'LIEUTENANT, WHERE SHOULD WE SET up the stage?'Patel turned from watching the two ships and that purple banner flaring out. The rest of the sails appeared furled; the ships anchored though they looked ridiculously close to each other. It gave him a wild hope that perhaps the other girls had survived. I'm sure Sian or Kass could manage such a feat, he thought.The cavalry soldier cleared his throat.'Oh! As close to the water front as the high tide will allow. It needs to have enough open space around it for the survivors to witness the crowning and for the cavalry to gather around.' He motioned to the soldier, and they walked toward the water. The camp teemed with activity, soldiers trotting back and forth with freshly cut trees, others stripping the branches and levelling the lengths to ready them for use. Half the Medanga soldiers worked at cleaning and polishing all the armour and weapons while several dozen Rodhite centaurs cantered off to shoot and catch enough food for a suit
KASSIE CHOKED MID-LAUGH, ALMOST inhaling the mouthful of seared fish she'd just taken. Coughing, she turned away from the table face flushing as she struggled to take a breath. When it cleared, she sat up, still red faced and laughed even harder as the two desert goblins continued acting out the moment between Rashid and Leseach in the caves, with reckless disregard for their own safety. Both Rashid and Leseach eyed the two with dour expressions. A fluttering at the edges of her mind caught her attention. She watched the moment in time via Cat's mind as she showed Alek, the whole thing so sharp it almost felt like her own memory. Cat knew she watched and winked at her from across the table. The two allies finished their dramatic interpretationa fair bit raunchier than the actual event, Kassie thought in amusement, artistic license muchwith everyone applauding heartily. During the pause between performances the chefs clanged on their pots again. Everyone stood with their plates in hand
A SERIES OF THUDS AND muffled shouts woke him. Alek twisted in bed, body tense. Beside him Cat sighed and turned her head his way, eyes glassy.'Noisy lot aren't they,' she commented.He relaxed, reaching a hand to cup her face. 'They are. It's an exciting day. Lots to do.'A tentative smile touched her lips but no more. 'Hmmm.'A brief flash of annoyance made him shake his head before leaning forward to press a firm kiss to those pouting lips. 'C'mon, let's get up. This is the day I've been waiting for since my father died!'Cat scrambled out of the bed after him but he ignored her for the moment, wanting to call back the elation he'd woken with. Anxiety wafted through her energy crawling up his spine in a way that made him shudder.'STOP IT.' He twisted, an arm swinging out in an unexpected defensive gesture as the tension rose making his chest tight. Cat froze. In an instant it increased, clapping shut around his body. He couldn't breathe or see, body and mind screaming.It s
WE COULD HEAR THE TRUMPETS. I wouldn't have thought it possible with the distance but the still morning allowed the rich noise to carry with ease. The cool air made my skin prickle as I watched soldiers lower another of the longboats, the soldiers within it spreading their feet to keep balance. The centaurs had it easy when it came to balance but their size meant the boats could carry just twelve. Eight of the other soldiers (the two-legged variety) slotted in around them to man the oars. Still, the ship had ten long boats so only half that many would need to make a return trip. The reminder of how few of us returned made me close my eyes for a moment, breathing deep. The salt air felt even sharper than usual as if it would sandpaper the inside of my nose which I wrinkled, resisting the urge to sneeze. No sneezing allowed, doesn't look serious at allI looked down to the main deck, meeting Loi's teasing gaze with the hint of a smile.Thanks for that. Nervous? You're up next.Not a
NOW.Sian closed her eyes for a moment, following Cat's thought to where she stood in the longboat. Running through Rashid's instructions she relaxed, letting the change flow through her. Both Kassie and Loi shifted as she did, Cat's energy chiming in a moment later. It sucked her in, the Elemental side sweeping through her mind. The delicious sensation of water flooding through her limbs, of the vast ocean absorbing her being snatched her away.Sian?Sian-Siiiaaannnnnnn-SIAN!With a jerk she snapped out of it, her friends' voices loud in her mind. Sorry! Got distracted.We noticed, came Kassie's thought. Very pretty under there but please stay on track.The longboat wasn't yet visible through the thick fog. Sian could sense Kassie working at keeping the fog in place, to make the reveal as spectacular as Rashid was determined to have it. With her mind on that, Sian called to the currents swirling beneath the boat. They answered back with voices of joy, almost pulling her ba
HIS LEGS WENT GIDDY. PATEL forced his body forward while his mind struggled to make sense of the apparition before him. Alek. The boy he'd trained, the man he'd mourned. Yet there he stood beside his flame haired princess.Tremors ran through his limbs at the sight of the two of them.Gold and red light surrounded them, Catherine's hair twisting through the air, molten tendrils of flame. Any trace of the boy he'd trained seemed gone from the handsome stern-faced man before him. Alek held himself with something more than confidence. Patel had witnessed his return from many missions but Alek had still been Alek, confidence mixed with a certain level of cockiness and uncertainty. The man before him bore a striking resemblance to Nikias after he lost Ariadwen, the lines of experience wrought on his face.Patel stopped before the couple then bowed low. A moment ticked by before Catherine's voice bid him to rise. Meeting first her eyes then his, Patel felt a certain measure of relief. T
JOY, TRIUMPH AND A SENSE of loss ran through him as he stared at the organized troops. An abrupt coronation in a small bay as far South as possible in Elion was not what he'd envisioned. Alek had expected a proper, full state coronation at the castle as his father and grandfather before him. Yakov had spoken of it often. The weight of the crown felt heavier than it should when the ghost of the advisor seemed to stand there amongst his friends.Loushka sat tall and proud beside Kerak, Rumal, and Kassie. The griffon threw her head back, uttering a sharp cry of victory, the other griffons joining her, and Sito who stood behind them all let out a bellowing roar. A tiny touch to his hand made him close his hand around Cat's. Alek turned his head, looking down at the woman who'd saved him, allowing him to save her.With a thickened throat he lifted her hand to his lips. 'My Queen.'Cat's cheeks reddened, she held his gaze before looking out over the crowds then back to him. 'Real now, h
'ARCHDUCHESS?' ALDEERN'S QUIET MURMUR WITH an underlying warning tone caused Elena to pivot, a hand half lifted at the instant protest Duke Maghlon made.'There's another villager. From Crenna.''Another?!'Aldeern nodded. 'Excuse me, your Grace.' Elena turned away, giving the man no time to protest further instead forced to bow low with an appropriate response.'Of course, your Majesty.' The title squeezed out through clenched teeth.If Elena weren't so concerned at Aldeern's words, she might have smiled. Though she technically bore the title Archduchess, her position as regent outranked that; which meant she had to be addressed as 'Majesty'. Something the painfully snobbish Duke Maghlon choked on.Hurrying alongside the tall solid guard, she listened as he ran through the brief information. 'A number of elgrids and something else, something large with tusked forearms. Killed three of the remaining villagers then cleared off into the forest when a patrol of allies came around.