Just One Knight

by Bridget Essex

  The queen chuckles, and it’s such an affectionate sound that Talis and I can’t help it—we chuckle a little, too.

  “Talis,” the queen repeats, and she lifts up a bit of parchment in her hand. “I have here a letter that arrived this morning by dragon. It concerns you. Do you know of any reason I might get a letter from a dragon about you?” She’s trying to keep from smiling, but it doesn’t work, and a soft smile comes over her face.

  Talis pales further. “My queen…I…I can explain.”

  “Oh, Calla, let her off the hook,” says another knight. She’s seated at the dais, and she has her long, black hair in a high ponytail. Hanging from the ponytail, interwoven with her hair is a wolf’s tail. She has the brightest blue eyes I’ve ever seen.

  “My dear Virago,” says Calla with a laugh, glancing over her shoulder at the knight, “she was never on the hook in the first place. My dear,” she tells Talis gently, “I heard that you made us very proud in Bright Coast last night. You defeated one of the beasts in the Circ, and Princess Fane has highly recommended you to me. Frankly, I’m not sure why it’s taken this long, but I wanted you to know…you are promoted to squire as of today. Train well, Talis, and you soon will be a knight.”

  Talis stares at the queen, and then she kneels before her, breathless, speechless.

  “Thank you,” she manages, and then she breathes it again: “thank you.”

  “I would have you know that there were many knights who recommended you to me. Kell, Virago, Lellie,” Calla gestures over her shoulder, and I see Lellie also seated on the dais, beside the other knight…Virago, I’m assuming. Lellie has her hands folded prettily in her lap, and she’s grinning widely at the two of us. “There were many knights who asked to promote you, Talis. There are many here who believe in you. And I do, too. Welcome to squirehood,” murmurs Calla, spreading her hands. “Welcome,” she smiles.

  Talis tries to say something, but it comes out unintelligibly, and then Lellie stands and offers her hand to Talis, still in the kneel. Talis grasps Lellie’s wrist, and Lellie grasps Talis’s, and the knight helps her friend to stand.

  “Congratulations, Talis,” says Lellie, embracing her tightly. There are tears in the knight’s eyes as she squeezes her friend tightly, and then Talis steps away from her, and she catches me up again.

  Talis spins me in the air in pure and true delight and embraces me and holds me so close I’m in danger of being smooshed…but I don’t care. For when Talis kisses me, it’s sweeter than any cake or pie. Her kiss is sweeter than sugar, and I should know.

  The night has changed to morning, but, with my soon-to-be knight by my side, I know our adventure will go on forever.

  The End

  If you enjoyed Just One Knight, you'll love Raised by Wolves! Meet Becca Swift! She's got the most overbearing family in the world—because she was raised by wolves. Literally. Becca is a werewolf, and she is part of a loud and crazy, up-in-your-business pack. In her day-to-day life, she tries to keep the fact that she's a werewolf a secret... But then along comes Loren… Raised by Wolves is available to read for free in Kindle Unlimited!

  More from Bridget Essex:

  - A Knight to Remember: Holly, a librarian, is starting to believe that love is impossible to find. But one night, during an unusually vicious storm, magic and romance appear in Holly’s backyard in the form of a mysterious, gorgeous woman…wielding a sword.

  - Date Knight: The sequel to the much-loved novel A Knight to Remember, Holly and Virago are on another adventure—this time, in another world.

  - A Dark and Stormy Knight: Mara is a painter who has always felt alone...Charaxus is a lady knight who's always felt alone, too. Together the women meet, one magical night, and a love story begins to unfold that will change them both forever.

  - Forever and a Knight: Follow along on the adventures of Josie, a shock jock DJ from Boston, as she falls through a portal into another world...and on top of the woman of her dreams...who just happens to be wielding a sword.

  - The Protector: Elizabeth Grayson doesn’t want a bodyguard, but changes her tune when she meets brooding, mysterious, sexy-as-hell Layne…who harbors a secret.

  - The Vampire Next Door: (Co-written with author Natalie Vivien) Courtney's book store is failing, and she thinks her girlfriend might be cheating on her...Courtney doesn't even think she believes in love...that is, until she meets the vampire next door.

