Page 187 of Fated or Knot

“You kept asking for more of my hair. I thought you’d leave me bald!” Nemensia laughed.

“It’s harder than it looks, my heart, and I was too proud to ask for help.”

I nodded to the house moth and whispered, “Did he like the feathers?”

“He loved them,” she giggled. “He’s very excited. Prince Kauzden is going to help him keep them nice with some magic.” She brushed my hair while humming a cheery tune, which I recognized with a zing of excitement, and ended up humming with her.

“Dad, um.” I glanced between the two kings.

“When there’s two of us, just refer to us by name. It’s easier,” Thalas said.

“May I ask you a question, King Elion?” I asked politely.

“Just ‘Elion’, and aye, ask away.”

“What’s the significance of the things you have braided in your hair?”

After receiving Theodred’s tattoo talk, I figured it was time I learned why the kings styled themselves the way they did. Rennyn with all his tricks and misdirections was an ongoing enigma to me, but my other bonus dads seemed to be straightforward in their choices.

Elion beamed and lifted the first of his three braids. “Ah, well there’s the classic, a lock of Nemensia’s hair braided into mine. The next one is a selection of her rings.”

The queen sighed dramatically. He reached over to rest his hand over hers. She batted her lashes up at him, while he regarded her fondly. I could practically feel their love for one another from here, and hoped I looked like that with my four mates someday.

“My heart has many differently sized rings. Pregnancy changes finger size,” he continued. “And our quarters had something of a ring explosion when she was carrying Tormund.”

“My fingers swelled so much during that pregnancy,” Nemensia bemoaned. “Also, he’s holding my favorite ring captive in the middle of that braid!”

“It won’t fit on your finger right now.” He seemed to rethink this statement when she crinkled her brow in the beginnings of a scowl. “I mean, I’ve been meaning to get it resized for you.”

She lifted her nose. “Hmph.”

“And finally, Lark, the third braid is symbols. If your handmaiden wasn’t taking a lock of your hair, I’d have you come look.” He lifted it, and a set of silver charms hung down, each the size of my thumbnail or so. “One for each child, from Fal’s guiding star at the top, to a ray of sunshine at the bottom for my little Happy Fins. And though it upset my mate for a time, I never removed the p’nixie wings.” He felt his braid with his other hand and flicked the third charm from the bottom, just above Tormund and Ambriel’s.

Even from across the table, the charm looked like a set of four purple pixie wings painted on the silver circle. My lips started to get wobbly. I hadn’t even realized he’d included me so casually with his pack-born children.

“Now I’m glad he didn’t,” Nemensia added, giving me a gentle smile.

“My mate does occasionally see my wisdom,” Elion said gravely, though his voice emanated affection.

“Okay, all done,” Lon put in cheerfully.

Thalas chuckled. “I am done as well. It should hold for two days, or so. And that’s without doing anything to damage it.”

My eyes widened. Only two days? And that was with no sex? My heat was coming with a vengeance no matter what, it seemed.

“We’re running out of time.” Elion took a long sip of his tea and shrugged. “Fewer hours for our children to suffer as Rennyn makes his overcomplicated plots. Let’s see who’s right, in the end.”

Jani came to the gazebo about thirty minutes later with a backpack for me. “For your rugged outdoor adventure, Princess,” she’d announced in a joyful squeak. She let me hug her, too, and none of the royals commented. How did they get through their days without hugging at least one of the perpetually sunny house moths that helped all through the palace? They probably didn’t.

Tormund was not far behind my handmaiden. He seemed subdued as he said hello to the three royals, hugs included.

“Please limit your time to two nights. She needs to return before her suppressant breaks,” Elion said.

“Okay, Dad,” Tormund answered, flashing a brief smile his way and resting a hand on my shoulder. “I’m taking my mate away now.”

I said my goodbyes and glanced anxiously at my gentle giant as we walked back the way I’d come with his father earlier. He seemed to be heading straight for the stables. “Is something wrong?” I asked with a hint of a whine.

He blew a curl of smoke from the side of his mouth. “Our date is getting rushed. I’m just disappointed, li’l bird. I know I crashed your date with Kauz and that wasn’t fair to him, but I wanted you to spend some time here with…you’ll see.” He gestured to a paddock beyond the stables and angled toward it. “It’s a surprise.”

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