Page 113 of Enchanted Crown
I turned his way. “If you must keep making noises over there, do you wish to join us?”
He made a shooing motion with his hand. “I am busy. In my happy place. Leave me be.”
After a pause in conversation which was content, not filled with tension of any sort, Avril finally broke it. “If I may be so bold as to bring something up?”
“Of course,” I told her.
“We need to talk about Agria.”
Esta leaned back in her chair, considering Avril. “What about Agria?”
“The visions I have seen since arriving here are overlapping and changing often. There is a deep unrest brewing in Agria.”
“They arethe last country to be healed,” I commented. “They have the right to be frustrated.”
“I have seen a future possibility. Keir and a large dragon flying across the border to Agria. I think he may have to start healing a few Agrians that way. To appease tensions.”
Esta and I exchanged a glance. The queen of Corsha hadn’t just sent us a delegate, representative, ambassador, call it what you may. She’d sent us aweapon. We needed to always consider her as such.
The little I did understand of Corsha’s Enchantment was that though they had seen the path to peace in the realm, it didn’t mean we couldn’t somehow muck it up along the way. Corsha’s motivations were to keep their country safe. There was no logical reason Avril would lie about this. Unless they were in cahoots with Agria, but even then, healing Agria was on our very long to-do list anyway. It was the right thing to do.
“Did I overstep?” Avril said gently placing a hand across the table. “Apologies if I did. I understand my Enchantment can inflict fear if you haven’t ever been around it.”
Esta reached across the table and patted her hand. “No. We were merely thinking how fortunate we are to have you.” She let go and gave her a smile. “Shall we get you some lighter tea? I’d like to hear more.”
As Esta stood and headed to the door to grab a guard, Avril added, “I’m afraid I do not have much more than what I have already shared in regard to Agria, but the frequency of my visions from Agria which I have received here have picked up enough that I did feel it was worth mentioning.”
Esta quickly opened the door and barked her command before coming back toward us at the table. “I did not mean about your visions, I simply meant I would like to know more about you. Yes, how your visions work, but also who you are. I’m grateful you’re here, grateful you have given us your time.”
Within the next hour, Esta did not just get to know this new ambassador, it was clear to all of us that a friendship had been found.
I shouldn’t have been surprised given what Avril first said to us back in Corsha, but it still warmed my heart to see her take yet another foreign delegate under her enormous wings. Esta might be sharp around the edges, but she had enough love for all of us. By the time I left to check in with Emric and the team, they were giggling away.
We were meetingwith the advisors in the evening, about to unleash two teams. The team which would signal our false arrival to Arava, and one which would protect and clear Rael for the real trip. While we were all gone, Nana and Reyald Mallick, along with a team, would take care of the castle. Jagen was still sleeping but was having bouts of stirring, so by morning he might be recovered entirely.
But before all the plans were set into motion, there was one last meeting to be had.
“Rael is less populated but more spread out,” Whit explained. “We will station ourselves swiftly and discreetly. Awaiting your arrival in the morning.”
We had already gone over this eight times, I was not sure the ninth was necessary. Then again, I was a newly married man. My priorities were in a different place.
“And we,” Zaccai added, “will be on guard at all times for Morana near Arava.” Zaccai had taken it almost as hard as Malachi had that Silas, his fellow winged feline, was working with Morana. Though Zaccai was a lion and Silas a panther, The Taaka was sanctuary to both.
“Meanwhile my team and Zaire’s team will be the ones whoactually travel and protect our queen and prince,” Malachi finished. “We?—”
“What is that?” Otis asked.
Dammit, I had just taken a drink of my tea. Tea which was tasting not nearly as black. Tea which I was thoroughly enjoying. But I had flashed my wedding ring, unintentionally.
“What does it look like?” Esta responded from her throne-like chair.
“Well,” Otis began. “A ring. A ring of which goes on a finger... in a marriage ceremony.”
Zaccai gasped. “Your Graces, did you wed?”
“We did.” Esta’s words were simple, yet not.
Nana winked at me, while Malachi grinned at me from across the table. “Thatwas the reason for my exile?”
