Page 162 of Bride By Coronation

"The babies come with us, or we don't go," Sean states.

I scrub my face, unsure how to get around this.

Fiona chimes in, "I'll use my token."

"No, you won't," I sternly reply.

"It's mine to use, and I don't trust anyone with the babies either," she claims.

"You can't use your token for this. You need to save it for a more important event," I instruct.

"Willow and River aren't staying with anyone," Zara reiterates.

The tension increases as Sean and Zara hold the babies tightly.

Fiona snaps her fingers. "Queen's Honor."

"Yes! That's it!" Zara praises.

"Thank God," Sean blurts out in relief.

"Good?" Fiona questions, looking at me for approval.

"Brilliant," I reply, leaning down and kissing her. Then I head for the door. "Let's go so we aren't late."

We exit the royal quarters, walk down several hallways, then enter a small room.

Nine Omni sit around a table. They see us and rise. The men bow, and the women curtsy.

"You may sit," I instruct.

Everyone takes their seats.

Ulrich points at the babies, demanding, "What are they doing here?"

"Queen's Honor," Fiona answers in a strong voice, lifting her chin and pinning a challenging gaze on Ulrich.

"We weren't informed," he retorts.

I open my mouth, but before I can speak, she scoffs. "Since when do I need to inform you of my royal decisions?"

His face hardens.

Jytte, Ulrich's wife, speaks up. "Your Majesty, the normal procedure is to add royal requests to the agenda."

Fiona's eyes turn to slits. "Requests? Since when is the Queen's Honor a request for you to approve?"

Jytte's expression darkens. She doesn't flinch under Fiona's stare.

Pride fills me. The only way for the Omni to respect Fiona is for her to earn it. Her knowledge of the rules and her ability to stand up forherself is the best way to do that. I love watching her lean into her power. So I bellow, "Your queen is waiting for an answer."

Jytte's gaze lands on me, and something I've never seen or maybe just haven't noticed before swirls in her eyes.

She's jealous.

I glance at Ulrich.

He quickly states, "Apologies, Your Majesty. Thank you for your clarification."

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