“For what reason…” she began softly, “would you believe I would not want him freed?”
“I simply wished to give you the option,” I replied softly.
She frowned for a moment and asked, “You truly believe you can free him?” I stared up at her and finally shrugged delicately.
“I can but try,” I told her and she nodded, cupping my cheek in her palm.
“Then by all means you must try. I have missed him sorely this past week, since the day you joined us,” she replied with a twinkle in her eye. I breathed a sigh and nodded, suddenly feeling a whole lot better about it. “I will need to speak to Owen,” I told her, and I turned to look at the newest edition thoughtfully. “And perhaps Stela might be of assistance, too.”
“I will leave you to it,” she replied and went to seat herself upon the throne. I stood watching her for a moment then motioned to Stela, who had his eyes upon me. He bowed his head to the Queen, moved behind her chair and strolled toward me… like a man on a mission. Yikes! I thought, and couldn’t help admiring the loose limbed way he moved. It was like he strolled through a field of tall wheat and all around him was the harvest just waiting to be gathered. Wow, this one was going to be trouble I thought, and gave myself a good mental shake. Apparently he’d set himself up as a fertility god when he’d crossed over and had picked up a few pointers over the centuries he’d been worshiped. I was just hoping the rest of my men didn’t strangle him in his sleep.
That thought caused him to grin, then chuckle softly and I rolled my eyes. “I’ve been watching you, little one,” he informed me as he walked to me, then around me like he was sizing me up. “I like your fire… and your sendings have made me very hungry. Are we nearly done here? I am looking forward to… my upcoming duties,” he advised me softly, his deep voice creating goose flesh across my skin. His fingers caught the end of my braid and a gentle tug loosened my hair. I stood completely still as his fingers worked it free of the weave. “Such beauty,” he whispered. I had to close my eyes and clench my fingers to keep from touching him.
I took a deep breath. “Were you here when… that happened?” I asked, turning my back to the room and lowering my voice. I forced my eyes open and looked up at him.
His beautiful eyes stared down at me and he finally nodded, “Yes, Your Majesty. I remember it well. It was the last time anyone has used the Great Hall for such activity,” he breathed softly, his voice sounding very disappointed.
“Seriously?” I asked and looked at him closely when he nodded.
“Raise your Dragonsward,” he urged me and I pulled air through my teeth, but nodded and did as he asked. He leaned forward and whispered against my ear. “Yes, these walls hold many secrets… and so do I. Why do you ask?”
I looked at him and thought. Because Goldy and Owen…Ve, I corrected myself, believe I can free him. Is there any advice you can give me?
“The tall yellow haired one?” he asked and I nodded. “Who is he?” he asked, his eyes going around me and I assumed looking for Owen, who stood at the base of the stairs with the others. All except Kit, who was busy chatting with the Queen and shooting me daggered looks over her shoulder. I knew because I could feel his eyes on me, just as I could feel the rest of them. They did not like that I’d raised my shield and only the Queen on the dais kept them from rushing to my side.
“They seem quite protective of you. As well they should be,” Stela replied. “And it would appear your Court has grown somewhat since you first presented yourself before your Mother’s Mother more than a week hence. It needs but only a few more colors to be complete,” he added while his eyes scanned those that most certainly were watching him back. “I recognize the Gray,” he told me softly and I glanced at him curiously. “This is not the first Court he has served upon,” he added, and his eyes flickered down to mine while I chewed my lip and tried to keep my thoughts from running amok. He smiled, flashing even white teeth and leaned forward to add, “Nor is it mine.”
“Good, your first duty will be to tell me all about it,” I informed him and he made a moue but nodded. “But that is for later, now I need to know if you can assist me with this?” I finished and tried not to think about his nearly complete comment. For some reason it made me very uncomfortable.
He cupped his chin in his palm and considered me for a moment. “The potion he was given overcame his good sense. He is actually a fine man,” he added. “I liked him very much.” I nodded, inviting him to go on. “You need place your hands upon him, Your Majesty, and do to him what you did to me. For he is trapped in a place of no desire, just as I was, though his prison is not of his own making.”
