I rained balls of hail around Covack, mostly to distract him. His jaw tightened and he gathered a huge ball of fire in his palms, but then Keane leapt on him from behind, drawing his sword across the man’s neck in one fluid motion. Covack gurgled his last breath and fell to the floor, the fire vanishing.
As the battle ended, I glanced all around the throne room at the bodies scattered across the floor. Riala’s. Covack’s. Hirth’s. Many soldiers on both sides. So much death, and it was all Riala’s doing. I’d never wanted bloodshed, but I was willing to do whatever it took to fight for my kingdom.
Keane moved to the front of the crowd and dropped to his knee in a deep bow. “Long live Queen Lily, the rightful ruler of Talador!”
My remaining suitors dropped to their knees before me too, as did the other guards in the room. My sisters looked on with awe and pride, with Dahlia and Garon by their side. I realized everyone was waiting for me to make my move.
I adjusted my crown and then sank down on the hard crystal seat of the Frozen Throne, taking my rightful place as Queen of Talador.
Thirty-Five
Keane
The morning after the battle, I woke up in Lily’s bed and reached for her to remind myself she was still there, that we’d won, and Riala was gone. Lily had been incredible, wielding her power like she’d known no other life, no other constraints…
My thought froze as my hand touched smooth, cool sheet where I expected to find Lily still sound asleep. My eyes flew open as alarm pulsed through me. I shoved my blankets away and sat up, my legs already over the side of the bed as my mind raced. Perhaps more attackers had succeeded in abducting her. I yanked my trousers on, pulling the material roughly over each leg before racing from the room. We hadn’t fought so hard for her to be stolen from right by my side.
There was no guard on duty outside the bedroom, which meant he was somewhere else—probably outside whichever room Lily was in, so I headed to her office, given it seemed a little early for breakfast.
I reached the door and the guard outside nodded at me. “Captain Keane.” Then he returned his gaze to the wall on the other side of the corridor, his expression blank.
I glanced at Lily’s closed office door then back to the guard. “You are dismissed. I’m available to guard The Queen now.”
I watched him until he turned and left. Then I knocked on the office door, but it was little more than a warning that I was coming in. Lily glanced up and smiled when she saw me, looking as radiant as ever with her sparkling eyes and the dark hair loose around her shoulders.
“Good morning,” she said.
I stalked toward her. “You’re in here early.”
“I just had a couple of things to catch up on. I’ve been gone so long and there’s much to do.”
“I see.” I perched on the corner of her desk and gave her a commanding look. “Well, I only have one thing to do this morning.”
She sorted a piece of paper onto another pile after glancing at it for a moment. “And what’s that?”
“You.”
Her lips parted and she exhaled a quick breath. “Is that so?”
“There were many things I planned to do to you this morning, but I woke up alone. I think you owe me for that.”
She moved to stand in front of me, her cheeks flushed with desire. “How can your Queen serve you?”
“On your knees.”
Her eyes widened, and then her gaze levelled on the bulge in my trousers. “My knees?”
“Out there, you may be the Queen.” I dropped my voice. “But in here, you kneel to me.”
Her tongue flicked over her lips as she nodded. I’d learned that she liked it when I commanded her, when she was able to give up being the dominant one while in private. She reached for me and unfastened my trousers, her delicate touch against my fabric-covered cock no more than a tease that made my craving for her stronger.
Without hesitation, she slowly lowered herself to her knees before me. I looked down at her wide blue eyes looking back at me, and my chest tightened with pleasure and desire.
She returned her attention to my cock and licked her lips as she eased it from the confines of the fabric. “What do I do?” Her voice was soft, curious, and seductive all at the same time, and I almost closed my eyes to savor the sound.
“Kiss me,” I whispered back.
At first, she pressed a feather-light kiss to the very tip and regarded my cock again before kissing longer the second time, and it twitched at the feel of her warm lips against it.
