As for me, I felt tears sting my own.

“Arise, my cousin,” he returned, also softly.

I rose.

“Do not do that again,” Mars muttered.

I looked to him again only to see, with some surprise, he was not annoyed at me.

He was studying me warmly.

He then murmured, “Go.”

That sting in my eyes grew stronger because my Mars had come to know me so well, and I loved that, but I did not note that as I also did not hesitate to move swiftly across the floor.

True opened his arms before I got there.

And I flung myself in them.

I held tight.

His arms wrapping around me, he did as well.

My cheek pressed to his chest, I whispered, “I love you, cousin.”

His lips pressed to my hair, he whispered in return, “And I as well, cousin.”

There was so much more I wished to say.

But none of it mattered more than that.

We held on for a long moment before he gave me a gentle shake and his arms loosened.

I took this cue, let him go and moved back to my husband, who claimed me about my shoulders, tucking me to his body, my front to his side.

“It is odd in the circumstances, but heartfelt, when I say congratulations, True,” Elena said.

True inclined his head her way.

“Now what?” Serena asked.

Elena shot her a look.

But I had to say, I’d heard much about Serena of the Nadirii, though I’d had no dealings with her a’tall, until the last two days.

And I had noted that she wasn’t warm and chatty, but she did not seem half as bad as everyone said she was.

She just acted like…a man.

Forthright, she didn’t beat about the bush. She also did not appear to mentally nitpick every word she said before she said it in concern she might hurt someone’s feelings when we were all adults and times were dire so we really didn’t have any to dither about.

She wasn’t rude.

She was a little abrupt, though I’d seen men be just as abrupt regularly and no one thought they were rude.

She was just…her.

I admired it.

Though I did not say, for Elena kept casting glances her way that said she didn’t trust her and further said she did not wish to be in her presence.

And Elena was my friend, and as I had not had many friends, I did not know what to do in this type of instance.

But I thought the right thing to do was, if I didn’t agree with my friend about something, keep quiet.

Thus, this was what I did.

“Father is reading through the announcement I’ve prepared for him, mine is at the ready, we take the balcony in fifteen minutes and then…it’ll be done,” True said to Serena.

“And then what?” Serena pressed.

“Serena,” Elena hissed.

“Ha-Lah and I have discussed it, and we feel we need to return home. We’ve been gone too long,” Aramus announced. He looked to Cassius and Elena. “We will take Theodora and Aelia with us.” He looked to True and Farah. “We will send ships to your ports, three each to Seil Haven, Tradepoint, Mermaid Wharf and Welling Harbor. We’ll also leave ships to patrol the River Dorian, Great Wohd and River Fae.” Again to Cassius, he said, “And we’ll send a fleet to Sky Bay with you, Elena and your men and with them we will send supplies.”