Page 7 of A Touch of Royalty

She released the blocks she kept on her fire, letting it swirl out and pool in her hands. It spiraled, miniature maelstroms cupped in each palm and only Emryn would ever know how much power was locked into them. She could do so much damage with what she held, one of the reasons that she was so glad she was beholden to the temples of healing.

Locked into vows that said she could only do good with the power inside her.

But she would burn now, burn into the dark until it released her

“Emryn.“ She knew that voice, but didn’tknow why. Couldn’t explain why it lit something inside her in a way she’d never been lit before. “Emryn, you’re safe. You can rest here and when you wake up, I’ll explain.”

Emryn nodded, letting the fire slip away, letting it go back to her core. If that voice said she could rest then she would rest. She settled back on the ground wishing she had a bed, somewhere soft where she could rest. But Emryn had slept in far worse places and it was only a moment before the darkness around her became the same stuff behind her eyes.

When she woke, she still didn’t know where she was. The room was clearly somewhere in the palace. It was too fancy, too large to be anywhere else.

“Good morning, miss.” a chirpy voice came from her left as she was trying to sit up. “His Highness asked that we alert him when you woke.I’ll get you something to eat.”

The owner of the voice vanished out the door before Emryn could ask what was happening. The woman was back in a few minutes with a large tray of food as well as the prince of Rodilla who was walking in her wake.

Emryn fought the blankets, trying to rise.

“No, Emryn,” The prince stopped at the side of the bed and smiled. “The head of the Temples says you must remain in bed for another three days.”

“He is likely put out with me.” Emryn said as the woman settled the tray over Emryn’s lap.

“Slightly,” the prince said. “It took a royal order for you to be allowed to remain and rest here.”

“Who would do that for me?” Emryn looked down into the massive bowl of chicken soup and picked up the spoon in a shaking hand.

“I did,” the Prince said, sitting in a chair at the side of the bed. “I have some questions that only you might be able to answer, Emryn.”

Emryn put the spoon down and looked up at the prince. “I can try to, Highness.”

“Eat first,” he smiled at her and rose. “Shana will send for me when you finish and are slightly more rested.”

Emryn nodded, watching the prince leave the room and turned her attention back to the bowl of soup. She would eat first and then after that, she would feel more up to having a conversation about healing with the prince of Rodilla.

6

STAIRS

Cas shouldn’t be happy. She was weak and ill, and he shouldn’t be happy that she was close. He should be concerned, both for her and for the way he was feeling about the entire thing. But he didn’t feel concerned. If the goddess wasn’t smiling down on them, she never would have guided them together like this.

If the Moon’s eyes weren’t on them, he would never have felt like this.Not for a commoner or for a healer. He never would have seen her again if it wasn’t for her collapsing outside his mother’s rooms.

He shouldn’t be happy about that, but the flutter in the back of his head was pleased beyond reason that she was close.

Cas turned his attention firmly back to the council session that was happening around him and away from the flutter and the smile in his head that Emryn was in the same building. Away from what he would need to do in order to keep her there.

They were discussing his marriage today, and it set his teeth on edge. He had already flat out refused to wed anyone in the Eternal Empire’s shadow. The issue there was that there were perilously few realms that still stood outside that shadow.

Rodilla was one of three that hadn’t bowed yet. The other two were perilously close to bending the knee to the Empire, and not because the Empress was forcing it on them. No, at least not where it could be seen. But there had to be some form of pressure on them to make them want to give up their sovereignty.

Which made it all the more strange that Rodilla had never felt any sort of pressure from the Eternal Empire. It seemed as though the Empire was possessed by pretending that Rodilla didn’t exist. The proposal of the Princess was as close as the Empire had come to admitting that Rodilla was a sovereign nation.

And if the Empire’s eyes were turning to Rodilla, one of two things needed to happen. They could either bow to the Empire or they could stand away and make it clear that they would remain a sovereign nation.

That was why Cas and his mother had eliminated the Princess from the Empire as a marriage candidate. He wouldn’t open the door to imperial interference when his mother stepped down and he became king.

If he wed the imperial princess, the empire would attempt to take a hand in ruling Rodilla.

But of the two other kingdoms that had not knelt to the Empire, only one had sent a proposal and the princess offered was the next thing to unsuitable. She was a widow, and while Cas had no issue with that, the council had been arguing about it for a solid hour.

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