Page 8 of Enchanted Crown
Esta still sat on her throne chair, her hand at her temples as she reread the words of the treaty.
“Sweetheart?”
She held up a finger. When she was finally done mulling over whatever it was, she leaned back into her chair and simply said, “A treaty.”
“You told me you needed more time, so that is exactly what I got you.”
Her chair screeched back as she rushed toward me. I again easily caught her. I would always catch her. In this form anyway.
“Thank you, you fool. You brilliant,brilliantfool.” And then she pressed her lips into mine harshly.
“You’re welcome,” I whispered as I kissed her again.
She shoved me back. “Thank you for never trapping me. Thank you for understanding what the weight of crowns feels like.” She paused. “Thank you for loving me with no other motives.”
“I’d tear the realm seam from seam for you, Es. I can buy you more time, we can bring our countries peace, and together we will figure out this threat in Dra Skor.”
“I’m going to sign the treaty, Keir.”
I grinned. “Whatever you want, dragon queen.”
“You,” she whispered. “I want you. I want to figure out a way we can have this.”
“You’ve chosen what side you’re on?”
“My own people attacked me while I was eating dinner. Good and bad people exist in both of our countries. But as I shifted and threw that human over the balcony, all I could fear was that I would never get to feel your touch again.”
“I’m right here,” I whispered to her, wrapping my hand around the back of her neck and leaning my forehead against hers. “Together we can figure it out.”
“Ever my moon?” she asked.
Her lips crashed into mine as I responded, “Ever my sun.”
CHAPTER 4
“To choosing peace,” Esta declared as she signed her name on both copies of the treaty and dropped the hot wax bead onto the paper for the seal of Dra Skor to be pressed in.
“To being brave enough to right wrongs,” Malachi stated while putting his drink in the air to me.
I raised mine back to him. “To choosing our own enemies, not inheriting them.” My eyes went to the other advisors. “To weeding out evil in the realm, no matter where it resides.”
“To eradicating evil,” Amory agreed.
Esta pressed the seal into the final parchment copy, the treaty officially signed. “To a better future for all.”
Jagen put his drink in the air as did Esta’s father, which surprised me.
Esta handed one copy back over to me. For the first time in all my barging into the war room for these meetings, I officially had my own chair. One that had been added for my presence. Though John and Emric were still standing off in the corner, the fact remained that there was a seat for someone from Wylan at Dra Skor’s war table.
I gestured for Emric, who was already instructed to give our copy of the treaty to Owen to take back to Wylan. I also had a letter for Krew already prepared. Whit and Owen would make the trip out to the Wylan boat as soon as our meeting here was done. And as soon as Owen and Dex were done pounding on each other.
Just as Emric turned to leave the war room, the doors opened and a guard that I knew served under Morana came running in.
“What is it?” Morana asked.
“Shadow magic,” the man panted. “Shadow magic in Dra Skor.”
My eyes went to Esta. Dra Skor and Wylan had finally reached peace for the first time in decades, and Agria came to shore? What were the odds?
