Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
“More beasts are at our borders, requesting entry,” Darkcord said. The frustration in his voice said much more than his words. “We canna keep welcoming them in. Our resources are strained. Can ye no’ make her understand?”
“Have ye ever tried to change a woman’s mind once she has it made?
” Jeros didn’t like it any more than his commander did.
With Lexi taking care of every creature in the Seventh Realm, it took up all her time and left none for him.
“She’ll not turn any away. All we can hope to do is convince her to convince them to return to where they belong after she’s healed them. ”
Darkcord glared at him, scowling as if this was somehow his fault. Which, in some ways, it was, but not really. Fate had made Lexi what she was. It was none of his doing.
“Where is she now? The stables?” Jeros knew Lexi preferred seeing the creatures in the comfort of the stables, where she had set up a place for healing them.
The commander shook his head. “Her and the tiger are down at the loch. Seeing to a lame kelpie and a dobhar-chú with a sore tail.”
“Fortify the borders and maintain control, but continue to allow the creatures entry. It has been eerily peaceful for weeks now, other than the arrival of the beasts to see our lady. I prefer it stays that way.” Jeros turned toward the loch.
“I shall speak with her, but I hold no hope whatsoever about changing her mind. Ye know as well as I how the lady cares for the creatures’ welfare. ”
“Aye,” Darkcord growled with a disgusted huff. “At least she cares for our people the same. Leastwise, I hope so.”
Jeros grinned. “Depends on the people, old friend.”
“Aye, that’s what I am afraid of!”
Jeros laughed and headed for the loch. It was easy to find Lexi.
All he had to do was listen for the noise of the assembled creatures.
As it turned out, several more surrounded her besides the kelpie and the dobhar-chú.
A griffin and its mate waited on the banks of the loch, along with a trio of unicorns.
Lexi stood in waist-deep water, examining the kelpie’s foreleg. Jeros wished she had stayed on the banks to heal the horse-like creature’s limb. The water beasts were known to be malevolent.
“Daren’t ye get on that kelpie’s back,” he warned.
She gave him a look that shouted for him to be quiet.
“Our friend here is lame. One does not treat a lame horse by getting on its back.” She turned back to the watery spirit currently in the form of a horse.
“It’s important for you to rest and not use that leg.
You strained yourself when you were trying to drown Faeniana’s courtier.
While I appreciate your efforts, I don’t want you hurt. ”
“Which courtier did they attempt to drown?” Jeros couldn’t resist asking.
She made eye contact with the beastie as if listening intently, then turned to Jeros and said, “Heskasys Palebrand, and his mate succeeded in drowning her. That courtier is no more.”
“Good. I never liked her. She could nay be trusted with anything.” He bowed to the kelpie. “Extend the Crown’s gratitude to yer mate.”
The water horse accepted the thanks with a watery nod, then nodded again at Lexi before disappearing beneath the water’s surface.
“We must talk,” Jeros said before she could move on to the next ailing creature.
“I know that tone,” she said as she climbed out of the loch and reached for him to give her a hand up.
He pulled her into his arms and held her. “We need time together. With the war going on, every moment is precious. Doing without ye most nigh killed me. I am greedy for yer company, my own.”
She touched his cheek with a tenderness that almost made him groan. “I know. But I can’t turn them away. Not when their injuries are because they fought for us—because they continue to fight for us.”
That placed her healing in an entirely different light. He nodded at the beasties with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. “What did the griffin pair do?”
“Took out an entire regiment of Faeniana’s army.”
Jeros studied the creatures for a brief moment. “They dinna look injured.”
She folded her arms across her chest and gave him a stoic look. “They have indigestion. Need I tell you what they ate? Even though it was a few weeks ago, apparently, uniforms are difficult for griffins to digest.”
“I see.” Jeros took her hands and forced her to unfold her arms. “Can no one else help these animals?”
“They said no one ever took care of them until I came. They said it’s part of the prophecy. Since they are fighting for us, how can I refuse them?”
A heavy sigh left him. “Ye make a valid point, my own.” Then he pulled her into his arms and held her close. “But I need ye, lass. More than I need the air to breathe.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tighter while snuggling her head to his shoulder. “I need you more.”
The rude sound of a throat being cleared interrupted the moment.
Jeros jerked around with his sword partially drawn. “Who goes there?”
“Please, Yer Majesty, I beg ye. Have mercy, mighty one. I bring ye a gift sure to please ye.” The short, pudgy being swathed in entirely too many layers of bright blue and green silks and satins waddled out from the forest line’s shadows, holding a dark red velvet bag by its gold cord.
“Have mercy, Yer Highness. Surely, ye dinna wish to harm old Banrhana Brasspatch.”
“Who is Banrhana Brasspatch?” Lexi asked in a low voice meant for his ears alone.
“One of the courtiers who turned their back on ye when I presented ye at Court.” Jeros finished unsheathing his sword and pointed it at the quivering toady known for his whining.
“Ye dare come here? How did ye gain passage through the wards?” He shot a glare at the tiger lounging on the side of the loch.
Why had the beast not attacked this one?
Brasspatch lifted the large velvet bag higher. “I showed the gift to Commander Darkcord. He allowed me to continue in my quest. I walked all the way from the palace.” After a nervous nod at Aylryd, he said, “And the mighty tiger allowed me to pass once he examined it as well.”
“Ye walked here?” Jeros stuck the tip of the sword under the courtier’s double chin. “Ye expect me to believe that? Think me a fool?”
The simpering bootlicker had the good sense to look abashed.
