Sofia stood and hugged Ezaara, sobbing. “Th-thank you.”
“It’s going to be all right,” Ezaara murmured.
A blue guard entered with Alban swaggering in behind him, Nadira on his heels. Jaw clenched, Alban stared at Sofia with a face hewn of granite. “You gave us sway weed. Me and Banikan. How could you?”
“And you had me doing your dirty work with the girls,” snarled Nadira. “I believed in you, trusted you, and you made me nasty.” She looked as if she was about to spit on Sofia. Even without sway weed.
“I’ve forgiven her and you,” Ezaara said quietly, stepping up next to Sofia. “And I’m the one she tried to burn and knife. This just shows us how powerful Zens is. He not only bends minds, he infiltrates Dragons’ Hold, trying to ruin friendships and create hate between us. We’ll never succeed if we let his tools of war drive us apart.”
Roberto wasn’t sure what Alban was expecting, but it wasn’t that.
Alban blustered for a moment, then nodded. “Very well.” He turned for the door.
“Alban,” Ezaara called, “Sofia’s going to need some help mucking out the dragonet dens. Might be a good way to get to know one another on new terms.”
He nodded tersely and left. Nadira hung back, “You know, Ezaara, I think you’re right.” She slipped an arm through Sofia’s elbow and wandered outside with her.
“All’s well that ends well,” said Lars. “And now, Master Roberto.” He turned to him. “We understand you kissed Ezaara while she was still your trainee. Ever since the world gate was shut, loving your trainee has been a grievous offense, punishable by banishment.”
All eyes turned to him. Funny, having everyone acknowledge he loved Ezaara. He could lose everything, but he wouldn’t live a lie. “I loved her from the moment I tested her imprinting bond.”
“I thought you were pretty awful back then.” Ezaara kept her face deadpan. “Perhaps we shouldn’t tell them everything.”
“I won’t hide our love anymore.”
Tonio nodded to himself. “You’ve been mind-melding with Ezaara for moons, haven’t you?”
“Yes.” “And I am right now—and there’s nothing he can do about it.”
Ezaara snorted, putting her hand over her mouth to pretend she was stifling a cough.
Lars cut in. “Yet you say the first time you kissed her was in the orchard, when Antonika flew over and saw you?”
“After Fleur, Bruno and Simeon’s banishment,” Tonio added.
“Yes,” Roberto said. This was ridiculous. He’d kissed Ezaara, but the masters’ crimes were worse. “I’d been wrongly banished by you, captured in the Robandi desert, had my gut slit and came home to save Zaarusha from Ajeuria’s attack. So, yes, after all that, I did kiss my trainee, the woman I love, who’d saved me from desert assassins.” And had saved him from himself. He hadn’t wanted to return at all, but she’d convinced him.
“Our apologies for banishing you unfairly,” Lars said. “I’m sorry.”
“Apologies accepted,” Roberto said tersely. “Are you going to repeat the same mistake now?”
“It’s not your position to question council procedure,” Lars blustered.
“It is when that procedure nearly kills me, isolates me from the woman I love and stops me doing my duty to the queen.”
“Tread carefully, Roberto,” Ezaara pleaded.
“They need us.” Gods, he hoped he was right. He couldn’t really run away with the Queen’s Rider if they did attempt to banish him. Dragons’ Realm needed Ezaara and Zaarusha just as much as he did.
Lars gestured to Ezaara. “Apart from that kiss, is it true that you weren’t physically involved throughout your training?”
“They could just ask me,” said Erob, scratching the stone with his talons. “I knew what you were up to.”
“Naturally, I kissed him goodbye before he went to Death Valley.” Ezaara arched an eyebrow, looking bemused. “But apart from that, Master Lars, Roberto wouldn’t kiss me, despite me once begging him.”
A ripple of laughter ran around the cavern. “Hardly grounds for banishment,” commented Hans dryly.
Lars turned to Ezaara’s parents. “You two have been mind-melding for years. How probable is it that they’ve loved each other, but only kissed once or twice?”
Lars wasn’t going to let this drop, was he?
But thank the Egg, Tonio was unusually quiet, staring at his nails as if they held valuable secrets.
Marlies met Lars’ frank gaze. “It’s a strong bonding experience. It would have been difficult not to have a physical relationship after sharing emotions by mind-meld. Under the circumstances, I think they’ve shown remarkable restraint.”
“Lars,” said Hans, “this rule was established to prevent a relationship that could endanger the realm. These two have done nothing but good. And besides, before Ezaara even arrived, Handel says he’d received a prophecy that they should be together.”
Tonio shot Lars a meaningful look. “Anakisha’s prophecy has yet to be fulfilled.”
Something passed between them, then Lars turned in his chair. “My honored Queen Zaarusha, Roberto has pledged fidelity to you and to the realm, even though he has loved your rider while training her. What is your verdict?”
The queen lowered her head and Lars and Tonio placed their hands on her forehead. “She thanks Roberto for his service and apologizes for his suffering in Death Valley,” Lars said.
Tonio grinned. “She also wants to know when the hand-fasting celebration will be and says, the sooner the better, because war is coming.”
Roberto knocked his chair over as he leaped to his feet and hugged Ezaara, kissing her. Her joy rushed through him and his chest felt as if it would burst wide open.
“Wait until later,” she melded, “then I’ll really kiss you.”
Tonio cleared his throat. “When you’re done, we’ll move on to discussing Zens.”
Ezaara blushed, right to the tips of her ears.
“Pink suits you.” Roberto laughed as they sat down, holding hands.
