Jax burst into giggles at Sabine’s obvious embarrassment. “Haven’t you figured out by now that my lady’s maids have a habit of breaking with tradition?”
Sabine joined in her laughter, and Jax knew she’d made the right choice.
Chapter Twenty
“The horses are saddled. Everything is ready for departure.”
George startled Jax from her daydream as she stared out over the luscious Galensmore meadow in the newly arrived dawn. The morning air had grown colder each day as autumn latched its talons onto the realm, but the grasses before her remained green and inviting.
“Wonderful.” A small smile spread across her lips as she dipped her head in acknowledgment. “I said most of my goodbyes after last night’s dinner.”
Carriena and Bernard had been the only ones to rise at dawn to see them off over a rather quiet breakfast. Jax supposed everyone’s thoughts were weighed down by what lay ahead of them. The outcome of the War Council was known to none but the Virtues. Would they ever all be together again? When?
It heartened Jax to see Carriena reaching for Bernard’s hand after she’d hugged her friends goodbye. Their chance at a rekindled romance was just one more thing Jax planned to fight for in the coming months.
“We’re just waiting for Charles, Sabine, and Uma.” Jax’s gaze ran the length of the veranda. “Thank you for arranging Yanis’s transfer to the palace. You’ve made two people incredibly happy.”
George snorted. “Rarely do I get the chance to play matchmaker. Just as long as Uma doesn’t distract him from his duties…”
Jax rolled her eyes at his joke tinged with a haunting truth.
George moved beside her, his arm grazing her cloak-covered shoulder. “We’ll be able to set a brisk pace, now that my side is fully healed. We should arrive at the palace by mid-morning.”
Just in time for Perry’s arrival. She could almost hear the unsaid words hanging between them. Perry had finally convinced Jax that Pettraud would be able to do without him for a few weeks while he came to check on her. Apparently, her reassurances that everything was fine in the wake of Vita’s departure were not enough to appease her anxious husband. Her heart glowed at the prospect of seeing him, of holding him in her arms, but that light was tainted by the dark cloud hovering over her and George.
Her concerns vanished as George’s callused fingers wrapped around hers. “I know how your mind works. I know you are worried that I am drowning in sorrow. But I am not. I am happy you have found love.” His fingers squeezed hers. “Whatever challenges this lifetime brings us, you are my Duchess, my sovereign, my leader, my commander, but above all else, you will always be my friend. Until the very end. That will never change.”
She fought back the tears that threatened to fall but decided there was no need to wear her regal mask before him now. She wanted George to know just how much his pledge to their enduring friendship meant to her.
With his other hand, he brushed the tears off her cheeks, sharing the warm smile beaming off her face.
She swallowed, eventually finding her voice. “Until the very end.”
The War Council convenes in…
Crown of Chaos
Coming October 2019
As war looms, revisit the Duchess’s adventures
The Ducal Detective Mysteries:
The Ducal Detective
A Feast Most Foul
A Voyage of Vengeance
A Summit in Shadow
Throne of Threats
Court of Mystery series:
Paradise Plagued
Burdened Bloodline
Sovereign Sieged
Crown of Chaos
www.saraheburr.com
Connect with Ms. Burr on Instagram (@authorsaraheburr) or Twitter (SarahEBurr).
Note from the Author
I hope you have enjoyed Jax’s latest adventure, dear reader. I’ve had this storyline simmering in the back of my mind for quite some time, waiting for the right moment in Jax’s life to share it with you.
The Duchess’s troubles are far from over as the War Council approaches, and I look forward to sharing the next installment in the Court of Mystery saga in Fall 2019.
If you have a moment to leave a review for Sovereign Sieged, you can share your thoughts with other readers here.
As always, I would love to hear from you, so please don’t hesitate to reach out via my Facebook, Instagram, and/or Twitter pages.
Arms around,
Sarah E. Burr
Acknowledgements
I am continually grateful for the support I receive from friends, family, and readers alike as I continue this series. Jax and her friends have a special place in my heart, and I’m delighted to have the opportunity to share their adventures.
Many thanks go to my editor, Bettye Underwood. The student in me is always a bundle of nerves when my manuscript is out to her for editing, wondering what feedback I’ll receive. While I still have many writing and stylistic battles to overcome, I am so grateful for her encouragement that this series is something special.
Mihail Uvarov’s work left me speechless when I saw the final cover for Sovereign Sieged. I know I’m not supposed to have favorites, but there is something about this cover that is just…everything.
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