“Stroke it and take the head into your mouth,” I urged, although I didn’t tangle my hands into her hair or move forward like my body screamed at me to do.
My Queen was kneeling for me, and that was all that mattered.
She wrapped her fingers around the shaft and I bit back a groan as my hips moved in the smallest of thrusts. Then I watched her open her mouth, and her tongue flattened against my head as she stretched her lips wide around me, sucking me into the wet warmth.
“Oh, that’s good,” I groaned.
Each of her movements was slow, experimental, but they all set my skin on fire, fanning the desire that tightened my balls and made it harder not to push further between her lips.
Her tongue swirled over me, and I hissed my pleasure as my fingers finally found her hair, using it to anchor me in the moment. She bobbed her head, the movement seeming almost instinctive, and my knees nearly gave way at the unexpected wash of pleasure that took me. Then she half chuckled, sending vibrations along the length of my cock and bobbed her head again, this time drawing me deeper.
I gasped as one of her hands cupped my balls, stroking the sensitive flesh as she moved her other hand up the length of my cock. The sensations were overwhelming as she quickly fell into the rhythm of licking and sucking, and I blew out a breath.
“Stop,” I gasped out. “I need you to stop.”
She glanced up, and her mouth twisted in a small, sly smile. “Was I doing it wrong?”
“I think you know you were doing it exactly right. Too right.” I reached for her hand and helped her up, before pushing aside her paperwork and sitting her on the desk. “If you carry on getting it so right, there won’t be anything else.”
“Anything else?” She quirked one eyebrow.
Without responding, I pressed a palm to her breast and located her nipple, teasing it with my thumb until it hardened. Then I bent and flicked my tongue against the fabric of her dress, wetting it against her skin and teasing her until she gasped.
“I like anything else,” she murmured, one of her hands against the nape of my neck as her fingers toyed in my hair.
“There’s better yet.” I skimmed up her leg, starting at her ankle until I reached under her skirts, seeking the heat of her core. She was wet too, and my cock jerked at the knowledge of how much she wanted me.
She writhed against me as I slid my fingers between her folds, eliciting another soft gasp. I pressed my mouth on hers, claiming those gasps of pleasure for myself as I stroked my fingers over her, stoking her desire until he hips moved, pressing her body against my touch closer and closer.
But she was greedy and she wanted more as she opened her mouth to seek my tongue, and I gave it to her. I’d have given her anything. My tongue, my cock, my head on a platter if she’d requested it.
I tumbled her skirts out of the way and drew her to the edge of the desk as I continued to stroke my thumb across her clit. I buried my finger inside her to test her readiness, and she clutched my shoulders before pressing wet kisses to my skin.
I withdrew my finger and positioned my cock at her entrance to thrust inside her hard and fast. She didn’t even hesitate, moving against me right away, pulling me as close to her body as she could as she gasped loud breaths of both satisfaction and need.
Pride surged through me that she was helpless in my arms after all these years of loving her from afar. She was finally mine, and I wanted to bring her only pleasure, even if I wasn’t sure
how this thing between us could ever last. Eventually she would have to marry for her kingdom. For now, we were going to enjoy our time together.
I slowed, altering my rhythm to touch all of the spots inside her that I knew would affect her the most. She groaned and brought a leg to my hip, offering more of herself to me as her breathing changed, becoming more erratic and irregular. Then she stiffened in my arms as she pulsed and fluttered around me, sending wave after wave of tightness down my cock.
I’d meant to continue, to tease her by stroking her sensitive flesh, but I couldn’t. My balls tightened on one last thrust, and I arched my back, holding Lily against me as I gave in to my own release.
Lily pressed fresh kisses to my skin, each a mark of love rather than merely desire, and I remained standing against her, unwilling to sever our connection.
“I love you.” My voice came out gruffer than I’d intended, emotion roughening the edges. “I always will. And I’ll give my life to honoring and protecting you.”
