Page 60 of Earth Dragon
“And become who?”
“I had no idea.”
“What did you think that maybe we could…” Ewan pressed gently.
“It was silly,” she shook her head. She did not want to speak of it, but she could tell he would not let it go that easily. “We might find a way to rule together. That I might be what Ionna became for Malcolm. An advisor, of sorts. Because…” She paused, not wanting to poke at him, but feeling there was no two ways about it. She should be honest, and so she finished, “I could tell that you needed it.”
His eyebrows rose a tad. “How so?”
“Your talk of closing the borders,” she admitted. “It had me concerned.”
For a moment he looked as though he was going to get defensive, but then he let out a soft sigh. “You were right to be,” he admitted. “You called me a tyrant,” he remarked.
“No,” she disagreed. “I said that you were displaying the traits of every tyrant I have ever met.”
“Have you really met that many?” he asked.
“I have,” she said. “But I’ve also lived with one.”
They both grew quiet at that.
“Your father is a good man,” she said. “A great king. I can’t imagine you’ll be anything less than him.”
“I don’t know,” Ewan murmured.
“I do,” she said, reaching out and finally allowing herself to take his hand in hers. “You are going to make a great monarch, my lord.”
“Even though my first true act of state was to set into motion a plan that would confine my subjects to their own kingdom? As they’re at war only without the bloodshed? There would have been riots.”
“Yes,” she said slowly. “But it takes a great man to admit that he’s been wrong.”
“It frightens me that I believed my own lies so readily,” he confessed, his thumb sliding over hers as he leaned forward again. “But you did not,” he added. “Perhaps you should be an advisor to the crown.”
Or your queen, her treacherous mind whispered.Dutifully by your side to offer everything you might need.
Oceans have mercy. She nearly rolled her eyes at herself. It was her time to pull her hand out of his, leaning back on the chair as she remembered the reason that they were by the fire in the first place. The rainbows were still dancing around them.
“Do you feel anything?” Ewan asked.
She was going to answer no, but then she raised her gaze to his again, and the crystal burned softly against her skin.
She sat up, looking as taken aback as she felt.
“I feel something,” she nodded.
Then the door through which Sir Patrick and Petrus had disappeared opened, and the knight and the guard walked through it, followed by six ruling heads that looked questioning of whether what they had been told was actually true.
When King Malcolm’s gaze met Ewan’s, however, the suspicion lifted, and his eyes lit up. Shannon watched the change in his expression with quiet envy. She wasn’t going to expect quite the same reception and wished she could shrink back from the reunion. Instead, she sat dumbly staring, the crystal still gently burning against the palm of her hand.
Chapter 15 - Ewan
Ewan got to his feet, embracing Malcolm in a tight hug of welcome. It had been a year since they saw each other last and since then Ionna had borne him their first child—a daughter named Mariah. Ewan next brought Ionna’s hand to his lips as a show of deep respect before moving onto wrist-clasping with Greer and Hugh and kissing the fingers of both Maize and Blair.
“Thank you,” he said to Sir Patrick, extending a nod to Petrus who nodded back. “I’m glad to see you back so swiftly.”
“The message was delivered clearly enough,” Malcolm said with a glance at Sir Patrick. He then noted Shannon and immediately looked away from her.
Ewan knew he should leave it alone, it was not his business to get involved in, but he found himself saying, “Shannon has personal stakes in the matter as well. Her father has been part of the scheme since its inception, but today she has made the decision to cut all ties with him and help us put an end to his machinations.”
