Page 76 of Earth Dragon
Shannon smiled at the queen. She also had the acceptance of those she would need to work closely with for the coming few centuries, which was also a great relief.
“The poor bell,” Shannon said, and Blair nodded seriously before they shared another smile.
“Lucky you have a future king who is good with his hands,” Queen Blair said.
Shannon raised her eyebrows and, after a beat, they both burst out laughing.
“What is so funny?” Maize asked, as she and Ionna joined the part.
Ionna threaded her arm through Shannon’s free one and Shannon relished the show of friendship. She had never thought that she would want it or that she would seek it, especially not from Ionna, but now the excitement of the ladies around her made her cheeks grow hot with happiness.
For too long she had put up walls. Now she was letting them lay in a crumbled head at her feet and she would never even attempt to reassemble them.
They walked the pathways together, taking them to the center of the Pavilion where Ewan stood on a raised dais. He had a circle of dark green leaves on his head and smiled the second he saw her, his arms warming in that way that she could feel right down to her toes. She smiled back, her cheeks still heated and now her whole body followed suit.
Behind Ewan, the young kings were holding court. They were laughing together when their mates, and Shannon joined them.
“Everywhere, things seem to be uproarious,” Maize raised her eyebrows, but she was smiling, receiving a kiss on the cheek from Greer.
The bell hung high above their heads and though the crack that had appeared in it had been mended, Ewan had decided to leave the patchwork visible as a reminder of what had almost befallen the four kingdoms.
“Now, every year when we ring it, we will also spare a thought to the tragedy that could have been,” he had said.
She had watched him work on the bell for the entire night after they had apprehended those that walked through the doorway her father had created. Upstanding citizens who were now exposed for who they truly are. They had yelled traitor at her, but for the first time she had not minded the epitaph. Instead, she had welcomed it.
Yes, she had thought. I am.
But one that is loyal to what she loves.
That thought brought her to gently free herself of Blair’s hold and walk up to Ewan. She did not dare touch him, and he reached for her hand. She gave him a look. They had agreed it was better to wait with any public showing of affection until after their mating bond had been announced. Ewan merely smiled that he remembered, but that he also did not care.
She felt the swell of joy he was experiencing and couldn’t keep her own excitement down.
It would be winter soon. She would experience it for the first time with him by her side. He had talked of long rides in the snowy forest and evenings by the fire. Which, to her, sounded familiar but he had assured her it was completely different from long rides in the summer and evenings by the fire.
“I’m going to go speak to him,” she said.
“Would you like me to come with you?” he asked.
“No, stay and greet your guests.”
“They’re your guests too,” he remarked, but she shook her head.
“No, they are not,” she said meaningfully.
The Pavilion was filling with people and she stopped as her eyes landed on her father. He had been magicked to a chair and could not move. Those around him hissed as they passed and for a brief moment, she felt sorry for him, but she also knew that this was the least that he deserved. He was going to be locked away for the rest of his life in a five-by-five cell.
She shuddered at the mere thought and turned from him.
She had done her hissing. It was time she went to the man who made her smile.
Steering her feet back to the dais, this time she wrapped an arm around Ewan’s waist. He frowned at her.
“That was swift,” he said.
“I had a change of hearts,” she replied with a shrug. “I have nothing to say to him that I have not already said. I wish to be here. And greet our guests.”
Ewan smirked at that.
