One Good Knight

by Mercedes Lackey

  In fact, they so eclipsed the human couple that a 392

  Mercedes Lackey

  great many people even forgot that it was supposed to be a double wedding.

  That suited the human couple in question perfectly. Queen Andromeda still wasn’t used to being in the public eye for most of her waking hours. And as for her new husband, Loremaster Periapt, the Prince-Consort was always happier in a library keeping quietly out of the way. Though, his researches had already begun to benefit the people of Acadia. He had opened negotiations with the Wyrding Others to allow selected harvesting of trees from their forest—the great giants were known to fall from time to time, and all were agreed that there was no point in allowing the wood to rot. And there were other stands that needed to be thinned. With the Dryads directing the thinning, the forest would rejoice in a healthy renewal, and the timber would find any number of homes.

  Peri had more such schemes in mind—

  —but not today.

  He and Andie waited on the walls for the dragons to depart. It was, after all, rather difficult to keep them fed in the city, and everyone tacitly agreed that the sooner they could move on and feed themselves with hunting, the better.

  Finally, the two appeared on the Watch-Cliff above the Palace. As one, they dove from the cliff, side by side, opening their wings with a snap at the last minute and shooting over Andie’s and Peri’s heads. As the royal couple waved excitedly like a couple of children, the dragons waggled their wings in farewell, and One Good Knight

  393

  shot up and over the mountains, heading first for the Chapter-House of Glass Mountain and then—

  Well, if they had a destination, they hadn’t told anybody. Not even Godmother Elena.

  “Where do you think they’ll honeymoon?” Andie asked Peri as the two dragons flew off together.

  “Hmm,” Periapt said, and raised an eyebrow.

  “Well, no matter what, I know one thing it will be.”

  “Which is?” Andie asked him, as he put his arm around her waist and held her close.

  He laughed. “Someplace—fireproof!”

  ONE GOOD KNIGHT

  ISBN: 978-1-4268-6198-7

  Copyright © 2006 by Mercedes Lackey All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the editorial office, Worldwide Library, 233 Broadway, New York, NY 10279 U.S.A.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  This edition published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

  For questions and comments about the quality of this book please contact us at Customer_eCare@Harlequin.ca.

  ® and TM are trademarks of Harlequin Books S.A., used under license.

  Trademarks indicated with ® are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the Canadian Trade Marks Office and in other countries.

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