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His Royal Mate 71
“My grandfather killed him the day my father tried to murder him,” he said. “The warlord Zonas simply wouldn’t die, but Harvin, my father, did. My father wanted to rule, but Zonas was still too powerful. I was ten when my father was set upon a funeral pyre, but I don’t have many fond memories of him.”“So when Zonas died, you became the next warlord?” I didn’t really care, but it was better than sitting in awkward silence.“After my grandfather died, I had to fight every Crypt Claw warrior over a year's time until they fell on their knees and swore fealty. The fights were to the death or total submission, and many times, I’d been brought back from the brink by healers. Still, I fought them all. Many died, preferring the grave to defeat.”Polonius did not sound as prideful about winning those fights as I’d expected.“How old were you?” I was growing more curious as his mood grew more somber.“Seventeen,” he said quietly.“So, if you’d had a friend…”“I would have had to defeat him or k
His Royal Mate 72
Polonius had not said much to me in the car. I was happy he hadn’t taunted me after the meeting where my allies had signed in support of marital incarceration. He’d left me to my thoughts.As soon as we entered the house, Polonius stopped to address me. “I'm sure you're tired and would like to freshen up. I will meet you for dinner this evening.” With that, he followed two of his guards down the hallway.I stood there with Leonore and three of my Royal Guardsmen, unsure of where to go when a housekeeper dressed in a crisp dark blue uniform approached us.“If you come this way, Your Majesty, I’ll show you to your room,” she said.We followed the housekeeper to an elegant residential suite. It had a large canopied bed teeming with cream-colored lace and satin. There was a roaring fire in the hearth surrounded by deep blue velvet couches and a long, low table.“I will be stationed outside until this evening, Your Majesty,” Leonore said, and I left my Royal Guards to retreat to my room, w
His Royal Mate 73
“I’m leaving early in the morning. Your guards will escort you back to Onyx Rah, and within a day’s time, I will bring you to Angeline Falls to meet with Queen Nadine and Bastien Salt. Get some rest now. You look weary.” With that, he walked away, and I could finally breathe again.Not wanting to stay in the Obsidian Valley a moment longer than I had to, I undressed, packed, and had a motor car bring myself and my guards back to Onyx Rah that very night. I rushed to Lex, sleeping in our bed, and crawled beside him, curling up to his warmth, missing the simplicity of our love. It was almost morning, but I didn’t care.“You’re back.” He turned into me and draped his arms around my body. I had tossed off the dress, but I still wore the necklace. Lex saw it immediately. “Fuck him,” he spat.“Just motivation to kill him, Lex. Nothing more,” I said evenly, pacifying his anger.He kissed me, and we made love into the wee hours of the morning.Lex left not long after to train the troops, as w
His Royal Mate 74
“They are fair to all but Queen Aria,” Queen Nadine said with a look of sadness.I wanted to speak as little as possible at these meetings so as not to give anything away. I bowed to Queen Nadine and smiled, but it was an empty expression, one that didn’t meet my eyes.“I hope you will allow Polonius and I an opportunity to vacation here on occasion,” I said to the queen. “Perhaps I may seek respite for a few days when needed.” I turned my head to Polonius. “I’m sure that will not worry my betrothed or threaten your terms.” I widened my smile in confidence.“We don’t allow any kind of violence here,” Bastien warned.“Oh, I know,” Polonius nearly growled. “If my wife needs rest, especially after the grueling feats of labor and childbirth, I don’t see any harm in her seeking respite in Angeline Falls for a few days. I will consider that customary, but should she get lost or go missing, well, that will be more revolutionary and in line with a betrayal of our peace accord.” Polonius glare
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“I’m going to give Lex an opportunity to protect his kingdom. The one he’s abandoned for you. He’ll thank me one day when he’s king. And I’m sure the two of you will remain friends.”“You can’t do this,” I begged, no longer wanting to convince him that the world could be different if we were friends.Polonius leaned over, and without warning, kissed my lips. It was a warm brush of flesh, hardly a peck. And yet, fire burned around it.“I’m giving you the world, Aria. Something he’s never offered you.” Polonius’s fingers lifted my chin, and he stared into my eyes. He kissed me again, another light peck, and pulled away. “I trust without Lex nearby, you’ll get enough rest.” Polonius stood and turned to one of the guards surrounding us. “Have my meal brought to me in my chambers.” Before he walked away, he slid a glance back at me. “Enjoy the view, Aria. Eat, rest, and be ready for tomorrow.” His words were almost kind, as if he might be regretting what he was about to do.The next mornin
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Just before Lex signed the peace accord, he looked at me and smiled the most vicious, brutal smile. One Polonius did not miss. And I knew from that moment forward, there was no way Polonius would ever survive.When we were done signing the documents, Polonius gathered the papers and handed them to his guard before standing and taking my hand.“Thank you, gentlemen,” he said “I look forward to welcoming you to our wedding and Aria’s coronation. I believe her father has finally found a way to magically enhance Onyx Rah’s pitaya crops, so I plan to have you as guests of Brahman’s Peak for a small ceremony in the coming days. It’s been a pleasure.” With that, Polonius dragged me out of the room and down the hall.“Where are you taking me? The meetings are over.” I tried to halt him, but I didn't have the strength.Polonius pulled me into a small salon and closed the door while still holding my hand. “Giving you what I should have a long time ago.” He pressed me up against the wall, making
His Royal Mate 77
“We have to win, and we will, but we can’t defeat Polonius by wallowing in today’s events or the horrors he has planned. Right now, you must recover your spirit and your strength.”“Perhaps we should speak with Bindi about creating a military strategy,” Aria suggested, still sounding dazed. “I’d feel much better with an army behind us. We should meet with Bindi and Halo. Neither of them signed his treaty.”“Do you feel up to it?” I asked, worried about her mental health.“I do,” she said firmly. “The sooner we get a handle on this, the better.” She sat up straighter, having found her spirit again. At least a tiny part of it had come back.Within the hour, we had Bindi, Halo, and Sire assembled for a meeting in the dining room. We ate our supper as we discussed strategies for the future with regard to Polonius.“There are tunnels under the city,” Bindi said. “Most of them were cleared when Aria and Halo’s magic resurrected the kingdom. We can use the tunnels as a place for our people t
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“Well, he did say he was always in this for himself,” Aria commented. “Now that we know he isn’t a liar, let’s get stronger, do better, and get to the place where we don’t need him anymore.”I felt good and vindicated that Aria and Halo had also come to the realization that they’d be better off without Sire. It was something I’d been feeling, but had dared not say.Aria and I returned to our room and undressed for bed. We were both exhausted after an emotionally draining day and the ordeal we’d suffered in Navarrah City where Polonius had threatened to kill everyone if Aria ever came back to the city without him. We showered together to conserve the warm water that had started pumping up from the lava-warmed hot spring. Once clean, we dried off and tucked ourselves into bed. As soon as we were lying between the soft linen sheets, I began to massage Aria’s neck and shoulders.“How are you?” I asked, rubbing the rock-hard tension out of her muscles. “I’m not asking the queen of Onyx Rah
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