“I love you too, Keane.” She nipped against my skin with her teeth and then said, almost casually, “In fact, I think you ought to marry me and reign alongside me as my king.”
My breath caught in my chest at the idea I might get to live out the rest of my life at Lily’s side rather than standing over her shoulder. But something like that…it was impossible. Forbidden. Simply not done. I’d never even dared hope for it.
“Is that allowed?” I didn’t know if I could bear to hear the answer.
She shrugged, but her eyes sparkled with certainty and her lips curved into a familiar smile. “I’m the Queen of Talador. I get to make the rules.”
Thirty-Six
Lily
ONE MONTH LATER
My stomach fluttered as I stared in the mirror at myself. Though I’d already declared myself queen, today was my official coronation—and my wedding.
“You look beautiful.” Rose spoke to me from the corner of my room.
I barely registered her words. “How long have I got left?”
“Not long if you want to be married at the time of the eclipse,” Rose said.
I pushed out a deep breath. An eclipse was the most holy time, and it was important to have the blessing of both the Sun and the Moon, for them both to be present as Keane and I exchanged vows and took our places as King and Queen of Talador.
Nausea spun through me, and I wobbled on my feet. So much had happened in such a short time, and my happiness was now within my grasp.
“Sit down a moment.” Rose’s voice was edged with concern. “Are you feeling well?”
“Can you tell my world’s still spinning after defeating Riala?” I pushed another pin in to hold my hair in place, conscious they’d all scatter to the floor later on as Keane released my careful construction. I’d dismissed my maid to elsewhere in the castle, wanting my time with Rose to be undisturbed.
It had been a month since the battle for the throne, and Winton Castle had recovered quickly. Occasionally, Iris looked a little haunted, like the ghost of a thought had crept into her mind, but then she shrugged it off and launched herself into more magic practice or whatever project captured her attention in that moment. My other sisters coddled her incessantly and kept her busy, as did Dahlia and Garon. I still felt guilt over killing her mother, but Iris had assured me many times that she didn’t blame me for what happened.
All of my suitors had recovered from their injuries too, except for Covack who had perished at Keane’s blade, and Hirth who had been killed during the attack. With luck, my friendships with the remaining men would be the foundations for peace between our kingdoms, and I would only have Korelan to settle with. Covack’s death was regrettable in that respect, but by far the bigger diplomatic disaster could have been Riala’s. As it was, the Archwizard wasn’t happy about the death of her cousin, but she wasn’t making any moves to retaliate against me or Talador either.
I still planned to send Iris to mage school in Korelan. Riala had exposed the faults in Father’s ban on magic. Without our Sun and Moon-given gifts, we couldn’t defend ourselves. To deny our true selves made Talador weak.
“You should eat something,” Rose said. “You haven’t touched anything all morning.”
I glanced at the tray of food resting near us and nearly gagged, bile rising to my throat. I swallowed it and shook my head. “No, definitely not. The thought of food makes me sick. Along with the smell, for that matter.”
Rose’s eyebrows jumped. “When did you last have your monthly courses?”
“I… I can’t remember.” My head snapped toward her, and then dropped to her belly, which was just starting to show a faint curve. “Do you think…?”
“Yes, I do,” she said with a huge grin. “You have exactly the same symptoms I had. It seems my little one will soon have a cousin.”
I sank down into the chair before my dresser, my knees suddenly weak and the room spinning around me. A baby…so soon? I already had so much to deal with as a new queen, and this would only make things more complicated. Dozens of emotions ran through me, even as did the certainty that Rose was right—I was pregnant. And then all I could feel was joy.
Rose moved close and wrapped her arms around me, and we stared into the mirror at each other as we hugged. Then I laughed and touched my stomach, marveling at the miracle inside there.
“I can’t wait to tell Keane,” I said. “Although he’s going to be more protective than ever now.”
“I know all about that, trust me,” Rose said with a laugh.
