“Mi casa es su casa,” I told them after the guests were all gone.
“Really?” Olivia asked, not hiding her shock.
I frowned. “No, you can’t really have my castle, but yes, stay another day or two if you want. All the worrisome people are gone, and if you’re fine with leftovers and casual, sure, hang out.” I let out a sigh. “I have a date with a tree for a couple more days. I could honestly use the backup when we know people are stupid and might make a move when I’m vulnerable.”
“Yes, they were rather stupid,” Nora agreed. “Fine, Hanna, you have to be the sober one today then, as we did most of the heavy lifting as her mothers-in-law.”
“I can accept that,” she conceded after a moment. “Does that mean I also get to hear some of this intel?”
“We would appreciate it as we could use more background on some of these princesses and covens to plan our next moves,” Trisha answered. “Plus, there’s lots you need to know as well. I warn you, it’s not pretty.”
I wasn’t shocked when the others snorted as well. I didn’t get to find out more as I was whisked off to my tree, and Cedric and Kristoff spent the next two days spoiling me and tending to all of my needs. Apparently, they weren’t going to share me with others for our wedding time like Jaxon and Darius had.
I still didn’t have much hope it would truly work out in the end. I think that path of faith was broken in me, and I didn’t know how to rebuild it. Time? Maybe it was time, like the others suggested.
After my period and pumping energy into the tree were done, it took me two days to recover this time. Yeah, stress is a killer and makes everything worse for sure. I ached, but I wanted to leave my room and feel more like a person, so after a long shower I went downstairs and walked into a conversation that made me wonder if I was still dreaming.
“I won’t ever like her, and I worry she truly is playing us at times, not simply my jealousy and ego making me be bratty,” Olivia said quietly to Cerdic off to the side. “But, I never thought I would see the Cerdic I grew up adoring again after what Ceawlin and that bitch did to you. And Inez brought you back.
“I cannot hate her, because of that, so I will do my best to help Mother protect this alliance. And even her, as you would jump on a grenade for her, that much is clearly obvious.” She sighed. “You had to pick the most troublesome princess ever to love, didn’t you? I mean, fine, yes, she treats her nobles differently, but she will always be a target, Cerdic. You will probably die protecting her.”
“So be it,” he chuckled. “We would all die for her, Olivia. I would take a year being loved with her than another thousand years alone and unloved. I’ve lived almost two thousand years, lifetimes and lifetimes. I just want as much time as I can living with her. I love her. I know you think it’s an act, and some of it is, because you aren’t nice enough to her that she lets her guard down. She does with me. I know the real her.”
Olivia sighed. “Well, I wish you happiness.” Then she reached out and thumped him on the forehead. “You better live more than a year. Be smarter and get this coven together so it’s better protected. I won’t come back in a year for your funeral.”
“I couldn’t have said it better myself,” I muttered, letting them know I was there. “How about I just disintegrate any grenades instead of you jumping on them and dying? How about you don’t fucking leave me like that?”
“I’m not going anywhere, love,” he promised me.
I hoped that was a promise any of us could keep. I accepted a kiss from him and nodded to Olivia before leaving them be… And before I fell over from standing too long.
The other princesses stayed another day until I wasn’t “ghastly looking” as they kept saying, shocked how hard growing the tree had been on me. I reminded them a few times that the tree also gave seeds to my knights, so there was a lot going on and all of it taxing.
But it was nice to be just us again. It felt like the coven gave a collective sigh when it was only our people, even if it was our friends that had left. Unfortunately, we couldn’t take a month off and simply chill. Not even close with all the intel that had been gathered.
After breakfast I went to the war room and learned they were diving into all of it. And “it” was a fucking lot. I ended up having gobs of recordings to listen to, with specific plans or issues they wanted to bring to my attention first. I was also filled in on Ceawlin’s departure, and Cerdic had confirmed it was Princess Bahati, from the description that was given to her.
Fan-fucking-tastic.
It took me a week to fully recover and go over it all. I was losing patience with a lot of people and fast, but they weren’t moves that could be rushed or flippant. I had to be smarter than most and play this right.
All I had wanted was a break from that and to see the progress in Albuquerque. We had the hospital a quarter full with those who needed the facilities from the camp in Texas, and two of the seven motels right there were almost full of their elderly. Well, and those who were helping to take care of them at the camp and work