“I shifted from the palace to yer borders, Yer Highness. But I did walk from the border to here.” He pulled up his sleeve and revealed Darkcord’s mark upon his wrist. “Yer commander stripped me of my magic whilst I remain on Sevenrest lands. ’Twas the only way he would allow me access to ye—even though I am the new Minister of Apologies. ”
“Minister of Apologies?” Jeros couldn’t help but laugh. “What a fine title, and pray tell, how did that come about that?”
“The few of us left at the palace elected me to come here, bearing gifts and apologies. The title fit the task.” The courtier bowed repeatedly and kept his gaze lowered while extending the bag.
“Please accept and forgive us, Yer Highness. I come in the name of the Seventh Realm and the Fifth Kingdom united.”
Lexi took the bag, uncinched the gold cord, then looked inside. She immediately dropped it and turned away, doubling over and gagging until she vomited.
“What the feckin’ hell?” Jeros upended the bag, then understood as soon as Princess Faeniana’s head plopped onto the ground at his feet.
Covering her eyes, Lexi continued retching.
“We thought it an appropriate gift,” Banrhana said, as if he had brought a bundle of flowers.
“Princess Faeniana received the same fate she bestowed upon yer family and many of the Seventh Realm’s court.
The war is done, Yer Majesty, if ye choose to accept our apologies and atonement.
” He bowed again three more times. “We were sorely wrong, Yer Highness, about yerself and our queen. Please forgive us for our ignorance, our pettiness, and our cruelty.”
Victory surging through him, Jeros threw out his chest. “What say ye, my own?” he asked Lexi, even though she was still bent over the bushes, gagging.
She coughed and gagged, then waved a hand, shooing him and everyone else away. “Get rid of that thing. Now!”
Even though he’d never seen Faeniana look better, he motioned for Brasspatch to return the head to its sack. “We accept yer apologies, minister, but dinna think we are fools. We will remain on guard. Once trust is lost, it is nearly always impossible to regain.”
The former courtier to Princess Faeniana bobbled and bowed while tending to the assigned task. “And when shall we plan yer anointing, my king? And the royal wedding?”
“I will inform ye when we are ready for both,” Jeros said, knowing the lands, peoples, and creatures of the Seventh Realm needed time to heal and return to a peaceful existence before they took part in an elaborate coronation ritual and a royal wedding. “Return to the palace and wait for word.”
“Aye, Yer Majesty.”
“And Brasspatch—”
The arse-kisser turned back. “Aye, Yer Majesty?”
“My lady love and I will be watching. Our eyes are everywhere. Do not think to deceive us.”
“And take your disgusting gift with you,” Lexi shouted without turning around.
“Forgive us, my queen,” Brasspatch whined. “But it did seem appropriate.”
“Barbaric, more than appropriate,” Lexi muttered.
“Go, Brasspatch.” Jeros shooed the pudgy Fae along, more nauseated by the simpering fool than the severed head. He hurried to Lexi’s side and supported her while she vomited again. “He is gone, my own, and everything is gone with him.”
“What a disgusting thing to do.” She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “And I can’t unsee it.”
“Come.” He gently tugged on her. “Come and sit by the water. Calm yerself. Yer beasties are jubilant with the good news. Even yer lame kelpie is dancin’.”
“And he shouldn’t be!” She pointed at the water horse. “I told you to rest. Now, stop it. You’re going to pull that muscle all over again.”
“How can he pull a muscle made of water?” Jeros whispered. “He is a shifter.”
“I don’t know.” She glared at him as she plopped down onto the edge of the lock and stuck her bare feet into the water. “It just seemed like the thing to say at the time.”
Sitting beside her, he bumped her shoulder with his. “Ye look verra fine in yer gown.” And he meant it. Today was the first day she had finally agreed to wear something appropriate rather than those infernal trews that allowed everyone to see what belonged to him.
“After the last couple of weeks being so peaceful, I really didn’t think I had much of a choice, since I promised to stop wearing my jeans once everything calmed down.
” She pointed at the kelpie again, and it immediately stopped splashing and swam around at a much more sedate pace.
With a weary sigh, she shoved her hair out of her eyes, fighting to tame the unruly strands that had escaped her hairpins. “Do you think it’s real? The peace?”
“All we can do is wait and see. Trust no one but those whom we already know are trustworthy. At least we have all the ears and eyes of the beasties throughout the kingdom.” He hugged her closer, his heart soaring that now they could finally concentrate on enjoying their life together. “Ye are much beloved. By all of us.”
She sidled an uneasy glance his way.
“What is it, my own?” He brushed a tender kiss to her cheek.
“Can we live here at Sevenrest instead of the palace?”
“Absolutely.”
“Good.” She rested her head on his shoulder while idly stirring the water with her bare feet. “Being queen won’t be so bad as long as we get to stay here.”
“Ye dinna wish to live in a palace? When I used to visit the Dreaming, many mortal females dreamt of becoming fairy princesses.” He held her close and kissed the top of her head, noting that she smelled of dobhar-chú, which gave off the slightest stink of wet dog.
But he didn’t care. She was his, and they were together. That was all that mattered.
She laughed softly and snuggled closer. “I’ve never wanted to be a fairy princess. Isn’t that funny? All I ever wanted was to take care of animals and make them feel better.”
“And what about being loved?”
She lifted her head and looked him in the eyes. “I never dared to dream I would be as loved as you make me feel.”
“I do love ye, my own, with a ferocity that will last all eternity.”
She cupped his cheek and said, “I love you more.”