Chapter 11
Sagan
The high priest immediately kicked up a fuss that I was too much trouble and had a lot to say about what I’d done. That shocked a lot because if anyone should be for justice it was the temple. I had only one response.
“Think their heads would explode if I replaced him the same day?”
“Let’s wait until tomorrow, Your Majesty,” Lydia mumbled. She was sticking extra close to me since Benson was overseeing things at the main police station.
I frowned when Treena was pacing and clearly waiting for me. “What’s happened?”
“Nothing officially,” she said with a sigh. “Father just warned Davian and me that things got—to be on alert. There’s a new credible threat.”
I had my phone out before she even finished.
“You did well,” Uncle Fraser praised. “Bold and commanding. I saw Rhys and—I’m sorry you’re going through this, but you did well.”
“Thank you, truly, but I’m calling for your help,” I told him, waving off Treena.
“What do you need?”
“I can’t tell you much, but it’s time to make clear our personal relationship with the royal family of Bodach is strong,” I said quietly as I hurried to a place with less ears.
“I want to make it public they helped us find out what really happened. Is there—I hate to ask this, but is there like a pair of cufflinks you gave Father or something smaller like that you could gift him personally?”
He was quiet several moments but then chuffed. “They’re under threat and hiding it? Did he send Treena there so she’s safe?”
“I don’t know all the details yet because I’m drowning, but they did warn me before I became queen,” I told him. “Darren was here and the king snuck in and personally came when she did.”
“Good father,” he praised. “I’ll handle it.
Give me to Treena and—” He cleared his throat and then his voice cracked when he talked again.
“And then I need Raquel. She’ll know exactly where to find it.
It’s a pin—I don’t think Rhys even liked it.
He only wore it once to be polite, but it still gives the intended meaning you want. ”
“Thank you, Fraser. Really.”
“Always, Sagan. She’s your sister even if you’re not blood,” he said gently but then cleared his throat. “Thanks for trusting me with this.”
I wasn’t going to say “always” back, but… He’d been pulling through with his promises. I was trying to move past his stupid when my parents had died. I really was, but nothing was easy.
I handed my phone to Treena and accepted her hug before she hurried to handle what was going on in her crazy world before moving on to what was next in my day. She brought it back to me later and was smug instead of relieved.
I flushed when I saw why and there were text messages from Onyx saying he’d never been so turned on before as he had been watching me at the press conference. That I was gorgeous and commanding, the queen our nation needed, and he was ready to serve me.
However I needed.
Yes, even I heard the sexual undertone there.
Raquel handled everything and even sent one of the staff to fly out to meet up with Fraser to get him the pin. Good, even better. It would take time to arrange everything, but at least he wasn’t stuck going back and forth on planes.
Right before dinner one of the guards came towards me smiling with a large arrangement of flowers. “They’ve been cleared, Your Majesty.”
“Lovely,” I said, not sure what it had to do with me.
“He seriously never bothered to even send you flowers?” Treena practically snarled, catching on to something I didn’t.
Then it hit me. The flowers were for me. I flinched and cleared my throat. “I’m not sure—I don’t know the royal protocol on that.”
“You send your lover flowers no matter their rank,” she grumbled as she snatched the card from it and handed it over. “Going forward, make sure only Lydia or Raquel checks any messages for the queen. That’s how it’s done for the women in our castle. We designate the ones who check.”
He dipped his head to Treena. “Lydia did handle it and I was to ask the queen, but thank you for always checking she is treated well, Your Highness. Many of us working for the queen are glad you’re here to advise and protect her.”
“I know,” Treena said easily, giving me a wink.
Because I hadn’t, but it was nice to hear. It really was.
I thanked them both and opened the card.
Congratulations on your win, baby girl. You shocked the nation out of their complacency, and even some of your biggest haters are praising the move was bold and needed to keep order. All you need to be is your amazing self and you will win them over. Be patient.
I miss you,
Onyx
I knew I was flushing fire dragon hot but tried to ignore it as I put the card back. I opened my mouth but then closed it and looked at Treena. “I put them in my room and send him a picture, right?”
She tried not to smile but failed. “If you’re accepting them as someone who is welcome in your bedroom, yes. Otherwise, you keep it more neutral like your office. I always send pictures though. It’s just polite. If it’s someone I’m trying to brush off, I have an aide do it.”
