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His Royal Mate 36
“Why would I kill my wife?” he asked, feigning loyalty.“Why would you let her live after you’ve gotten what you wanted out of her?” I asked. “You need me to establish the crimson pitaya crops, but after they’ve been instated, I would no longer be of use to you. As your queen, I’m entitled to half of what you own by the laws of Tobran.” I stared Polonius in the eye. “We’ll see who our kingdom comes to love, who they will fight for, who they will protect in the end?” I raised my chin in defiance.“Or I can attack Navarrah City, as I am poised to do. You think you can outwit me? Outplay me?” He laughed.“And you don’t think that the armies of Navarrah City aren’t ready for your soldiers?” I challenged. “Do you really believe that the Obsidian Valley and Angeline Falls would sit by and allow your troops to simply destroy them as your ancestor did with Onyx Rah? I might dare to say that all the soldiers in Tobran who are not enlisted in your Crypt Claw army might also be at the ready, wai
His Royal Mate 37
“I’d be delighted to host the prince as my guest, of course. Anything for my beloved,” Polonius said with such saccharine mockery, I nearly burst out laughing.“Great, well, then it is all settled,” I said. “We’ll return to Onyx Rah in the morning, and Lex will join you in Brahman’s Peak.”Polonius smiled at me and nodded, then turned abruptly and walked out of the room with determined steps, not saying anything more. My stomach was all butterflies and knots.“I hope you know what you’re doing, Aria,” Lex said under his breath.“It is for the best, son,” King Helix chimed in. “Aria is doing what she must for her kingdom. She’s offering a sacrifice only the bravest of queens can make,” he said with a softness in his voice.“I still wish it were different,” Queen Delia added.“We will support you,” Ellestria Culp interjected.“Yes,” Xavier Goldlace jumped in. “Whatever you and Halo need. You will win the love of your people. You’re playing the long game, but one day, we will find a way
His Royal Mate 38
“Fine. Of course,” Bastien backed away, and Sire looked at me with a disappointed scowl.“It’s not often that I get to talk to a man of my age about royal matters. I am finally a Royal Mage rather than some aging citizen of the Obsidian Valley with a son in law enforcement. I finally have an equal place to Bastien, and he’s giving me the time of day,” Sire said with a smoldering glare.Well, it was nice to see Sire’s vulnerable side. “Lex and Cheyenne are leaving for Brahman’s Peak tomorrow, and I need something that will help them free Amadeus. This is our only chance to get him out of Brahman’s Peak,” I implored.“Be careful who you tell about your mage abilities. They are unrefined and dangerous at the moment, and the fewer people who know about them, the better,” Sire chided, avoiding answering my question.“I will, but what of Amadeus?” I felt my face start to redden with frustration.“If I knew how to release him, he’d have been freed already,” was all Sire said. “Now, I’d like
His Royal Mate 39
“Or hunches,” he said, and he smiled. “This feels more like a hunch,” he said, putting both the grape and his ring into the pocket of his jacket. “But just in case, I’m glad I have them.” He patted his pocket affectionately.“I am, too,” I said, leaning over to kiss him.I loved when he was playful; his humor always put me at ease. It reminded me of when we were kids and we’d play pranks on each other. I longed for the day when we would have the liberty to tease each other and be playful again.At that moment, there were three hard knocks at the door, and without warning, it blasted open as Lex and I were still kissing. At that moment, Polonius strolled into our room, Gabrielle behind him. I could feel Lex’s body tense and his temperature rise, and my wolf knew that he was about to shift.“Don’t,” I said in a harsh whisper. “No shifting,” I reminded him.“Well, well, I can see that I’ve interrupted the two of you,” Polonius laughed. “As I thought I might.”Lex clenched his fists as he
His Royal Mate 40
“Oh, I trust her, too, most definitely,” he laughed. “I wouldn’t marry the woman if I didn’t.” Polonius had a strange glinting smile on his face that made me uncomfortable.“What are your plans for her?” I asked, unable to hold myself back from the question.“I, contrary to what you might believe, am a charismatic man. However, I’m elusive and distrusting by nature. I haven’t the presence I need to rule a band of nations. Aria, on the other hand, is an incredible woman. Already, she’s pulled at the hearts of the masses. I admire her strength and bravery, and what she did to activate her mage, all for the good of a people she didn’t even know. Perhaps some of it was to know herself, but who’s to fault her for that? I knew the moment I met her, she wasn’t a servant, I’m sure you did as well.” I wasn’t sure if Polonius was asking a question or stating a fact.“We’ve known each other since we were children,” I said.“And did you play with other the servants’ offspring?” Polonius asked.“N
His Royal Mate 41
We entered the castle from the landing strip on the roof. We did not have to go through the main doors or security; the guards marched with us as we walked into an interior solarium at the top of Polonius's castle.“I hope you don’t mind returning to your previous quarters, where you so delightfully pretended to be a mage scholar so you could be near Aria,” Polonius said. “More diplomats are coming, and we do have the very real task of helping Aria raise Onyx Rah to its full efficiency ahead. I already know you want me dead, and so I hope you understand I’ve taken measures to prevent my demise. You’ll not want to leave this room without one of my guards if you hope to live.” He kept his tone unnervingly kind and hospitable as he threatened my life.“You’ve made yourself perfectly clear,” I answered, feeling trapped.“I rather like having a jealous nemesis, so please don’t make me kill you,” were his last words to me as he walked out of the room.As soon as Polonius left, I was stunned
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“You have a lot going on. You’ve put your heart and soul into standing by Aria while she did impossible work. You’re here now, at the point of Polonius’s blade, figuratively speaking. You have the right to be wary. I don’t fault you.”Cheyenne had a wondrous gleam in his eye, and my admiration of my brother rekindled. For a moment, I even considered what a great asset he’d be to Navarrah City and Tobran should he be given a territory to rule. He would make a remarkable king.“Thank you for your wise counsel,” I said, then shifted our conversation back to the tasks at hand. “Now, Polonius and I rode here on an airbus packed with ammunition and weapons. It is a lethal warship that I don’t doubt could take down an entire city from the air. If sharpshooters and marksmen were aboard, people would have no way to avoid their aim. Considering Polonius used this ship for transport, I fear what other lethal contraptions he might have at his disposal. We need to find out what weapons he possesse
His Royal Mate 43
“I am very excited to hear your call to service, but I believe we have servants here who would very much like for us to eat so they might clean up and find their rest. It is rather late, and I don’t want to take advantage of Angeline Falls’ hospitality.” I spoke with as much kindness and understanding as I could muster.Just the mention of food had me starving. The fruit basket was nice, but I hadn’t had anything else to eat since morning.“Oh, heavens, what time is it?” Halo asked in alarm.“Her Majesty is right. It’s nearly ten in the evening,” Bindi said.“Where does the time go? Please bring our meal,” Halo addressed the nervous little man who had accosted me.“I think he’ll be very pleased we are eating,” I said as I took a seat next to Halo.Gabrielle sat on Bindi’s other side as Halo and Bindi cleared their jumble of papers and maps.“We have a game plan,” Bindi said with pride. “As soon as we get to Onyx Rah, we’re going to send out the call. I’ll train with the troops, and we
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