Chapter 78 Zadyn
ZADYN
The doors of the dining room swing open with a loud shove.
Eaton and Sorscha breeze in, hand in hand, quite literally glowing. Their collective beauty is blinding, making the sunlight beaming in through the floor-to-ceiling windows look dull.
Sorscha has color in her cheeks again, her eyes no longer sunken and hollow as they’ve been since we returned. Even Eaton carries a more regal air about him. I can feel their power in spades—generations of Accostia magic now flowing through the couple I see before me.
“Well, well, well, look what the dust blew in.” Kai places his tea down on the saucer, winding up to deliver his hourly innuendo. “You’re half an hour late. What could have kept you, I wonder.”
Eaton pulls out a chair for his wife, chuckling to himself.
“Couldn’t decide what to wear,” Sorscha sighs, sliding Eaton a knowing glance.
“Hah.” Kai sinks his teeth into a piece of bread, ripping a chunk free with animalistic vigor. “I’m sure.”
“So. How was the Bloodfast?” Dover hops on the bandwagon, wagging his brows.
“Dover!” Marideth grabs a roll off the platter and pelts him with it. “You can’t just ask that. It’s personal.”
Then, turning toward Sorscha, she drops her voice and murmurs, “But really, how was it?”
Sorscha laughs, shaking her head.
“You look wonderful. You’re glowing. Actually glowing.” Serena reaches for her hand, smiling ear-to-ear.
It makes me so happy to see her like this, with the sister she always wanted and never really had until now.
Cece stalks into the room a moment later, scoring Serena with a look sharp enough to kill. She makes a show of ripping out a seat and sinking down. Her jade eyes land on my arm draped around the back of Serena’s chair.
“Cece, what happened to your face?” Sorscha gasps, a hand flying to her chest. Cece’s gaze snaps to her.
Her nose is back in place, but with last night’s booze slowing down the healing process, it’s still red and bruised, purple shadows fading beneath her eyes.
“Ask your cousin.” Snatching up a pair of tongs, she plops a few pieces of fruit on her plate. “It seems for all your courtier lessons, Zadyn, she’s still got the manners of a wild beast.”
Serena’s eyes roll as she takes a bite out of a pastry. “I said I was sorry.”
“No. You did not.”
“Hmm.” Serena drops the pastry and dusts the sugar off her hands. “You know what? You are absolutely right. I guess I’m not sorry after all.”
The look on Cece’s face has me choking on my juice. Serena turns to me, clapping me on the back.
“You alright there, buddy?”
I nod, pounding my chest, tears leaking down my face as I try to keep my laughter at bay.
Serena snorts, watching me turn red. Then the two of us are cackling, rocking back and forth, soundless laughter racking our bodies.
She clutches my arm, trying to regain control over herself. Which only makes Cece angrier.
“You two hyenas deserve each other,” she snarls.
Dover chooses that moment to reach for the jam—and instead knocks over the glass set before her. Orange juice gushes out, spilling onto her lap and splattering her face. Cece goes rigid.
Dover freezes mid-reach. “Oops.”
Wood screeches against tile as she springs out of her seat. “Please excuse me.”
“Cece, wait!” Sorscha tries—and fails—to suppress a giggle.
Cece cuts her off with a swish of her hand. “I’m no longer hungry!”
The second she’s gone, the room explodes.
“You shouldn’t provoke her,” Kai clucks at Serena, slathering some jam on his bread. “That kitty’s got claws.”
“Yeah, I learned that last night.”
“It seems we missed out on the excitement,” Sorscha says.
“Oh, you sure did.” Kai chuckles. “You should have seen them going at it. They managed to fill my fantasy quota for the year.”
“I may have overreacted to something she said.” Serena clears her throat.
“What did she say?”
Serena’s face flushes, her eyes linking with mine for a quick moment.
Yes, what did she say? I ask, watching her squirm in her seat.
“I think it had something to do with our dear Zadyn.” Kai flashes me a congratulatory smile. “Who knew you were capable of inciting an all-girl smack fest? My hero.”
I huff a laugh.
“Speaking of. Anyone seen Jace this morning? Savior?”
“No, why would I have seen him?”
“Last time I checked, you train together every morning.”
“Oh.” She shrugs. “Not this one.”
A steward pops through the door a moment later with a letter for Eaton. I can tell from the sheen of the parchment that it’s been enchanted.
“For me? Who in hell is writing to me here?” He reaches for the missive, still chewing.
“Your mother, Sire.”
Eaton nearly chokes on a grape.
“Everything okay?” I ask.
“Well, I’ve managed to piss my entire family off once again,” he mutters, tossing the letter onto the table.