“Smart, thank you.” I cleared my throat and looked at the guard. “If you could take that to my suite, I would appreciate it. The breakfast nook table is fine.”
“Smell your flowers first and be girly,” Treena muttered. “Take the win before we move on to the next drama.”
Fair enough. So I did.
They were beyond gorgeous. Huge yellow roses which I knew were meant as an apology but also big white peonies which, knowing Onyx, had a meaning.
“It says they symbolize victory and courage,” Treena said, already on her phone.
The guard cleared his throat and we both focused on him. “My sister works at a florist near here, Your Majesty. This is specifically the Ivory Victory peony named when we won a battle and found it… I forget where.”
“We love smart men,” Treena teased him. “And thoughtful ones.” She gave me another wink before walking off chuckling.
Brat.
But she was right. I thanked the guard again and headed to what was next… Which was something I dreaded.
Especially because it started off about as shitty as I’d thought it would.
Velle Rahim was a griffin from Danyl. She was a standard griffin in looks besides her piercing indigo eyes that worked well with her ultra-blonde hair.
She wasn’t as tan as most griffins, which told me she hadn’t been spending much time outside over the summer because griffins were known for that. She was also average height for a female griffin, maybe five-five.
She was pretty, but honestly her personality just influenced how I saw her.
Apparently, she’d been in the same program as Treena and me, but I didn’t know her then or maybe had simply seen her in passing. Treena hadn’t been a fan, but it hadn’t mattered.
Until she’d also been in the same program as Myriam and me and she learned I didn’t remember her. At first, she seemed to think I was bullying her or playing games that she wasn’t worth my time, but as I’d told her repeatedly, the undergraduate program I’d been in with Treena was huge.
Huge.
There were tons of people I hadn’t known, and even if Velle was smart and at the top, I did have other things going on in my life. It wasn’t the right way to handle things, and while others accepted it, she always took it as insults and trying to bully her.
And that annoyed me.
Badly. She was one of the few who could ruffle my feathers and snap my temper in a way I wasn’t proud of.
At all.
The last time we’d seen each other had been when the program was wrapping up and final grades were being posted. I came in first—as was expected of me—and she’d made a snide comment that it was my name not my intelligence that “earned” me the spot.
I’d wanted to let it go, but someone else had defended me and it had snowballed so fast that I’d lost my cool and almost punched her. So I hadn’t wanted to call her and I didn’t think this was the right move. Velle was close with Myriam though and I knew she thought it was the right decision.
I shouldn’t have been surprised when she didn’t push me again about inviting Velle and just did it.
Mostly, I was just tired and felt Velle was too petty to be of any help, which she proved by not even standing when I walked into the room. She looked amused like she was waiting for me to be petty and call it out.
I was glad when Myriam sighed, seeing it for what it was.
“You look well,” I said to Velle instead. “Thank you for traveling all the way here to see me. It’s an honor to have one of Danyl’s finest visit Thovudin.”
“The honor is mine, Your Majesty,” she said, her tone clear it wasn’t at all.
“Please, sit,” Treena purred, making it clear she wasn’t about to let go what had happened.
Brat.
Velle wasn’t happy when Myriam snickered like she thought her friend had switched sides.
“Please excuse us and make sure the security is turned off in here,” I told the staff after food was brought in. I smiled when they seemed hesitant. “It’s fine, thank you. We’re college friends and Lydia is right outside if there’s a problem.”
“Yes, Your Majesty,” one of the guards said, bowing and ducking out last.
I waited until we all had food and decided to cut right through it, focusing first on Myriam.
“I know you pushed for this no matter our past because Velle is talented, but you didn’t let me drag my feet when there are other options—I’m being pushed to consider other options and Velle is more a wild card since she dislikes me. ”
She didn’t deny it and simply licked her lips.
I looked at Velle then. “So let’s start with what’s going on in your life that you need help with.
” I sighed when she bristled. “Velle, please, I’m not—you’re not my favorite person but mostly because I don’t think you’ve ever been fair to me.
I have a country I’m running now. You cannot understand what is on my shoulders and—”
“You are not the only one with problems, Sagan,” she snapped.
“No, I’m not, so tell me what yours are and let me help you.”