Page 80 of The Stolen Kingdom

Valda’s hold did not yield. It tightened as she stood and toppled over her shorter lover. She never broke contact. She never pulled away. She consumed that kiss as if it was the last drop of water she would ever drink in her life before death took her away.

And as she indulged in the paradise of Maris’s mouth, her lover clutched her hair, the sting painfully delectable. A soft whimpering noise escaped Valda’s chest as she opened her eyes and found Maris with fresh tears sliding down her cheeks.

Surprised, Valda pulled back enough to give Maris a questioning look. Before the question could leave her mouth, Maris was back on her, clutching her face, ignoring the pained grunt from accidentally touching the wound on Valda’s cheek. Still, everything around her dissolved into nothing, and all that remained was Maris’s deep blue eyes looking up at her as they kissed.

Maris was the first to pull back. A silly smile painted on her lips as she looked up at Valda. She brushed her tears away before saying, “I was staring.”

“You were,” Valda chuckled.

“I need to make sure you are real. If I close my eyes, I will think this is yet another dream.”

“It’s not,” Valda said, then pointed at Cerberus, who was sitting in a corner, her tail waving from side to side. “Cerberus is here. I could always tell when it was a dream when I wasn’t able to find her.” Valda grabbed Maris’s hand, gave it a chaste kiss over the knuckles before pressing it to her chest. “I am real.”

Maris laughed, and Valda could only melt as the sweet sound of her lover’s laughter echoed throughout the cave. It was real, it was loud, and it was all Maris…

17

After the altercation with the Vulcanians, Valda took one of their horses and gave it to Maris. Despite her appreciation, it was drenched in blood. Maris proclaimed she was an Asclepius worshiper, but the sight of blood still made her squeamish. As Maris wiped the mare down, Valda gathered supplies for their trip.

After their fight with the small troop, Maris was nervous they would encounter more along the road—or worse, Arwin’s men—the ride was uneventful. They only stopped to recoup, eat, rest, and continue their journey. The nights were quiet save for the popping and crackling fire Valda built to keep them warm, and Cerberus’ loud purring. The large cat had taken to sleeping with Maris but rode with Valda, curled up between her thighs or behind her.

Titania was a safe place, guarded by allies. They defended the soldiers inside the city and kept them protected. So, when the city guards noticed their arrival, they sent the word to Isen, who waited patiently outside the inn with Melvian by his side. As soon as Maris saw her friend, she jumped off the horse and ran to meet her in a tight and warm embrace. Valda bowed her head low to her captain, who reciprocated the salutation.

After squeezing her tightly, Maris finally pulled away to check Melvian over.

“I am fine,” Melvian said, her smile never leaving her young face. “Isen took care of them.”

“Oh, I saw. Still, you can’t blame me for worrying about you,” Maris said, holding Melvian’s shoulder before she pulled her friend back into a hug. “I thought I was going to lose you.”

“You can’t get rid of me that easily. I still have two Sealians to give birth to,” Melvian chuckled, pulling away and cupping Maris’s cheeks. She inspected Maris’s face, confusion racking through her. “Huh, I swear I saw those soldiers beat you up.”

“I took care of it,” Valda interrupted the sweet interaction as she jumped off her horse, handing the reins to a soldier while Cerberus jumped from the horse to Valda’s shoulder. “I had some Sealian water on me.”

“Smart move,” Isen said before patting Valda’s empty shoulder. “Welcome. We were worried when you didn’t arrive here at the same time we did.”

“We ran into some trouble and had to find refuge in the rocky formations.”

Isen frowned. “What kind of trouble?”

Valda opened her mouth, but Maris was faster. “Vulcanians. We encountered a large group, but we took care of them.”

Melvian nodded. “That explains why your horse is covered in blood.”

“Also explains why you’re beaten up,” Isen added and looked down at Valda’s thigh, then at her cheek. “You need to rest. The inn already has our rooms ready for the night.”

“We need to talk before resting, Isen,” Valda said, leaving no room for discussion.

“Of course. The tavern downstairs is preparing a hefty meal for their queen,” Isen said, grabbing Melvian’s hand and heading towards the tavern.

“Wait, where are the Sealians?” Maris asked as she followed them.

“Don’t you worry about them. The people in the city basically adopted as many as they could and they are hiding in their homes. The others are in Cressida, and they are being welcomed with the same hospitality as the ones here.”

Maris released a sigh of relief. “That’s amazing.”

“It is.” Isen nodded and pushed the door to the tavern open.

Inside, a large group of Skylian soldiers raised their mugs as both Valda and Maris entered. Their amused hollers, celebrating their victory in the settlement, made Maris grin and tear up. These people were all on their side. They would give up everything, including their lives, to protect Valda and the Sealians.

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