“Really? I’d think your father would be pleased with this little plot twist.”
Two sons inheriting thrones? That’s Berringer’s wet dream.
“It’s not that. They’re livid that they missed the wedding. Mother especially.”
“This literally happened last night,” Serena says. “How did word travel so fast?”
“It didn’t.” Eaton sighs. “My mother has the unfortunate gift of seeing through the eyes of those in her bloodline when she feels so inclined.”
“Let me get this straight—your mother can just pop in unexpectedly and get a front-row seat to whatever it is you’re doing?” Kai gapes.
“She always knew when Eaton and I were up to no good,” I toss out.
“Oh, I couldn’t get away with anything as a child.
Imagine trying to lose your virginity with your mother watching.
Mortifying.” He shudders. “Anyway, I’ve warned her about keeping her eyes to herself unless it’s an emergency.
She must have been concerned when she and father arrived back and we were gone. ”
“We left word with your brothers.”
“Zadyn. They’ve little to no brain cells. You really think they retained that information?”
“Tell me about your mother.” Sorscha bounces in her seat. “Do you think she’ll like me?”
“She’d have to be made of stone not to,” he says, nuzzling her neck.
It’s odd seeing Eaton so smitten. For as long as I’ve known him, he’s been the very definition of a bachelor.
Between his looks and the whole flirty prince bit, attention has always followed him freely—from males and females.
He’d indulged in pleasure houses and harems, and I thought he was content to do that for the rest of his life while his older brother sat his father’s throne.
But watching him with Sorscha, staring at her like she’s the most precious piece of treasure this world has to offer—he’s never looked happier.
“I cannot wait to meet her!”
“She probably got an eyeful of you last night,” Kai snorts.
“The Queen of Hyrax is one of the kindest females I know. She pretty much adopted me when I lived at court with Eaton,” I tell Sorscha.
“She will love you. So will my brothers, who will no doubt try to steal you from me, which will then result in their slow, painful deaths.”
Sorscha giggles. “And your sister?”
“Well, Alix doesn’t like anyone. Except for Zadyn. Once or twice.” He flashes me an innocent look. “How many times was it exactly?”
I shoot him a glare, feeling Serena tense beside me.
“Good morning, Majesties. I trust you slept well.” Gronwen bursts into the dining room, a scroll in his hand.
“If they slept at all.” Kai jabs an elbow into Dover’s ribs.
“I was hoping to secure a meeting this afternoon to go over the…logistics of this unexpected arrangement.”
Clearly, he doesn’t approve of the slight change of plans. Shocker.
“Or we could do it right now.” Eaton gestures around the table. “No time like the present.”
“Your Grace, these matters are reserved for the ears of the small council. Perhaps we should keep to formalities in this particular instance.”
“This afternoon is booked, I’m afraid.” Eaton drapes his arm over the back of Sorscha’s chair.
“With what, pray tell?” Gronwen can barely bite back the acid in his tone, and it’s hilarious to watch him try.
“Worshipping my wife, taking her out to the stables for a ride, worshipping my wife again, staring into her eyes uninterrupted for immeasurable amounts of time, and then again, worshiping my wife once more before bed.”
Eaton flashes him a blinding, toothy grin.
“While I understand that the…bliss of marital union is demanding, I would suggest we not wait. With the current climate, the threat of war hanging overhead, the people crave stability. And they will not have it when their leaders are in flux. Details of your coronation must be finalized—”
Eaton cuts him off with a swish of his hand. “Alright. But just so you’ll stop talking. Gather your little council and we’ll meet you in five.”
“Your Grace.” Gronwen bows and exits the room. Eaton turns back to Sorscha.
“Fun’s going to have to wait, I’m afraid.”
“Regret marrying me yet?”
“Never. But just so we’re clear, I married you. Not your crown. This is your kingdom. I want to see you rule it.” He presses a kiss to Sorscha’s hand, gazing at her with intense adoration.
“Together,” she corrects.
We make our way to the council room not five, but fifteen minutes later—because Eaton agrees with Kai about his fashionably late theory.
Gronwen, Conwell, the High Priest, Jace, and Max are already inside, shocked to see our entire group file into the room.
Gronwen turns to his comrades, dropping his voice to a low hiss.
“The entire point of the small council is that it is small. Not open to all heathens living amongst this court.” When Sorscha steps into the room, he straightens.
“Princess, I was not expecting your attendance today,” he notes, if not a bit pointedly.
“Oh, you can expect the both of us at every meeting moving forward, seeing as this is her kingdom now,” Eaton retorts.
Once he pushes in Sorscha’s chair, he sits and claps his hands. “So. What is so important you have to rip me from the bliss of my marital union?”