Total pages in book: 208
Estimated words: 209645 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1048(@200wpm)___ 839(@250wpm)___ 699(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 209645 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1048(@200wpm)___ 839(@250wpm)___ 699(@300wpm)
“Chu?” Silence asked after Elena’s query.
“I shall tell you later, piccolina,” Mars murmured.
“For the rest of you,” I butted in, “I need to request you cut your forays short and head to Notting Thicket with all due haste. From what I’m hearing, True will need allies, the more, the faster, the better.”
“We’re already on our way,” Ha-Lah said, and when she continued, the smile on her face came through in her words. “And we bring dragons.”
“Dragons?” Silence breathed.
“Men,” Aramus boomed. “Frey Drakkar has heard word about the Beast and has come to our aid. We sail with him right now toward Notting Thicket. And he says the Dax of Korwahk and the king of Hawkvale are in route.”
“You’re joking,” Cassius said.
“This is a boon,” Mars added.
“Have you noticed it is we who have the link and it is the males who are doing most of the talking?” Elena asked tetchily.
“It is the way,” Ha-Lah murmured.
“It is so lovely to see you, Ha-Lah,” Silence said. “You have been missed.”
“That is kind, Silence,” Ha-Lah replied. “You have been missed too. Are you well?”
“Very!” Silence chirped, which made me, as well as Elena and Ha-Lah, smile.
“Farah?” Ha-Lah asked, her smile less bright when it came to me, and her voice was heavier.
“True and his men have been taking care of me,” I told her quietly.
“For this, I am glad,” she said softly.
“I am glad for this too,” Mars put in, not softly.
“You seem happy,” Elena noted to Ha-Lah.
Ha-Lah smiled a certain kind of smile.
Aramus could be heard grunting.
Enough said on that.
I started grinning again.
“There are things to do, are we done chatting?” Cassius asked.
“No one asked you to be in this conversation, Cass,” Elena pointed out.
“Wodell is raising an army to thwart an alliance and wage war on one of my allies. Their king’s counsellor is possibly colluding with the Go’Doan who were behind an attack on a palace you and I as well as all our friends had to take up swords to rout. And considering all of this, we have to make the decisions about whether or not to take our daughters into an uncertain situation, and my vote would be hell no. This means I’ll have to argue with you about that and then tell the girls they aren’t coming and deal with their tantrums. We don’t have time to chat,” Cassius returned.
“You finished that by assuming you’d get your way about the girls,” Elena retorted.
“I will, for there’s no way in hell I’m allowing our girls to go into an uncertain situation,” Cassius shot back.
“They’ll be devasted and we’ve already been separated from them for too long. Especially you and Aelia,” Elena argued.
“Perhaps we can discuss this without an audience,” Cassius suggested.
“Perhaps we can discuss this instead of using Melisse’s treehome for alone time,” Elena replied.
Well, it seemed things had advanced between those two, even if they’d stayed the same.
Something about that made me feel most pleased.
“I have a donation to make,” Mars announced, then demanded, “Release my queen and myself from this summons.”
“But I wish to chat, my husband,” Silence said.
“As you wish,” Mars murmured.
And that made me feel most pleased.
But I had to share, “I can’t chat. They’re packing the horses now and we must be away. I’m so sorry.”
“It was lovely to see you and ascertain you are well, even if for a short time,” Ha-Lah said.
“You as well,” I replied.
“You all as well,” Silence put in. “And when we meet again, I have so much to share. And I look forward to hearing about all of your adventures.”
“I cannot wait,” Elena said.
“Me either,” Ha-Lah agreed.
“Until we meet again,” I bid as farewell.
Silence waved.
Ha-Lah blew a kiss.
And Elena swept her arm in front of herself.
Then they were all gone.
My work was done.
Now it was time to head to the Thicket.
71
The Decision
Prince Cassius
The Queen’s Palace
THE ENCHANTMENTS
Some hours after that odd conversation with the destined others, and a long argument with his woman about the girls, Cassius was summoned.
Now he stood on the scrollwork rugs amongst the woven furniture of Ophelia’s receiving room, staring unseeing at the carved panels that adorned her walls.
There was an embargo on any Nadirii goods in Airen. In fact, it was illegal even to own them and the penalties were severe if caught trying to smuggle them in from Wodell, Firenze or Go’Doan.
However, he had seen their artwork in his travels, and found it distinctive and attractive, but being amongst it these past days, he was glad that embargo would soon come to an end and that Nadirii beauty would be easily had throughout his land.
“Cassius,” Ophelia said.
He turned, watched her walk down the stairs and did it keeping in check the impulse to move to assist her.
He dipped his head. “Your Grace.”
She came to a stop at the foot of the stairs, most likely to rest, but appearing to do so in order to emphasize what she said next.