The new warlord, her brother-in-law Varranor, made her laugh and danced with her often, until she begged to sit down and rest.
Korinna joined her husband at the head table with a smile. “Galenos Votsis,” she addressed him with a smirk, because he had taken her family name in marriage so the Votsis line would continue. She sighed and shook her head at the revelers. “I think they’ll dance all night if we let them.”
Galenos reached over and took her hand. “Let them celebrate. They need something to be happy about.” He rubbed his thumb gently over the back of her hand. “If you’re tired, we can leave. I still have to show you the house.”
He’d kept his promise to find them a place to live while they rebuilt the palace, but kept it a secret from Korinna until that day. They’d both been staying in separate quarters of his house in the military complex to be close to Nightshade and Sungold, although they weren’t quite soldiers any more. A marewing rider had never retired from the company while their partner was young and active; they would have to figure out what role the marewings would play in their lives now that they had a city to rule.
But first, a new house. She clapped her hands together eagerly. “I’d love to go see it. Can we leave now?”
He grinned. “I’ll warn you, it’s a little small.”
They had to circulate around the room one more time, giving their guests one last hug and receiving their well wishes. But at last they stepped out into the night air.
Sungold and Nightshade waited for them in the courtyard, saddled and ready. Korinna struggled to sit comfortably in her elaborate wedding finery, but they didn’t have far to go: they would walk instead of fly, so she could perch sidesaddle on her marewing’s back and arrange her skirts to drape behind.
He led her down a side street in a nice neighborhood: not the High District, but a respected area of the new Residential District. “Ameyron lives just around the corner,” he said, pointing down the street. “If you ever have an urgent need for a mage.”
He came to a stop before a little fenced-in yard and helped her dismount. Sungold and Nightshade went on to the backyard, where the garden had space for them to graze.
Korinna followed Galenos into their new home. He was right, the place was small—only two floors, with a few rooms for entertaining downstairs, and a few bedrooms upstairs. There were living quarters in the back for the servants. He promised her that he’d already hired a small staff, a family that he knew: two girls to do the cleaning, their mother Egina to do the cooking, and three boys would handle repairs and take care of the gardens. When she asked how he knew them, he was evasive, mumbling something about rescuing them from the crystalbell bugs months before.
She paused in the front hall and went to a little alcove just across from the door. Someone had left candles there and a flint, but no light shone for her to see. She lit the candles with shaking hands and looked at what rested on the shrine.
On the left side was her mother’s picture, the little wooden painting from her old home in Anoberesovo. And beside her, another painting showed Basileos, her father, as he had looked in his prime.
Korinna knelt and touched each painting, tears springing to her eyes. “Now they’re together at last,” she whispered. “May their souls rest in peace. Be welcome in my home, honored Mother and Father.”
Galenos knelt beside her and put his hand on her shoulder. “Do you think he’ll be satisfied?”
She smiled, leaning back into his embrace. “Yes. He got what he wanted.” With a home to watch over from the ancestor shrine, and his legacy of Kyratia continuing, her father’s spirit would no longer haunt them.
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Read More
Are you ready for more adventures? Join Korinna and the others in the second book!
A Pride of Gryphons
Gryphons are deadly in small numbers. When wyld magic calls them to attack in great force, they could be strong enough to level a nation. And now they’re coming for Kyratia.
Korinna saved her city from a dangerous cult and became the new duchess of Kyratia. But ruling brings a whole new set of challenges and this time, she won’t be able to fight her way through.
Monsters are attacking Kyratia again, but her husband Galenos warns that the law forces all rulers to retire from fighting so they can’t join the battle. Korinna is frustrated by the slowness of politics, but riding her marewing could threaten her new pregnancy.
A sinister power lurks behind the monster attacks, calling gryphons to swarm the countryside in greater numbers than there have ever been. Korinna will have to find a power of her own to confront them, or everything she’s won so far could be destroyed.
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The Duke’s Daughter
Korinna is the daughter of the duke’s mistress. She and her mother were sent to a farming estate in the country to avoid political complications for her father. Her mother hopes that someday, the duke will bring them to the capital and marry her at last, but he keeps putting them off with excuses. But he has his own plans to arrange a marriage for Korinna when she comes of age.
When a magical plague threatens the countryside and her mother’s life, Korinna takes up the responsibilities of leading the estate. She begs the duke for help, but none comes, leaving her with difficult choices to save her mother and her people.
She must sacrifice many things to survive: the safety of her childhood friend who is now a handsome squire in her guard, her mother’s most cherished possessions, maybe even her own life. Being the duke’s daughter won’t be enough to save her now. Can she find the strength to be something more?
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About the Author
Kristen S. Walker wishes she was a pirate mermaid who could speak with sharks, but she settles for being an author. She currently resides in Northern California with her family and a rescued cat, but she grew up in the mountains, running barefoot through the woods and chasing imaginary dragons. Her fantasy novels for teens and adults explore diverse characters, detailed worlds, high-stakes adventures and emotional journeys. When she's not writing, Kristen enjoys geeky crafts like cosplay, toy photography, and watching anime.
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