  - Meeting Eternity (The Sullivan Vampires, Volume 1): Would you risk your life for love? The compelling, epic love story between Rose and the mysterious Kane Sullivan begins.

  - Trusting Eternity (The Sullivan Vampires, Volume 2): What would you do if a chance at love slipped through your fingers? The compelling, epic love story between Rose and the mysterious Kane Sullivan continues.

  - The Guardian Angel: When Erin's life is saved by a gorgeous woman who swears she's Erin's guardian angel...things begin to get complicated.

  - Wolf Queen: When they were teenagers, Amber and Stevie were so deeply in love that nothing could drive them apart. Until the one night, when Amber needed Stevie to be there...and, instead, Stevie disappeared without a trace...

  - Wild: An Erotic Lesbian Romance: Six months ago, Lily made the worst mistake of her life and let the woman she loved walk away. Now, at a campground party, she glimpses Cora across the fire, the woman she's not stopped thinking about or wanting, and sparks begin to fly.

  - Come Home, I Need You: An Erotic Lesbian Romance: Faith has a passionate, potent relationship with her wife, Marina, one that has stood the test of time. What started as a fiery fling has evolved into a lifelong love affair of two powerful women who love each other intensely. But Marina's job often takes her out of the country, and Faith's been missing her terribly lately…

  - Falling for Summer: On the twentieth anniversary of her sister's drowning, Amanda goes back to Lake George to face her past and unexpectedly meets Summer McBride. Summer is a beautiful, vivacious, carefree woman--everything Amanda isn’t--and Amanda begins to fall for her until she learns Summer’s dark secret. Can love heal all wounds?

  - Don’t Say Goodbye: Maxine “Max” Hallwell has spent her entire life making the safe, responsible decisions. When her best friend, Jo, introduces her to her new girlfriend Fiona, a stunning, charismatic cake decorator, Max realizes that making safe decisions might have cost her the woman of her dreams...A heartwarming, poignant romance.

  - A Wolf for Valentine's Day – Trish Dalton has put her wild, adventurous days behind her. But when she's gifted a weekend stay at a remote lodge in the Rockies, she finds she may have one more adventure left in her. A light-hearted, steamy romance, perfect to read any time of year.

  - A Wolf for the Holidays: Mandy’s not having a great December. Her lackluster girlfriend has given her a massive dog--who looks a lot more like a wolf than a dog--as a gift. But all problems seem minor when she wakes up to a gorgeous, naked woman stealing jeans out of her dresser...a woman who swears she’s a werewolf. A warm, holiday romance!

  - The Christmas Wolf: When Kat meets potential roommate Jewel, she has high hopes. For one, Jewel's gorgeous as hell. Distracted by that fact, Kat's budgetary concerns fly out the window, and an intoxicating chemistry begins to brew between Jewel and herself. There's just one problem: Jewel just happens to be a werewolf...

  - Wolf Town: Amy moves to the strange little New England village, Wolf Town--but she finds more than a fresh start when she begins to fall in love with the daughter of the Wolf Town patriarch...who also just happens to be a werewolf.

  - Big, Bad Wolf: During a terrible snowstorm, Megan thinks she sees a wolf. But when beautiful, hungry-eyed Kara comes into Megan’s life, she brings more danger than a pack of wolves.

  - Dark Angel: Cassandra Griman was in the wrong place at the wrong time when her life is saved by an angel. But first impressions aren’t everything, and the captivating woman who saved her life is no angel. Can love save the soul of a vampire?

  These and more are ava
ilable now.

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  About Author Bridget Essex

  My name is Bridget Essex, and I write about werewolves, vampires and lady knights; about two strong, courageous women who fall deeply in love with one another, living love stories that transcend time. I’m married to the love of my life, author Natalie Vivien.

  I’m best known for my Knight Legends series, stories about women knights, real world hi-jinks and love stories that are out of this world. My Sullivan Vampire novellas are a popular series lauded as “TWILIGHT for women who love women,” and I have several other series and stand-alone novellas, and I’m always putting out something new. Sign up for our newsletter to be the first to know when I release something!

  You can find out more about my work at http://BridgetEssex.wordpress.com I’d love to connect with you on Facebook! Friend me on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/bridgetessexauthor

  Learn more about Rose and Star Press, publishers of lesbian romance and fiction of distinction, at http:///www.LesbianRomance.org