“Later remind me to ask you why you trapped yourself in a place with no desire,” I told him, then glanced over at my Grandfather.
“I already have,” he replied, then brushed his cheek against mine while my thoughts were elsewhere. “I was waiting for you.”
I made a rude noise and pulled back from him before I grabbed him and did something we both might regret. “I made my Mother pregnant,” I informed him and he lifted an eyebrow, staring at me in disbelief. I shook my head and waved my hand at him. “That isn’t what I meant,” I told him. “Owen and I… wished for it, while Mom and Dad were… please don’t make me say it,” I told him in some distress, just thinking about what they had been doing at the time. Some things it was just better not to think about. Like your parents and sex.
“And this relates how?” Stela asked calmly, his eyes slightly confused.
“I don’t know, it just came to me. I think I will need Owen to assist. If my Grandfather is trapped, perhaps he needs assistance in being made. Does that make any sense?” I asked and Stela ran his hand through his hair and considered it.
“Perhaps it would be best to simply just try, Your Majesty.”
“Fine, what is the worst that can happen? Nothing?” I remarked and turned, then dropped my Dragonsward and called out to Owen, who blinked his large chocolate colored eyes at me and moved in a very non-threatening manner up the stairs, dipping his head to the Queen before moving around my Grandfather, on his way to my side.
“Owen Ve, Minor God, meet Raimondi Stela Bronze,” I introduced them. Owen nodded curtly, and then glanced at me.
“How may I assist you?” Owen asked and I tried not to wince at the underlying anger in his voice.
“I didn’t do any of this on purpose,” I hissed back at him and he made a ‘harrumphing’ noise and flicked his eyes to Stela.
“Only you could seat yourself upon the Queen of Air and Light’s throne and have it split open and spit out a Bronze Dragon,” he growled while Stela looked amused.
“Would it help if I told you I’d been waiting nearly two thousand years for her?” Stela asked softly, and Owen gazed at him fully and frowned.
“No it would not, but is that true?” he asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.
Stela nodded. “It was foretold by my High Priestess. She claimed a golden queen would be born to the Seelie and that I must place myself inside the throne should I hope to join with her. Honestly though, I think she purposefully neglected to mention it would take so long to occur. Some women can be so jealous,” he replied with a grin. Owen smiled and nodded agreement, muttering something that caused Stela to chuckle in return. At that point Owen seemed to remember where he was and pulled himself up short. He glanced at me, and my eyes narrowed thoughtfully while he brushed a strand of hair behind his ear, and he tried to look innocent.
“If you two are done bonding over other women while I stand here twiddling my thumbs…” I hissed in a low angry voice that caused both of them to stand a little straighter, “I’d like to discuss possibly freeing the King. Assuming that won’t interrupt your little reminiscing fest.”
Owen swallowed and shook his head. “What would you like to discuss?” he offered in a small voice that seemed contrite.
“Stela… you don’t mind if I call you that do you?” I asked, turning to him w
ith a lifted eyebrow. He winced but nodded.
“I suppose Oh Mighty God is out of the question, right?” he asked, and Owen burst out laughing while I merely frowned, then shook my head at them both.
“Do you think we can do to the King what we did to my Mom?” I asked. Owen sobered immediately and stared down at me. Even with my heels on he was still a full head taller than me, and standing near Stela I could see that they were nearly of an equal height, though Owen still topped him by perhaps a half inch. Framed together their hair complimented each other and I had to yank my thoughts back to the subject at hand, while the two of them glanced first at each other, then down at me. Owen made a humming noise in his throat, which didn’t help matters and caused Stela to grin wickedly.
“Is she always this easily distracted?” Stela asked.
“No. I suspect it has something to do with the amount of energy she poured into the throne. Her helping to free you seems to have shortened her ‘between cycle’. But I can assure you, her needs were seen to before we ventured out,” Owen informed him calmly.
