lera, the twins blocked his path. He looked angry at first, then reconciled himself to keeping a certain distance, with the men watching him warily. Hugh had even positioned the dragons closer behind them, and the gryphons had followed. Lera saw Orin’s eyes widen at their presence, but he didn’t seem outwardly intimidated, only surprised.
