“I do not wish to prolong our discussion, but I feel I must warn you that flattery isn’t effective with me.”

“I am not flattering you, my queen. I’m pondering. I’m sure another man would very much wish to have a beautiful, kind, lively, amusing wife. But I need a warrior. I need a wife who would stand strong and refuse to admit defeat. Even if she’s defending herself.”

That made her entire frame jerk.

Finally, he was getting somewhere.

“I regret what I said,” he carried on. “I am not a man of words. I am a man of deeds. So I do not have the skill to express how deeply I regret wounding you. But I did not speak true, Ha-Lah. Mar-el got the queen it needed. Triton did. This planet did. And I did. And if you do not believe that to be in my heart, I will simply have to prove it to you.”

“May I sleep, my king?” she asked.

“As you wish,” he answered.

At that, he felt her body twitch.

Then she sighed.

He did not smile even if he felt his point had been made and he had eventually found a way to heal some of the damage he’d inflicted on his wife.

Or at least give her something to think about.

But Catedrais was dead.

The palace had been besieged last night.

A plot to assassinate Farah, and thus foil the prophecy, killed Sofia. And this came from magic.

Not to mention, the quake they’d experienced was by far the worst and he did not like to think not only what that meant, but what kind of tidal that forced on his realm.

And his wife was more distant to him than she’d ever been.

Therefore, there was naught to smile about.

But they would leave tomorrow.

They would ride like there was a siren on their heels.

And he would take his wife to the sea.

They would meet the others in Wodell.

Now, he had to see to his queen.

Princess Elena

Guest Suite, Second Floor, East Corridor, Catrame Palace, Fire City

FIRENZE

I blew out the lamps in my dressing room after I’d changed into my nightgown.

As I wandered into the bathing area on my way to bed, I wished Dora was with me.

Or I was with Dora.

It wasn’t safe in the palace, so she was with my sisters at the camp.

But Mother had decreed I stay close, stating this was due to needing as many warriors in the palace as possible to keep all safe.

But I knew it was more.

She wanted her daughters close.

As I wanted Dora close, I understood this.