Oh? I thought, and glanced up at him, my mind reaching back over the recent past. I pondered his words and realized that he might have a point. I did seem to have a history of energy depletion followed closely by a tendency toward bitchiness. And if my issues were not dealt with quickly by one of my Drakes, they evolved into temper tantrums, then convulsions. Gee, wasn’t I special? I thought and chewed my lower lip. I think it was fairly safe to say that depleting my energy also included having sex with any non-Drakes. Damn, someone should have mentioned that to me.
Stela looked horrified and glanced at Owen for confirmation. “She is engaging in intercourse with non-Drakes?” he demanded in a loud voice. Owen frowned and simply crossed his arms over his chest.
“Yes, including me. Do you have a problem with that?” Owen asked, and it was clear the male bonding phase was so over, as Stela frowned and turned to me with a stern look.
“Your Majesty, this cannot continue,” he informed me bluntly, and I threw up my hands, turning my back on both of them as I moved toward my Grandfather. Stela followed me, intent upon having his say, but I held up my hand as I stood beside his statue, focused on keeping my eyes on his face.
“Who did this to you?” I wondered and Stela jerked back and shook himself.
“The handmaiden,” he replied, but I shook my head at him.
“No, the handmaiden was found innocent and the culprit was dealt with,” I replied while he frowned and shook his head.
“My pardon, Your Majesty, but it was the handmaiden as surely as I am standing here and no one was ever dealt with. For no one could determine the truth.”
“What?” I demanded and turned to stare up at him in shock. I could swear that Amras and Cursed had told me they had found and dealt with the culprit. Although, come to think of it, the two of them hadn’t actually said that. In fact they had simply looked at each other and I suppose I assumed. Stars I thought, the person could still be out there and if I did manage to free him, he might still be in danger.
“It was the handmaiden,” he replied.
“Well who was the handmaiden and why was she found guiltless?” I growled softly.
“Because it was the handmaiden, but it was not the handmaiden,” he replied calmly. I stared at him and then turned to Owen, who looked nearly as confused as I felt.
“Okay slow down before you hurt yourself, Stela,” I muttered and held up my hand palm out. “If it was the same person, why wasn’t she found guilty?”
He smiled at me as if I had just earned a gold star and informed me, “Exactly, because it was not the same person.”
“I can’t take much more of this,” I warned Owen, who seemed to be equally puzzling through Stela’s words.
“So if it wasn’t the same person but it was the same person, someone wasn’t who they seemed. Hmmm,” Owen muttered out loud. “How many amongst the Court could do what must have been done in order to accomplish this?” he asked while my head spun and I glanced between them in total confusion.
“Not many. Not when you consider the potion.”
Owen turned to me with a glint in his eyes and whispered, “Lift your shield.” I frowned and glanced at Stela, who nodded encouragingly, and proceeded to lift my shield. “Lira told us what occurred earlier. Who do we know that doesn’t like you or your Mother and has a tendency to use chasteberry?” he asked softly while my eyes widened.
“Was she old enough to have done this?” I asked and glanced at Stela, who was frowning.
“I do not know of whom you speak, Your Majesty,” he informed us and I glanced at Owen, and then added, “Who has most recently gone missing and had her lover lose his head?” This time Stela’s eyes widened and he slowly nodded.
“The Lady of which you speak is quite old enough to have performed this foul deed, as well as many others. In fact,” he leaned in to whisper, “it would not have been the first time she attempted to seduce the King.”
“I hope you’re going to finish that sentence with… but she was not successful,” I replied tightly. He glanced down at me and finally nodded, while I breathed a sigh of relief.
“No, Your Majesty. He was neither tempted nor amused, which surely did not sit well with the Lady. I do not think she was one to take rejection lightly. I believe the young Earl, he that professed his love for you last week upon this very dais,” and he frowned and gave me an annoyed look before continuing, “knows full well.”
“Lord Amras?” I asked and turned to glance directly at him where he stood amongst the others. His large violet eyes met mine and he smiled cautiously. He looked worried and I gave him a tender smile, while Stela growled and seemed to puff up.
