Page 65 of Iron Unicorn

I grinned at the reminder of how Daphne had acquired her Brit. “How about first class tickets to Alaska? I might be tempted to smack some monarchs upside the head with king crabs.”

Will snickered, and the sense of his anxiety and unease lost their sharp edges. “I’d be forced to accept that sort of abuse of the credit card. But I’d rather you not assault Landen and Summer, although I know Summer had more than a little fun at your expense with those crabs.”

“I feel that kingdoms around the world had fun at my expense. They wouldn’t dare play that sort of prank on my queen. I, however, seem to be fair game.” I considered the places I could take Olivia, although I wouldn’t do it at her brother’s expense. Books, technology, and similar I would impose upon him as payback for a few days of misery, but everything of importance I’d earn on my own. However, I would ask the man for his advice. “I was planning on making a ring for her, but I thought I should also provide one of those store-bought ones.”

“Good call,” Will said, and he considered me through narrowed eyes. “Daphne? Swing by a jewelry store on the way. Have him put the charge on your card. That way, if Olivia checks the family credit card statement, he isn’t exposed. She’ll want the iron ring for general wear, but she’ll also want one she can wear for formal events. She prefers white metals, and if you’re going with a diamond, get something with color. I’d pick sapphire or something unusual, though. And I’m not saying that to spare my wallet. I’m expecting you’ll throw money at me to pay that charge off. I’d go with classic for everything except the iron rings you conjure for her. She wears a size six on her left ring finger and a six and a half on her right ring finger—and she likes switching up which hand has rings.”

“Will is telling you that you need to provide a ring for each hand,” Daphne translated. “But we can take care of that business after he has his visit with the doctor and Olivia is done her appointment. And Terry? Buy more books than you can carry. It can be part of our compensation package for giving you a concussion.”

“I asked my queen about a New York property,” I confessed. “I’m probably going to go back to New York as a homeowner who hasn’t even seen the place yet.”

Will snickered. “I’d guarantee it. It’ll be somewhere close to the palace, nice, and suitable for a princess and her freshly minted prince. And you’ll be classed as a Montana prince, as that’s how our royal family works. I’ll permit her to take the Pattens name, but we typically would form a new branch in this case.”

“I do not see why we would form a new branch,” I admitted.

“Your talent level is royal by right, and whenever we marry in an actual royal, we form a branch. It helps us keep track of where the potentially dangerous talents are. Olivia is royal by right, but she keeps quiet about it. So, two royal talents marrying and possibly having kids? You get a branch. You can even indulge in that hyphenation nonsense if you’d like.”

“I’ll leave the choice up to Olivia,” I said. “My family will not be offended if I change my last name.”

“She’s going to change your last name and prance you out as her precious partner,” Will informed me. “It’s one of the family traditions she gets excited about. The women love luring in their future Niells.”

“It’s true,” Edward said with laughter in his voice. “Daphne is so excited she gets to participate in the family tradition.”

Will grinned, got up, and patted my shoulder before joining me in monitoring my kettle, which would render its shrill whistle within the next minute or two. “Your family will be overjoyed when you’re brought into the chaos. I’ll have to assign an RPS pair to you in New York, but their job is to be available if there is an emergency and we need to extract you and Olivia. Olivia will also have a pair. Rachel won’t mind. She’ll be able to keep you as the head of her detail, there’ll be extra security, and she’ll know you and Olivia will also have protection. She worries about you more than is healthy.”

That I understood. “All right. Books and then jewelry. What else?”

“Assuming you both check out, a ride across Texas to escape the busybodies for a while and relax. You’re not going to be relaxing here, that’s for sure.”

As I agreed with him, I didn’t bother to argue. “Do not panic when the Texans inform you I kidnapped your sister during a scenario.”

“Keep her. Just charge her feeding bill to the card. I’d say return her in the same condition, but I’d rather not have her back at this stage.”

The kettle whistling spared me from saying something I’d likely regret while starting an argument with a king over his sister. I plucked the kettle off the burner, turned it off, and went about making tea. “Would you like a cup?”

“Only if you spike it with some alcohol.”

“Get out of my kitchen,” I ordered, pointing in the direction of the couch. “There will be no drunk monarchs in this suite.”

“You’re no fun, Terry.”

Daphne giggled. “Terry’s plenty of fun, Will. You’re just an old stick in the mud. Don’t mind him, Terry. He’s just pouting because he can’t posture about Olivia’s choice in men. It’s impossible to protest perfection.”

“Hey,” Edward complained. “What about me?”

“You’re no longer single, thus you are unavailable. You’re not in the pool of men up for discussion. Terry is technically available, so he’s perfection.”

The Brit bowed his head, and he laughed. “I suppose I can’t get upset at that. Congratulations on being perfection, Terry.”

“Thanks, I think.”

FIFTEEN

If I made any comment at all, the women would gang up on me.

Olivia’s appointmenttook five hours, and after a brief consultation with Melody, Will took his sister to the gym for some exercise and preparation for her breathing test, leaving me with the two doctors, Daphne, and Edward.

“They’re going to find out the results anyway, so you may as well just include them,” I stated, sipping my tea from the comfort of my chosen armchair. “You may as well just diagnose me with talent exertion and give me the riot act along with a treatment plan before spending the rest of the time yelling at me over whatever I need to improve.”

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