“Sabine –” I started but she cut me off.
“And it was fantastic… it was… it was amazing. And I think he liked it too.”
I was sure he did.
“Sabine –” I tried again but she kept talking.
“But, I don’t know… I’m worried. What if I hurt him? He seems strong and healthy but, I don’t want…”
I tried and succeeded in not bursting out laughing thinking of tiny, sweet Sabine hurting big, strong Zahnin and decided it was time to be heard.
“Sabine,” I called, reaching out to grab her hand. “Come back to the roof and out of your bedroom, my sweet friend.”
Her eyes focused on me.
I squeezed her hand. “He’s fine. Absolutely fine. Don’t worry about him. You’re taking care of him now in the way he needs. He’s been trained since five to know what his body can and cannot do. Let him decide what he can take and just… uh…” I grinned, “enjoy the ride.”
Her eyes got wide, her face got so red I could see it in the torchlight and then she giggled so when she did, I thought it was safe to giggle with her and Narinda joined in.
After another squeeze, I released her hand and she looked back over the rooftop which now showed a sky that was mostly midnight blue and twinkling stars with hazy streaks of pink.
“My warrior husband is gentle and patient,” she whispered to the night sky. “I never, ever would have thought…” she stopped and her eyes came back to us. “It started as a nightmare but now seems like the sweetest dream.” Her head tipped to the side and a small, confused smile played at her lips when she whispered, “How can that be?”
“I don’t know, sweetheart, but somehow these boys can pull it off,” I answered with feeling.
“They sure can,” Narinda agreed, we all looked at each other and then we all giggled again.
That was when I heard a low, warning growl come from deep in Ghost’s throat. I turned my head to her to see her head was turned to the top of the stairs. Then she gracefully gained her feet but in a watchful, guarded way that made me brace and I looked to the stairs.
Bohtan and Bain were ascending them. I started to smile but caught the looks on their faces, felt the vibe and heard Ghost growl again and I realized something was wrong.
I knew it definitely when Bain ordered my girls, “Prepare your queen to take her throne. Official business. Do it swiftly, we cannot delay.” His eyes came to me. “We await you at the front with Zephyr.”
He said no more before he turned and both warriors disappeared down the stairs.
What on earth?
“What’s happening, Circe?” Sabine asked in a hushed, worried voice as I watched all five of my girls scurry to me, leaving their fabric where it lay.
I didn’t know.
What I did know was that very soon I was going to find out.
And I was queen so I needed to get my ass in gear.
So I rose to my feet and whispered, “All is well, I’m certain, but I must hurry.”
And without a look back, I hurried.
* * * * *
“The beast remains here,” Bain ordered and I looked down at Ghost who was standing beside where I was mounted on Zephyr at the front of the house.
“I –” I started.
“Order it to the house,” Bain commanded, I started at his tone, one he’d never used on me. Then I nodded and looked down at Ghost.
“Ghost, go into the house, my baby.”
She growled in a scary way that I heard as “me” or “no” but she didn’t move.
“House, now, Ghost,” I demanded, she growled her denial again and still didn’t move.
“We have no time for this, brother,” Bohtan muttered.
“Very well,” Bain muttered back, jerked his chin at Bohtan then jerked his reins and his horse turned. He took point. I moved Zephyr behind him, Ghost prowling at my side. Bohtan fell in at the rear.
“Bain, can you –” I called.
“No talking, my golden queen,” he ordered and I bit my lip.
Something was wrong. Bain wasn’t like this. Not with me.
Shit.
I rode to the top plateau with my guards and my tigress in silence. I was wearing a gold sarong shot with white, a white halter top, gold bands at biceps and forearms, gold hoop earrings, gold dust on cheekbones and around my temples and my gold crown of feathers.
Definitely, as always, the Golden Queen.
As we rounded the top of the plateau, however, I sucked in a very unqueenly breath.
This was because I could see from afar, well beyond the plateau on the rise leading up to it from behind Korwahn, there was a wide sea of riders, so many there would be no way to count, thousands, maybe tens of thousands. It was now full on dark but I still saw them as they carried torches and not a small amount of fires had been lit on the ground. I couldn’t make them out but I knew they weren’t Korwahk for there were many flying pennants flowing in the light breeze that stirred the night air.
Korwahk warriors didn’t bother with pennants or, at least, I’d never seen any.
And on top of the vast plateau in the official clearing there was a throng of Korwahk warriors, maybe two hundred, none painted except those who were in my guard.
They were all standing at what could only be described as loose attention and they were all fully armed.
As we rode along the side of the plateau, I saw Lahn sitting on his throne on the platform carved in stone into the jutting lip of the plateau, a platform which had five deep steps up. The Eunuch was by his side, my white throne of horns on his other. And as we made it to the front, I sucked in another breath when I saw there was a grand chair located about a foot from the bottom step of the platform.
In it was a man wearing a steel breastplate of armor with a black and red dragon painted on it. There was a helmet of armor by his booted foot that had a shock of black and red feathers shooting out of the top. But he wore breeches and boots and, on his head, a crown pulled low, almost to his forehead, made of gold inset with diamonds and rubies.
He was graying and jowly with ruddy cheeks and mean, beady eyes. He had a very big gut which meant the breastplate had to be fashioned to contain it and it made him look ludicrous.
I did not laugh or even smile.
This was because his beady eyes were on me and they blazed.
Beside him, my heart lurched to see, stood Geoffrey, looking much thinner, much paler but much cleaner.
His eyes were on me too and they also blazed.
I was thinking whatever this was, something I already sensed was not good, was actually even worse.
Last, there were eight, tall, armed men wearing full armor lined behind the man with the crown’s chair.
Bohtan rode to my side and muttered, “You do not dismount. Swing your leg sidesaddle. Zahnin will deliver you to our king.”
I gave a slight incline of my head and did as instructed when we stopped before Lahn who did not watch us dismount, his gaze never shifted from the man seated before him.
As Bohtan told me, Zahnin came forward and pulled me from Zephyr. He escorted me, with Ghost prowling close at my side, to my throne and I vaguely realized all of his lieutenants had formed behind us as we walked.
Lahn didn’t look at me as I moved in front of him nor did he do so as I sat and my guards moved to flank the backs of our thrones, Zahnin standing beside mine or next to Ghost who had settled on her belly, her head up, her eyes on the man in the chair, her demeanor watchful.
“You do not bow to your king?” the man in the chair said and my eyes shot to him. “My Circe grows a big