Chapter 12
“Your Majesty, I protest,” he nearly barked at me. “This is completely unseemly.”
“Wow…” I told him in a low angry voice. “I liked you a lot better before you started spouting your opinions,” I informed him, and then glanced at Owen, who was looking very pleased with me indeed. “And unless you want to find yourself murdered in your sleep, I suggest you keep your comments to yourself. My men are not going to appreciate your ideas on this subject,” I told him bluntly. “Especially given that I am as much Elf as I am Dragon, which means I may not necessarily have to follow the rules you observed in your previous Court. Not to mention the fact that my being with them serves to increase my powers.”
He didn’t seem to know what to say about that and mercifully closed his mouth, though it looked like it pained him to do so.
“So when she couldn’t have the King she went after the future Prince and when that didn’t work… she came after me,” I finished his story for him. “And this story is going to have a happy ending. If Owen will assist me?” I offered, and he nodded and held out his hand for me.
“How would you like to do this, Lexi?” he asked calmly.
“I think… I think I’d like to try what I did with Stela, though it just seems wrong to do that to my Grandfather,” I replied and winced when he nodded thoughtfully. And if that does not work, then perhaps you can assist me with what we did before?”
“Actually… you did it,” he informed me. “I merely held your hand and directed the energy.”
I clutched at his arm and stared down at the floor. “Owen sweetie, this is not the time to shock and awe me,” I informed him in a strangled voice while he patted my hand and made tsking noises.
“I am sorry,” he replied and placed his hand over mine, while I sucked air into my lungs and watched the black spots at the edge of my vision disappear.
“Can we just move this along? I’d like to go home. I believe the Council is coming soon and Gareth and Jace need to get back. Who knows what Valentine has been up to while we’ve been gone?”
“Certainly,” Owen replied.
“Owen?” I asked cautiously.
“Yes?”
“Did anyone feel what I did to Stela when I placed my hands on the t
hrone?” I asked softly and he nodded. “Dane and Roa’ both had to be restrained but that was all,” he replied although he frowned then added, “Actually one of Tdem’s guards collapsed to a knee and the other two seemed to stagger but were able to remain upright. I do not think the King noticed, but I was standing behind them and did.”
“Dane and Roa’ are both hybrids and can sense, but not duplicate, my shield though I can speak to them through it.” And my eyes turned to Stela thoughtfully. “Stela also hears me behind my shield,” I remarked calmly then dropped my shield and called for Kit. He glanced between me and the Queen, bowed at the waist and excused himself. He walked quickly to my side and glanced at the three of us before his eyes settled on me.
“Mistress?” he asked tightly as he came to an abrupt halt in front of me. His hair whispered around him, the silver tips dancing briefly then settling.
“You are still angry with me?” I asked and he nodded briefly, folding his arms over his chest. “And for how long will you remain angry with me?” I asked softly and leaned toward him, while he frowned and his red eyes narrowed.
“Until we kiss and make up,” he replied then added, “which judging from the speed at which you seem to be gathering men might be some time from now.”
I removed my hand from Owen and stepped toward Kit, my wickedly beautiful Demon. My fingers reached for a handful of his hair which I lifted to my lips while he watched me closely. He smelled of cloves and I leaned into him, placing a palm upon his chest so I might breathe him in. “We could do it now,” I offered and he raised an eyebrow and stared down at me.
“If I touch you now,” he informed me, “I will not be stopping with a simple kiss. Perhaps you should finish whatever it is you are doing here so we might go somewhere and discuss it privately,” he added and I sighed and stepped back from him. Owen held out his hand for me and I grasped it gently.
“Your job is to ensure Stela doesn’t attack me while I am working,” I informed Kit. He frowned and glanced at Stela, who was looking as if he’d swallowed his tongue. I lifted an eyebrow at Kit and asked, “Unless you don’t think you can handle that either and would like me to get Cursed up here, or perhaps Lira and Roral?”
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