Page 39 of The Emerald Dragon Prince
“I can end that chaos,” Osric said, stepping over to join our group. “Now is the time to end every bit of the chaos that has gripped this kingdom for too long.”
As Osric spoke, a hush seemed to fall over the room. My mate and our brothers weren’t the only ones who turned to listen to him. Every soldier and guard in the room, bruised, bleeding, panting, and exhausted, turned to listen to him, to listen to their new king.
Osric glanced around at them all to make certain he had their attention, then walked over to Freslik’s and Nazeing’s now charred forms. He squatted to take a close look at them, as Rumi had, but he was careful not to touch them or the dagger that stuck out of Nazeing’s back.
Once he was satisfied with what he saw, he nodded and stood to face the room full of people watching him and waiting.
“King Freslik is dead,” he announced in a voice of command. “The evil tyrant who has kept you prisoners in your own lives with an iron grip is no more. This age of struggle and fear that you have all lived through is over.
“I am Osric, Freslik’s nephew. My father was Florian,Freslik’s omega brother, and my grandfather was Austrius, the dead king’s father. I am now king of this realm by right of birth and battle. Is there anyone here who wishes to dispute this?”
The Great Hall went as silent as a tomb. Freslik’s soldiers glanced around at each other and Osric’s men as if waiting to have hell rain down on them for supporting the losing side. But nothing happened, no one rushed to subdue or silence them, or to order them thrown into the dungeon.
Then one of them called out, “All hail King Osric!”
Within moments, the Great Hall was filled with shouts of victory from Osric’s men and even a few bursts of joy and relief from the men who had fought for Freslik. The sound was even louder than the battle, but what was more, the jubilance that filled the air seemed to make the whole room brighter, even though night had long since fallen.
“I pledge to you this day that I will be a fair and just king,” Osric continued his speech when the cheering died down. “In the coming days, I will examine and rewrite the law codes that have kept so many people repressed. I will meet with the leaders of towns and villages to determine what can be done for everyone in this kingdom, from farmer to nobleman. I will review the actions of those who supported Freslik and determine who should face justice and who might be pardoned. And most of all, I will do everything within my power to help this kingdom thrive and be happy again.”
More cheers filled the air. A few of the soldiers even tossed their helmets or gauntlets, or the helmets and gauntlets of the animated suits of armor, which had all gone back to being just armor and statues upon Nazeing’s death, into the air.
“But first,” Osric called out, inviting silence again, “we will clean up, bury and mourn our dead, and most importantly, we will rest.”
“Rest at last,” Obi sighed, leaning happily against Argus. “That’s all I’ve ever really wanted.”
“Really?” Argus asked him with an amused voice, sliding his arm around his omega’s waist. “I thought you wanted happiness and family, and a few other things that I’m not inclined to talk about in front of my brothers.” He winked at me.
I shook my head, but my heart felt lighter than it had in ages.
That lightness only lasted for a moment, though. It was eclipsed by a sudden burst of pain coming through my bond with Rumi. Worse still, Rumi groaned and nearly collapsed in on himself.
I rushed to hold and support my mate as he doubled over, clutching his belly.
“Oh no! Rumi, are you alright?” Obi gasped, breaking away from Argus to help his brother.
“It needs to come out,” Rumi moaned, trying to straighten enough to look at me.
There was no question in my mind what he meant. “We’ve waited too long already,” I said, scooping my mate into my arms. I sent Nazeing’s crumpled body one last look before turning to Argus. “I need to get him back to the castle so we can birth our egg,” I said. “Considering the spell I cast last year, it might already be too late.”
“Go,” Argus said without hesitation, even conjuring a doorway for me. “We’ll mop up here.”
I nodded to my brother in thanks and rushed through the doorway, straight into my bedroom in the dragon castle, praying it wasn’t too late to save the life of my omega and our child.
Chapter
Twelve
Rumi
Ishould have felt joy at my father’s death. At the very least, I should have been relieved that he would no longer punish his own kingdom with the iron grip of his tyrannical rule. My father had been a terrible person for most of his life, and now that he was gone, Osric could usher in a new era of peace and prosperity. I should have been jubilant, but all I could think about was the sharp, urgent pain in my belly and the feeling that I might explode. It wasn’t just me either. It felt as though my egg was gasping for breath.
“I’ve got you,” Emmerich’s strong, caring voice murmured to me as we stepped out of one castle and into another, much better one. “Don’t worry, my love. It’s our time now, and once we birth this egg, I’ll make certain everything in our lives is wonderful from here on out.”
I dragged my eyes up at my mate, so consumed withlove for him that I managed to smile through the pain gripping me. I believed him. Emmerich truly would make everything alright. I trusted my dragon like I’d never trusted anyone.
Whether it was that trust or feeling the full force of our bond again or simply the urgency of biology, gazing up into my alpha’s smiling face as he carried me across his bedchamber and lay me on his bed filled me with lust and the need to be one with him. I shouldn’t have felt that way while in so much pain and with my baby distressed, but love and the scintillating excitement of a life and a world that was about to be eclipsed even the greatest pain.
“I love you,” I gasped, reaching for my mate and pulling him closer to me. “No matter what happens, no matter how difficult this moment and our entire life might be, I love you so much. I was made for you.”
