Page 133 of Tower of Tempest
She was right. I had been raised by a queen, and like I’d told Loch, she’d spent her entire life preparing me for the role. From the books I read to the stories she told to the lessons she taught me. Now as I sat in front of these three powerful women, I saw something of myself in each of them.
“You really think I can do this?” I asked.
They all looked at each other, then back at me.
“We know you can,” Gabrielle said. “But it’s not about us. It’s about you. You have to believe it as well.”
I was actually starting to.
Before I could say so the door burst open, Loch standing there, crossing his arms with a brow raised. “Gabby, I told you to wait for me to introduce you. Why can’t you ever listen?” His gaze swept to Seraphina and Liliath, and he tsked. “And you two, going along with her.”
Gabrielle stood, raising her chin. “We wanted to meet her, this mysterious woman who captured my wayward brother’s heart.”
My own heart melted as Gabrielle walked up to Loch and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. She turned to face us and threaded her arm through his. “Thank you for saving him, by the way.” She smirked. “I heard you did quite a lot of saving on your journey together.”
Loch rolled his eyes as Liliath and Seraphina stood.
“We’ll give you two some privacy. It was so nice to meet you, Princess.” Liliath nodded at me, and Seraphina squeezed my shoulder as she passed by me and walked toward the door.
Gabrielle unthreaded her arm from Loch’s. “I’m excited to get to know you more. Today you get to meet my mother. She already lovesyou, by the way. You did something no woman has done before.” She shot Loch a mischievous grin. “Won the heart of the playboy prince.”
“Okay,” Loch said, then shoved her toward the door as she laughed. “Get out. All of you. We have a conclave to prepare for in case you forgot?”
The women left, all of them shooting me a final backward glance before the door closed.
Loch blew out a breath and strode toward me. I rose just as he reached me and swept me up in his arms.
A breath escaped me, the same way it did every time he pulled me to him.
“Well, I was planning on getting you some breakfast from the kitchen and bringing it to our room, but then I overheard some of the servants talking about how the two queens and the princess were headed straight toward my room. I didn’t make it here fast enough to intercept them.”
I tilted my head up. “It’s okay. I’m glad I met them before the conclave. They gave me a... new perspective.”
He shot me a curious look but didn’t ask me to explain.
“Are you ready for today?” he asked.
“I think so.” My hand went to Gran’s necklace, still around my neck. “I’m ready to tell everyone what happened with Gran, the truth of the shadow king. I’m ready to bring the courts together so we can fight this threat.”
I thought of the bone collector, the stolen bolt. “I wonder if Driscoll and Leoni have reached Emory yet.” The white rabbit. This whole time I had no idea she was infamous throughout the courts, had a nickname, people who were after her. I worried at my bottom lip. Leoni had seemed so confident she could convince Emory, but I had my doubts. Emory would go in a heartbeat, but her husband? He would never allow such a thing.
“Hey.” Loch drew me in closer. “They’re going to find Emory, and they will get that bolt from the bone collector.”
“I hope so,” I said. “Meanwhile, I’ll do my part today. I will convince everyone that it’s time to unite and face the threats looming over us.”
“That’s my girl,” Loch said.
I bit my lip. “After the conclave, you know my father will want meto go back to Valoris.” I searched Loch’s face. “I think I want to go back with him. I want to learn how to be a queen.” I hesitated, but I wouldn’t cower from asking the question that burned through me. “Will you come with me?”
He cocked his head. “I thought you’d never ask.”
My mouth dropped open. “But you’ll have to leave your home.”
“You’re my home,” he said simply. “Where you go, I follow, remember?”
My heart warmed as he pressed a kiss to my forehead.
“You think you’re ready to be king of Valoris?” I asked.
