Page 163 of A War of Three Kings

“Well, no one wants to see that from their little sister,” Caitlin grumbles beside me, shooting Aldrin and me a dark look. I should be embarrassed about the spectacle she had to witness when our mating bond snapped into place. I smile instead.

Diarmuid leans toward her. “Well, maybe you should stop looking.”

Caitlin elbows him in the ribs.

The ceremony stretches out for another ten minutes, then morphs into something else entirely. Niall and Brianna kneel facing the crowd, with the altar at their backs. Diarmuid rises from the pews and joins Murdoc on the dais as the queen’s druid adviser.

Murdoc takes a heavy crown from the altar and both druids chant a low incantation as it is placed on Niall’s head and a golden scepter in his hand. Diarmuid takes a matching crown that is slightly smaller and places it on Brianna’s head.

Their chanting increases in volume, reaching a fever pitch, then abruptly cutting off as both druids step to the side. KingNiall and Queen Brianna rise to their feet as the heralds play a series of long notes on their trumpets.

“I declare the new King and Queen of Strathia!” Murdoc bellows. In the distance, a bell tolls, instantly followed by hundreds more, announcing the coronation to the city. Before long, bells will ring across the entire kingdom.

King Niall holds the scepter high. “I pledge to be a king who is honest and just. Who values the life and wellbeing of every single one of my subjects, no matter how high- or lowborn they are. Who looks to the future and safeguards all my people from war or famine, as much as it is in my power to do so. I promise to do better than the kings who came before me and put aside old prejudices that were built on a foundation of lies. To bring in new wealth with trade from the fae lands and improve the lives of all citizens of Strathia with the magic that will become available to us. I vow this as your king.”

Everyone cheers. The nobles rise to their feet again, clapping. Aldrin wraps an arm around me and pulls me to his side, giving me a huge grin that lights up his eyes.

We actually did it,his voice rumbles in my head.

But can you hold up your end of it?I ask.Can you keep it hidden from Titiana?

He just shrugs.She may hate humans, but she is a businesswoman first and foremost. If she catches wind of this, she will want to take the trade for herself. If Lord Cedar can send us an army regiment under her nose, then we can rustle up some spices and seeds. The trade agreement is just a prelude to open migration between realms, and I intend to take full credit for both.

The orchestra plays again, and King Niall and Queen Brianna walk from the dais and through the gilded double doors into the palace. The great hall erupts with excited voices, but I can’t help staring after them.

“It is strange to think of her as anything other than our baby sister,” Caitlin murmurs beside me, rocking her content babe.

“That’s exactly what I was thinking,” I reply as the lords, ladies, counts and countesses move and mingle around us.“Can I…”

I hesitate, and Caitlin raises an eyebrow at me.

“Can I hold Morgana for a while?” I always feel guilty asking, because if I had a baby this perfect and sweet, I would never want to give her up to another person, not even for a heartbeat.

Caitlin delicately places Morgana in my arms and readjusting my awkward hold on her. She is so tiny, I have no idea how to cradle her properly. My niece yawns widely, then lets out a little sigh, and my heart melts.

Caitlin smiles with pride at the two of us, and when I glance back at Aldrin, his expression matches hers. Waves of awe and longing roll off him at the sight of a baby in my arms. It is something he has desperately wanted for a long time, and I am just discovering how badly I want a bundle of joy myself—but we have too many battles ahead of us to start a family now.

“What is it like?” My gaze flicks to Caitlin. “Becoming a mother?”

A deep frown pinches her brow as she thinks. “It is the most profound experience of my life. One that nothing could have prepared me for. It is like someone has taken a hammer to who I am and shattered me into hundreds of pieces, then haphazardly shoved them back together. But some of the vital pieces of me are missing, and there are new ones that are pivotal, but they don’t quite fit, so everything else has to change and grow around them. Becoming a mother was a rebirth of myself, one that I would never go back on, but the old Caitlin is lost forever.” She lets out a long huff of breath. “And, I now know why our father was so insane during the war.”

Tears spring to my eyes and I hold Morgana closer to my chest. I don’t want to give her back. As scary as it sounds, I want to become a mother, too.

My heart squeezes as Aldrin presses in behind me, snaking an arm around my waist and cooing at Morgana over my shoulder. I laugh when she wraps her tiny hand around his finger.

“She is just so perfect,” I choke out. “I want to protect her from everything.”

I glance up at Caitlin, and there is a deep frown on her features, but it’s not directed at me. “I thought I was angry with Gwyneth before Morgana was born, but now I absolutely loathe her. How could she walk away from this? How could she be so blinded by her prejudice that she couldn’t see past it to the beautiful child and family we wanted for so many years? Somehow, I don’t even miss her. We grew so far apart during the war.”

A tear drops onto Caitlin’s cheek. The heartbreak and betrayal are still so fresh for her.

“You made the right choice,” I say. “It is better with her out of our lives. Gwyneth would have been a terrible parent for Morgana. Children deserve to be raised with nothing but love around them. To always be valued and never depreciated, especially for things they cannot help like the color of their skin or the shape of their ears.”

Caitlin scrubs away her tears. “Aldrin, you’d better succeed at achieving free travel across the realms. I want Odiane to meet her child…and I already want another one.” She laughs, and I make a choked sound.

“I’m sure we will get you back into the Spring Court to visit Odiane either way.” Aldrin puts a hand on her shoulder. “Somehow, I don’t think you’ll need to make another bargain to get a second seed-stone from her.”

“Keira. Aldrin.” My father waves an enthusiastic arm at us. “Come here. I would like to formally introduce you both to Lord and Lady Dover.” He turns back to the couple. “My second daughter is also engaged to be married. Aldrin is the rightful king of the fae Spring Court. Of course, we will support him when he reclaims his throne.”

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