Page 41 of To Claim a King

Xandrie nodded.

“Dragons are animals - and animals are my thing, I suppose. I felt like it needed to stop moving so much, and I was able to make him do so.”

Demelza was practically shaking.

You’re going to be here, every time, to do exactly what you just did, I want your hands on birthing bellies. Swear you’ll help me.”

“Just you try and stop me.”

They were her people to care for now, too.

* * *

King Rhey Vasilicouldn’t stop grinning. The woman who was to be his Queen had come to his Kingdom with nothing to recommend her but her wits, and in only three months she had saved all their lives, trounced the competition, won The Claiming, and now saved a dragonling and his mother. He’d hoped his partner might be any one of these things - brave, fierce, talented, to say nothing of beautiful - but he got the full package. He eyed the crown he was to place on her head. The gems encrusted around the rim sparkled almost as bright as his bride-to-be’s eyes. Almost.

The Nobles were assembled in their ancestral seats, but the Cathedral was packed to the rafters with people of every class. His household – the servants, the Guard, even Ramog his curmudgeonly head chef – all loved the woman he adored and wanted to be there as she became their Queen.

Xandrie stood tall and proud, ready to walk down the aisle to her throne and claim her title. The music filled the ancient halls and Rhey readied himself for what promised to be one of the happiest moments of his life.

Garald thundered into the hall ahead of a contingent of Warriors, every man of them oozing terror and bravado and their willingness to fight to the death. “We’re under attack,” he yelled. “We need the King out of here, now.”

Rhey turned to see where Xandrie stood, desperate that she not be in the line of fire.

The huge, wooden doors to the hall were thrown open. In the archway, a mage hovered, the energy about her glowing and crackling and bursting with life. Her hair flew about her shoulders and her eyes bore into him, rooting him to the spot. Though he was unable to turn his head, Rhey swiveled his eyes to his left and then his right. Garald was frozen as his bear self, teeth drawn and fangs extended. His entire Guard were immobilized, just as he was.

The mage flowed toward him, her feet barely touching the ground.

Rhey fought the bonds that held him in thrall, desperate that the mage not reach Xandrie or harm her in any way. He’d only just found her, he couldn’t lose her. He sharpened his will and plumbed his dragon power and managed, finally, to put one foot in front of the other.

Xandrie stepped around him, apparently untouched by the mage’s spell. “Talia?”

To the shock of the whole Kingdom, their future Queen’s arms flew around the shoulders of the single strongest magical entity they’d ever encountered; stronger than the enemy which had almost killed them all at their borders. More astonishing yet, the mage’s arms circled her frame and squeezed as hard as she could.

“You’re here,” the stranger whispered against her neck. “You’re really alright.”

Relief and delight were both evident.

As quickly as it had taken them all, the spell keeping them in place released their limbs, and Rhey sheathed his weapon, ordering his men to do the same.

Beaming, his bride was pulling the mage who, now, didn’t look all that terrifying – she was a young woman who walked a little awkwardly, tripping over her own foot. Her gaze never met anyone’s, other than Xandrie’s.

“Talia,” she said, pointing to him, “meet my future husband. You made it just in time.” Then, she added, “Rhey, this is my little sister.”

Right.

So, when she’d meant that her family was powerful, what she’d actually wanted to say was that someday, they would rule the entire world.

Two weeks ago

It didn’t make sense. Not even a little bit, actually. Every time they repeated their inane story, Talia’s head hurt.

She’d come with news - great news - but she’d wanted to tell it to her sister first, and she wasn’t there. Her parents told her about demons, dragons, and other such crazy things that didn’t belong in Malek.

After a while, she lifted her hand, and the words stopped.

Oops.

She forgot, now, how much power she had at her fingertips.

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