Page 1 of Princess For All

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A few days after I shot my monstrous brother, I stood watching his and my mother’s body burn so Keres and Erebus couldn’t do anything or use them. Aether was clear that She was worried about that, but also She wanted it for my closure and sanity.

And I felt nothing.

Cold.

Maybe some relief.

But really just… Tired? I was tired of having to handle so much and so much crazy. And there was more.

I thanked the noble who could control fire who helped us so it was basically like cremating the bodies and turned to head back to the castle. I was glad when Kristof picked me up and whisked me back.

We went right to the meeting room where all the visiting nobles who were there for their princesses that I had deals with were waiting.

“Last night, Aether made it clear that I need to make a move that some of you have guessed is coming, but to keep it close to my chest because some of your covens have people who would run off and warn people because we all know we hear too much,” I told them firmly. “I need each of your princesses warned that I apologize for not telling them more.

“That trust is not broken, and while I understand what I’m about to do is an inconvenience, it isdirectlyfrom Aether. She…” I sighed and scrubbed my hands over my face. “She showed me that your princesses were accepting and proud of Her faith and it worked out. I don’t like being a mouse in this maze so much, but I didn’t grow up with these beliefs.”

I froze, feeling colder but also like my blood was rushing in my ears.

I had grown up with these beliefs. I knew that now.

Kristof leaned over and kissed my hair as he rubbed my back. “We all know what you meant. You’re adjusting, my love.”

I let out a slow breath and nodded, swallowing loudly before focusing back on the meeting. “More than Aether trusting your princesses, She was clear that it has to be now, and if I don’t do it this way, it’s too much to bear and could break this coven. So I hope youquicklyexpress my feelings and message to your princesses.”

“I’m glad I thought to record it,” Ceawlin admitted, holding up the phone.

“Yeah, actually, that’s great. If you can copy that onto other phones and let that be delivered. Quickly andquietly,” I said firmly. “Also, we will be bringing more than headaches and have plans for more. So I hope they truly have been working on clearing corrupted as they have said.”

“It has been our princess’s first priority besides feeding our people,” one of the nobles promised, several echoing it. “And the last message I received from her asked if she could receive recordings from these meetings. She had some insight last time but wanted more context and thought she could have been of use.”

“Yes, we will figure out something going forward and have messengers sent with recordings or you can take them and check in with your princesses. I think that more than fine,” I accepted.

They headed off to relay the messages or to wait for copies of what I said while I went to handle what was next on my agenda… Which was Boston. The five clans who wanted to join the coven came prepared with some plans and ideas.

Except they didn’t know where we were with so much, so most everything they said went out the window.

However,they were open to what was going on and where we really were.

So they had new plans. One of which was setting up a several-block outpost in the heart of Boston filled with luxury apartments that would be awesome long-term. They wanted to fortify it like Albuquerque and expand out from there.

With the help of the military humans from Fort Knox even.

We definitely needed it. Getting everything out from St. Louis was tedious. We needed another port, and Boston’s airport was a good one to start utilizing as well. We could have our military ships start converging there—lots. Boston had the potential for lots and to help our allies in Europe.

The plan was that the largest clan would be in charge of this—their leader even having been in the military and a resume that impressed the humans—while the other clans took charge of protecting humans. For now. They would handle the Ohio University project and the other four we now had planned.

“Look, I’m not about to tell you your business on the last leg of what you’ve been doing,” Joel Hart said, clearly the strongest of the five clan leaders, also in charge of the largest. He was a bear shifter, and while he had a few older kids, apparently bears did not mate often.

They seemed to be more of my mindset that forever was too long to be together with one person.

“What you’ve done is amazing and that you’ve held it together this long is a fucking miracle,” he continued. “But from an outside perspective, you’re at a tipping point. I honestly wouldn’t take on the risk of us.” He held up his hand to hold off the shifters who turned to him with a range of pissed looks. “However, I know we’re the right move for you.

“More than that, we’ve been checking things out as we’ve been taking these tours on how things run. I’d been snooping around before even that to see what’s what.” He snickered when a few people were shocked to hear that or seemed affronted, but then did a double take when my husbands weren’t. “You knew people were spying.”

“Not specifically or we would have handled it but yeah, we’re not stupid,” Jaxon drawled. “There are too many moving pieces and too much going on to have it all handled perfectly. More than that, there are vamps and shifters who can cloak from us. We can’t monitor it all.”

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