Once back in the room, Kane showed me, once again, the depths of his love for me. A gesture that I reciprocated in kind. And because of the many hours we spent telling each other how much we loved each other instead of sleeping, come morning, Indrell had to do another herbal wash, and I slept the majority of the journey to Everwinter.
With everything packed the next morning, our things were loaded, and we said goodbye to our temporary lodgings and continued on the final leg of our journey home. We’d left Everwinter with questions and uncertainties and returned with experience, knowledge and quite a few more members to our caravan.
The carriage passed into the city, bypassing citizens and buildings. The horses, shaking off the snow from the path outside the city walls, neighed as we slowed. We came to a stop when we pulled up to the castle gates. Curled up under my blanket on Kane’s lap, with his arms around me, I slept peacefully. As I woke, I felt his strong hands lazily running paths through my hair as the landscape passed by the windows. Enjoying the calmness of the moment, I continued to lay there, eyes only barely opening occasionally, relaxed.
Indrell, however, sat tense in the seat across from us. “Do they always check your carriage before they let you enter your own home?”
Before Kane could respond, someone knocked on the carriage door. “My liege? It’s Saarzlairn. May I please check on the human before you go in? Or is she no longer in your company?”
"Why do you feel the need to check, Saarzlairn?" Kane opened the door to let the man have a look, tilting his head at him.
Saarzlairn peered in, obviously disapproving when he saw me. “She lives.” He stated flatly.
"She does, and she will be Queen soon. I will see you inside." He went to close the door.
Saarzlairn stopped him but then pulled back, as if he knew the mistake he’d made. His mouth agape, he took a step backward, holding his hand up.
Kane glared at Saarzlairn. "That will be all." He slammed the door.
The man stumbled aside as the carriage lurched forward, mumbling as we passed by him, “Queen?”
As the carriage rolled past the gates onto the castle grounds, Indrell’s tension didn’t lessen. “They will try to kill her. Some of them will. Or even you. Especially with what they fear.”
"Change is scary, but I take care of my people. That won't change. As far as I go, I have always found a way to survive," he stated.
I stirred on his lap, rolling over and wincing slightly from the lack of proper rest and the long journey. I groaned then settled back down.
Indrell closed the drape over her window and sat back. “Are you prepared?”
He played with my hair as they talked. "Only my most loyal are in the castle. I will be making other changes as well. And with you, Wulfgar, the siblings and the Emalne soldiers, if they will stay, I feel confident that things will be secure."
“If you need, I will speak with Aeden and his men. He is honorable. And I know he feels he owes the both of you after what happened.”
“Aeden owes us nothing. I know that he was trying to follow the laws despite the urging from Gael and the others to kill her.” His hold on me tightened momentarily as he spoke those words.
“The rumors of you being a generous king were not wrong.” Indrell pushed open the door and exited.
He brushed my hair from my face. "We are here, little one. We will get you settled then I can set to work locking down the kingdom more.”
Climbing out of the carriage, I wrapped my arm around his, holding my growing belly with my free hand. “How far?” My voice betrayed how sleepy I still was.
“Not far.” He lifted me up into his arms and headed inside.
I smiled and curled into him, wanting to stay blissfully distant from the tension the others carried about my safety. “Can I go get some food? I’m so hungry.”
Indrell caught up with us. “I’ll get something for you.”
Kane tilted his chin to the guards as we passed, signaling for them to close the doors, which they immediately complied. “Sarah can bring food. Then, you two can meet without delaying introductions. I want the best care for her.”
“I understand.” Indrell kept in step with us as we ascended the stairs.
Once in the room, Kane sat me down in one of the chairs in front of the fireplace, igniting a flame in his palm and throwing it into the logs. The fire roared to life, instantly warming the room as he went and pulled on the rope to summon my handmaiden.
I pulled the blanket up around my shoulders. “Am I going to be on lockdown?”
He returned to my side, kneeling down and bringing the blanket up around my shoulders more. “You will be closely guarded.”
I lowered my voice. “The man that came to the carriage. His energies were off.”
Kane’s jaw set. “Did he mean you harm?”
I thought for a moment, trying to roll around the memory of what he put off to see what it was that I had picked up on. “I don’t think so, but there’s something. Aside from that he does not approve of me, there’s something he’s aware of that feels menacing.”
Obviously unsettled by what I said, Kane consciously measured his breathing. A muscle in
