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Back Copper Chain Save as PDF
Chapters (62)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. Dedication
  4. CONTENTS
  5. MAP
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  62. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Then the young king of Xanthos and the next first consul of Phalesia were clapping each other on the back. Someone handed Dion a goblet, and he swallowed a gulp of wine without tasting it.

Philippos put his arm around his daughter and squeezed her. ‘Now. We have a wedding to plan!’

Glaukos spoke up. ‘My lord, I hope I don’t speak out of turn, but we must call a priestess from the Temple of Aeris. I’m sure you understand that for the future of Xanthos, Isobel’s health is now of paramount importance.’

‘Of course, of course.’ Philippos saw his daughter’s worried face and spoke tenderly. ‘There is nothing to be afraid of, daughter. You shall have the best care there is. After all, you are bearing the heir to a throne.’

‘The last day of spring,’ Glaukos said, scratching his chin thoughtfully and nodding. ‘For the wedding, before the lady begins to show her new state. Sire?’ He raised his voice. ‘Dion?’

Still stunned, Dion turned when he heard his name and smiled. ‘Of course, Uncle. The last day of spring is fine with me.’

Philippos lifted his cup. ‘To new family.’

Dion grinned and held his goblet high. ‘To new family.’

20

20

Sophia followed High Priestess Marina as they climbed up to the villa of Lord Philippos, the older woman walking with stately steps, looking solemn in her official robe. Trailing after her, Sophia carried a satchel filled with polished metal implements and packets of powders and herbs.

They were almost at their destination, and Priestess Marina, a tall, olive-skinned woman with a topknot, turned and looked her up and down. ‘Hold your back straighter, Sophia,’ she said sternly. ‘You wanted to come, and I know you have the skill, but you must also look the part.’

Approaching thirteen years old, a slender dark-haired girl in a white novice’s robe with blue trim, Sophia nodded and tried to look more priestess-like. But she knew Marina well enough to understand that the rebuke was more a display of the high priestess’s own nervousness than anything else. Their task was one of the most important imaginable: a future queen was pregnant.

And Dion was the father!

Sophia was excited for him and had begged the high priestess to let her attend. Everyone knew that Dion had been in love with her older sister Chloe. But then Chloe had left Phalesia to find their father and her body was discovered on the road to Tanus four weeks later, beaten beyond all recognition, with only her clothing and necklace to tell anyone who she was.

Dion was as bereft as she was. After his coronation, despite his lack of a wife or heir, he’d been too grief-stricken to find another love. Knowing his pain, the pain of loss that she felt herself, Sophia hoped that marriage to Isobel, and the birth of his child, would bring him happiness.