Page 25 of Crown of Draga

She looked up at Sirus. The man shifted uncomfortably. He knew then, how angry she was. “Do I look all right?” she demanded. Her fiancé was running to the border without consulting her to arrest a traitor associated with the race who’d wiped out the Corinthian royal family. No, she most certainly was not all right.

The sunlight filtered in through the wooden lattice and the shadows created a pretty pattern against the floor. Sirus knelt in front of her so he was eye level with her. “Please understand,” he whispered. “I need to see the border for myself. My forces need to be moved according to the reports we’ve heard. There needs to be a backup plan in case these missing ships are more than what they appear. If the shield fails, or they attack before it’s fully closed we are unprepared.”

Tears filled her eyes and despite how much she hated it, she knew he was right. “Why didn’t you speak to me about it first?” she yelled. “After all, you are going to be my husband. I have a right to know when you’ll be abandoning me.”

Sirus wrapped his arms around her. Joslynn resisted at first, still angry. She was terrified he may never come back, but his strength made her melt against him.

“I didn’t know I was going to offer until I found myself standing in front of the heir,” Sirus said. “Not sending more forces now is a mistake, and I will try and do what I can to counteract the lack of fighters. We have the outposts, and if we use them right we should be all right.”

Sirus reached into his pocket and pulled something out. “Here, I’d like you to find someone you trust and get this cut how you see fit.”

The uncut diamond she’d given to him felt heavy in her hand. Joslynn sat back and studied the stone. She had no idea when she’d planned to give it to Sirus and his family that it would eventually make its way back to her. The rock had so much potential. “Write a description, Sirus. I want you to design the ring and I will find the right jeweler. Your message will be delivered to them still sealed. I promise I won’t read it, but I do want you to choose this ring for me. It is a symbol, and a tradition I will not break.”

Joslynn pocketed the diamond and looked into the ravaged face of her fiancé. “And you are seeing the physician today. I will not have you traipsing off to the border without every possible advantage.” Sirus chuckled at her glare. He pressed a kiss to her downturned lips and Joslynn gave him an exasperated sigh. “This is no laughing matter.”

“I’m aware,” Sirus said, pulling her to her feet. “But only you could show me such love with so much anger.”

She huffed as he led her out of the council room.

“I will see this doctor, but I have a request for you.”

Those nerves churned in her stomach like acid as she nodded. Joslynn had no idea what he would ask of her, but some silly part worried he would come back from the outer rim and his mind would be changed. Sirus would no longer want to marry her.

Princess Giselle was a gorgeous, vivacious woman. Her rank was much higher with direct access to the royal treasury. It would make more sense for Scyria if he were to wed Giselle rather than Joslynn, and while the two of them travelled together it was entirely possible she would fall for the big warrior as Joslynn had.

“I would like to marry you as soon as possible,” Sirus said.

Joslynn stopped in her tracks. The footman in front of the lift waited patiently for them, but she couldn’t move. “Why?”

He pulled her into his arms. When Sirus finally stepped back she saw the same concerns she had in his eyes. “I love you Joslynn. I fear you will forget me while I’m gone with so many other pretty males in the palace. If you’re distracted by planning our wedding then perhaps you won’t have time to lose interest.”

The rest of her anger melted away and she pulled him into a small alcove. The window overlooked the massive inner courtyard and the palace gates. She sat on the velvety cushions with her knees pressed into Sirus’s. The alcove gave them a bit of privacy and she pressed a hand against the scar on his face. “I could never forget you, Sirus. I love you, not some half-witted male out for an easy ride. You are the one I want to have children with, the one I want to build a life with. We do not need to get married right away.” She gave him a wicked smile. “I have contracts we could sign that would ensure you are stuck with me, far better than silly wedding plans.”

Sirus crushed her to him, breathing in her scent and burying his nose in her hair. “I don’t doubt you have these contracts all ready to go.”

Joslynn nodded. “I want to sign them now, if you’re all right with that.”

His answer was a kiss that left her breathless. “Let’s go sign my life away to your will.” His tiny smile assured her he only joked.

The contracts were on her shreve in her rooms. Joslynn had them drawn up before she left Pedranus just in case she did find someone she was willing to marry. Never had she thought it would be the first male she’d considered.

Joslynn’s contracts were stronger than marriage itself and there was no way out of them. She grinned. It was hard to believe she actually looked forward to the wedding. “Let’s seal the contracts and then the doctor should be ready for you.”

Sirus pulled her up and they walked into the lift together. “Perhaps we can rearrange the order of things,” he said.

Joslynn raised an eyebrow as the lift doors closed and the footman took them to the guest floor. Sirus was quiet until they headed out and down the hall towards her rooms. “I thought perhaps we could seal the contracts more than once.”

Joslynn frowned in confusion. “Sealing them twice doesn’t change the validity of the first seal,” she said. Her hand was scanned and the door slid open to her sitting room. “Is this a custom on Scyria?”

The door closed behind her and suddenly Sirus had her pressed up against it. His hands were everywhere as he kissed her. “I’m leaving tomorrow,” he told her, his voice hoarse. “I want to memorize every part of you.”

His lips against her neck made her wild and Joslynn held on as best she could. Then she kissed him like she would never let him go.

Joslynn had no intention of letting Sirus forget her. She would show him how much she loved him, how much she wanted him to come back. Sirus would come back, Joslynn would settle for nothing less.

---