Total pages in book: 157
Estimated words: 156907 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 785(@200wpm)___ 628(@250wpm)___ 523(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 156907 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 785(@200wpm)___ 628(@250wpm)___ 523(@300wpm)
“And I might switch the fire pit out to a fountain.”
He spoke then.
“There’s a vein of natural gas that feeds that flame.”
“Oh,” I mumbled, turning my eyes to the fiery display. I drew in breath, and with it fortification, and turned back to him. “Let us discover the inside.”
He raised his brows. “Would you like to meet my stepmothers?”
Actually, I wouldn’t.
I turned my gaze to the women who were all now on their feet, shuffling back, still with heads bowed, as Gallienus dismounted.
I looked to Cassius and chirped, “Of course.”
As I had never, in my entire life, chirped, and Cassius had not known me my entire life, but he’d come to know me well these past months, thus, he knew that, his eyes narrowed.
I dismounted.
Hera and Jasmine, already off their mounts, instantly got close to me.
“Ellie—” Jazz murmured anxiously.
She was not an anxious person.
But even the strongest warrior would be infused by harmful feelings just breathing this Airenzian air.
“We’re going to do this,” I murmured back.
“Do what?” Hera asked.
“I don’t know,” I admitted. “But we’re going to figure it out.”
“Mm-hmm,” Hera mumbled dubiously.
I couldn’t be dubious.
I had to do this, whatever it was, and I couldn’t wait until spring to do it by planting ivy.
I glanced at Finnie and Circe, who were approaching us accompanied closely by Frey and Lahn, and I gave the women big eyes.
Finnie’s gaze jumped beyond me, where I sensed Cassius approaching, then to me and she nodded.
Circe just gave me a sour expression, but then again, she’d already experienced an Airenzian city, so she understood it was sour indeed.
Cassius took hold of my elbow.
I drew in another fortifying breath and moved with him toward where Gallienus was standing impatiently, not close to his wives, who all were lined up, their heads still bowed.
Had he embraced them, and I’d missed it?
Had he even said words to them at all after being away from them for months?
“My father’s beloveds,” Cassius said drily when we’d arrived at them. “The Ladies Royal, Horatia, Cornelia and Domitia,” he introduced with arm extended and moving to each one as he said their name. “Ladies, my betrothed, Princess Elena of the Nadirii.”
“My pleasure,” I said.
Heads still bowed, they only nodded, and it was just Domitia who looked over her brows toward me with some curiosity, and I saw, from closer, she seemed the youngest of the three (by far).
“Speak when spoken to by a princess,” Gallienus spat at them, and at his words and tone, I tensed.
Cassius tensed.
All our people who had gathered around us tensed.
“Do not do one thing that you do not wish to do or are not comfortable doing,” I decreed sharply.
That got me all three pairs of eyes examining me (though they did this under brows).
Horatia, the oldest (I guessed), peered at me with some measure, and I assessed her instantly as a problem.
Cornelia was gazing at me with some surprise, but a good deal of reserve, and I decided she needed further assessment.
Domitia stared at me in shock (yes, even over her brows).
“And do not bow your heads to me. We are equals. We are sisters,” I educated.
“You are a princess and they are—” Gallienus started.
“Queens,” I finished for him.
I heard a gasp, presumably from Domitia, but nothing from the others.
“They are known as Ladies Royal. We have no queens in Airen,” Gallienus informed me.
“My bride will be a queen,” Cassius put in.
“Your choice, not mine,” Gallienus said to him.
Cassius, as I’d noted he often dealt with his father, dismissed him and turned to the women who all still had their heads bowed.
“Elena told you to raise your heads,” he said, his tone gentling.
“We obey the command of our king,” Horatia announced, and both the women at her side shuffled a bit.
Yes, a problem,
Gallienus subjugated them.
Horatia ruled them.
“Then it’s important you know that, during our travels, your king did not abdicate his throne, but he abdicated his authority and I am now Prince Regent, ruler of this land and this Citadel. So, when I tell you to raise your heads, I mean for you to obey me,” Cassius returned in a much less gentle voice, and I suspected he spoke as such because he knew precisely what role Horatia played in this sick farce.
Both Cornelia and Domitia raised their heads, each wearing expressions that were masks of shock.
Horatia lifted her gaze much more slowly and her expression was composed.
Too composed.
She said nothing but her eyes were working.
Definitely a problem.
“And it’s important to note, as Prince Regent, my intended will be Princess Regent,” Cassius shared.
Domitia’s mouth dropped open.
Cornelia’s gaze shifted into the distance beyond us, her face frozen.
Horatia’s eyes went slightly squinty.
“This will become official on our wedding,” Cassius continued. “But you should behave as if it is official now.”
Gallienus made a sneering noise.
Horatia looked to her husband.
The others looked toward the ground.