She opened her mouth, but she did not have time to speak.

“You do not ride alone. I send you with a troop, Serena,” True decreed. “You would not be safe on your own. But I will see to it that you’re safe on your journey to Ophelia. You will ride under the Dellish standard. If things are as we think in Airen, they would attack a Nadirii riding on her own. They would think twice about engaging a Dellish guard.”

“And we will ride with them,” Gal added.

“That is your choice,” True said.

“I do not think—” Serena began.

“Get a bath,” Gal ordered. “We will have a meal ready when you are bathed, dressed and packed. We will eat well, but swiftly. And once we do, we will go.”

“Can you have her guard prepared by then?” Brix asked True.

“They are already prepared to ride when you are,” True replied.

That was True…

Always so….

True.

At a thought in her head, another arrow pierced her heart.

“Does Elena know?” she queried.

True shook his head but said, “I do not know, but I assume she received the same message we did.”

Serena drew in a deep breath.

“Go,” True urged. “Tell your mother when you see her that she is in our thoughts and it is an honor to know her.”

“Thank you,” Serena whispered.

She meant the guard. She meant his care in sharing this information.

And she meant him referring to her mother in present tense.

True quickly masked the surprise these words coming from Serena caused before he replied, “It is I who should be thanking you.”

“Thank you,” she repeated.

He let that go and inclined his head.

Then he urged softly, “Go, Serena.”

She nodded.

She looked to Farah, who actually blew her a kiss with tears trembling in her eyes, to Tor, who looked down at her with such a gentle expression, she had to tip her chin to him quickly before the witnessing of it unraveled her…

And finally, down to Gal and Brix.

“Let’s go,” she said.

They nodded.

She walked out of the room and her friends followed.

She bathed.

Quickly packed.

Wolfed down some food.

And with her crew of gnomes on horses on either side of her, a troop of Dellish soldiers at her back, Princess Serena, a Dellish hero, bolted down the lane that led away from Birchlire Castle, and then she raced over the cobbles of Notting Thicket on her way to her mother.

On her way home.

111

The Holiday

King Mars

Bedchamber of the King, Catrame Palace, Fire City

FIRENZE

Mars licked his way up his queen’s belly, between her breasts, along her throat, over her chin to her mouth, where he said, “I will pierce you tonight while our company stumbles from cock to cunt in the garden celebrating Miet.”

Silence giggled.

Then she grasped his cock and tried to guide it to her sex.