“Wait.” He crossed the room to stand next to his father. “There are a couple of things I wanted to tell you.” He hesitated, not sure how to begin. “Lady Zhara came to see me last week, on behalf of all the Queens in Dhemlan. They asked me to rule as the Warlord Prince of Dhemlan.” He snorted softly. “I suspect they’re asking out of fear rather than any real desire to have me rule . . .”

“But?”

Daemon looked out the door. The Queens who ruled the other Territories were out there, laughing and talking. The strongest Warlord Princes in the Realm were out there. All of them were connected to each other by the woman who was Kaeleer’s Heart. Just as he was connected to all of them because of her.

“But that was your place,” he said.

“That is correct. It was my place.” Saetan paused. “Is it going to be yours? Are you going to accept?”

“I told Zhara I would consider it, but I wouldn’t make any decision until after Jaenelle and I returned from our honeymoon.”

“Are you going to accept?”

He took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. “Yes, I’m going to accept. It . . . feels right.”

Saetan rested a hand on Daemon’s shoulder. “I think it is the right choice. For you—and for Dhemlan. Just don’t expect Jaenelle to be cheerful whenever she has to dress up for a formal occasion.”

“She’s already explained that.”

After giving Daemon a sympathetic pat, Saetan stepped back. “What’s the second thing?”

This was harder. If Jaenelle had wanted everyone to know why she no longer wore Ebony Jewels, she would have told her friends and family. Maybe it was fear on her part that if they knew it was possible for her to be exactly like she’d been, they’d want it so much, she’d give in to their desire instead of holding on to her own. But Saetan needed to know. At least, enough to let go of any regrets.

“It’s about Twilight’s Dawn,” Daemon said carefully.

“A Jewel for Kaeleer’s Heart,” Saetan replied just as carefully.

“She is what she wants to be.”

“And has lost nothing she regrets losing?”

Daemon nodded. A cautious dance of words, so that neither of them would break faith with their Queen. “She’s dreamed of having an extraordinary, ordinary life. Wearing Ebony Jewels, she could only have half of that. With Twilight’s Dawn, she’ll have all of it.”

“Do you know that for certain, Prince?”

“Yes, High Lord. I know that for certain.”

They smiled at each other.

“There is one more thing,” Saetan said, calling in a folded piece of parchment and handing it to Daemon. “It isn’t what you had originally intended, but I think it will do.”

Daemon unfolded the parchment and studied the words in the Old Tongue.