"Credit where credit's due. The nails are thanks to Lady Sharora, and Lady Yllatris organized the glamor-trap." I couldn't stop smiling at him, silly and helpless. Everything was right in the world, with Dain in front of me. I could feel it, how everything had slotted in place, with the same security as leaning back into a climbing rope and feeling it catch your weight. I thought I would always be able to turn my face towards him, no matter how far apart we were. We'd found balance at last, with eight hours to spare. Soulmated trueloves, the King and Queen of Stag Court, a demigod and his mortal lover.

"What did you even do, then?" Dain asked in a teasing tone.

I laughed again at that, and dropped a kiss on his fingers. "Ah, you know," I said. "Little bit of this, little bit of that. Put the fear of God into some courtiers."

"Hey! Trueloves!"

That was Zhiolas' voice, and Dain and I turned in synchrony to look at the gaping hole in the wall he'd left, where an armored Zhiolas stood, his helmet under one arm and his pale face streaked with soot. I wiggled my fingers at him in a hello, and he rolled his eyes, grinning tiredly.

"Get your asses to the war room," he said. "You know how Alluin gets when he's been running on adrenaline and stimulants for days, my King. If you don't go deal with your General, I make no promises about how many courtiers you'll have left in the morning."

Dain snorted, but he stood, turning and stretching.

I eyed him appreciatively before hauling myself up as well. "You gonna walk in there naked and covered in blood?" I asked.

"I could go in on all fours if you think it would make a better impression," he offered, his tails curling around one of his ankles and his ears shifting in obvious discomfort. I knew his secret, now, but that didn't make him any more comfortable with his body. That was alright. Things like that take time, and for Dain I would learn to be patient.

Though I wanted to smoosh myself against him, I didn't want to shove my iron-tainted self all up on his naked body, so all I did was kiss him on the bare skin of his shoulder, in a blood-free spot. "Nah," I said. "War room's not big enough for you, my King. Let me just go, um, fetch my crown."

He turned slightly so he could look down over his shoulder at me. "Thank you," Dain said, his voice very quiet. "I hate that you had to kill her, but I am grateful beyond measure that you did it. There would have been nothing left of me if I'd been forced to watch you die."