We turned at a tap at my bedroom door. Dahlia stepped into my room, her face wreathed in smiles as she approached. “It is time for the Queen to make an appearance.”
Rose gave me a warm nod, and I stood, running my hands down my sparkling white gown. This was it. Somehow, with the new knowledge of my pregnancy, it seemed easier to do this—which made no sense, but there it was.
Dahlia held her arm out and I tucked my hand into her elbow for the short walk down the stairs and across the courtyard to the temple building. This afternoon was a private moment for quiet celebration and reflection, while tomorrow would be a day for the entire kingdom to come together for a national celebration of their new king and queen.
The sun shone between the columns of the outdoor temple, bathing the spot where Keane and I were to stand in light. We’d be married as the moon crept across the sun, merging the two of them in a cosmic union as the Stars came out to bear witness.
I sucked in a breath as Garon stepped forward to lead to my new life, taking me from Dahlia. He smiled as I tucked my hand into his arm, and I gazed down the aisle to where Keane waited for me in his dress uniform. The man who’d always guarded my life now guarded and held my heart. Soon he would be a husband, a king…and a father.
A breeze drifted through the temple structure, wafting the perfume of the small white flowers, and the priest stepped out onto the raised dais. Today wasn’t a day to feel the cold, and although frost clung to the trees and plants, Raith and Rose had created a bubble in which we felt nothing but soft warmth and joy.
As I moved beside Keane, the old priest bowed, his gold and silver robes rustling as the fabric shifted. Then he lifted his arms up to the sky, gesturing to where the Sun and the Moon met in an eclipse, and he began to recite his blessing over us.
I glanced at the crowd of people watching—my sisters were there of course, and also my suitors, the lords from the various kingdoms, who’d once hoped to be standing at my side during this ceremony. None of them seemed to hold it against me that I’d chosen Keane instead, luckily.
Keane touched his fingers against mine, his face lighting with love as I met his gaze. I couldn’t wait to tell him what I’d just learned about our future.
“The time has come for the exchange of ancestral rings,” the priest intoned, his voice solemn.
Keane lifted my hand, his expression a little more pinched as though this moment in particular made him nervous. “I gift you the ring of my m
other, Alece of Talador, as a symbol of our marriage.”
He slid a plain silver ring onto my finger, a soft blue stone sparkling in the remaining sunlight. It was small, but it was beautiful and it was perfect. Unassuming and quietly confident, just like Keane.
I pressed his knuckles to my lips before I took the ring I’d selected from the priest. I could have chosen my father’s wedding ring, but that didn’t feel right somehow. I’d let one of my other sisters use that for their own marriage when the time came. Instead, I chose my mother’s father, who was also a wizard like her.
I looked up at Keane, meeting his gaze steadily as I spoke my words. “I gift you the ring of my grandfather, Fellinor of Korelan, as a symbol of our marriage.”
I pressed a silver ring carved with ancient runes foretelling happiness and long life into place on Keane’s finger, then kissed his knuckles again. He looked down at his hand and blinked before he met my gaze again, his eyes wet with emotion.
“Now clasp hands,” the priest said, and we did so as he spoke the final words of the ceremony that would unite us forever. “Blessed by the Sun and Moon, witnessed by the Stars, I hereby pronounce your union sacred and binding. May the celestials watch over you both for all your days.”
Warmth chased up my arm and washed through my body as Kean’s fingers remained entwined with mine, each of us reluctant to let the other go.
“Now for the coronation.” The priest bade us both to sit on the chairs that Garon brought to the dais.
Anticipation shimmered through me at the thought of all the rules I planned to rectify and the laws I planned to change. Magic was the first one. The second would be to make it easier for my sisters to choose who they wished to marry. No more parades of suitors, unless they desired such a thing. None of them would be forced to marry for the kingdom, or for anything other than love.
Kiss Of Snow: Royal Hearts Book Two Page 18
