Page 141 of Enchanted Shadows
Laughing, we headed back to Agria. I only hoped this time our exit strategy would run more smoothly.
I stoodon the deck of the ship watching. As planned, Amos was dressed younger, like Artem, glasses on, with a hooded jacket thrown over his head, and led off the ship.
The queen would hug him and usher him into a carriage. We would all wait and watch. If no move was made on Amos posing as Artem and he made it to the castle safely, they would all return back here and retrieve the real Artem at nightfall. It was a way to test the tensions in Agria. A way to see how many people remained loyal to Damek, loyal to tyranny.
And if Amos was attacked, the queen asked that we return back to Wylan with Artem for a few more weeks, not risking it until it was absolutely safe.
I wasn’t fool enough to think this path ahead of Artem would be an easy one, I just hoped his own people gave him a chance. The chance they were never willing to give his sister all because of scandal.
The real Artem was below deck, guarded by Miles and Allen and a few others as well. Artemwasgoing to be returned safely. And knowing how dark things had been in Agria, the pawns and pieces Damek had been moving around, I was thankful in this moment that both my wife and her brother were still healthy and alive. Both would have to heal from Damek’s selfish motives, but they were both alive to begin that healing process.
Crowns and thrones were complicated business. Though I technically found myself the owner of one, I would like to avoid any more civil wars, or outright wars, in the future.
And for once, I felt excited to plan a future, my future with Kessara. Would she want an estate in Savaryn so we were close to the king and queen? Was she tired of living in castles? Did she want to live in Nerede? How many children did she want? I was up for any adventure, so long as it was with her.
Then there was the issue of bonding. I’d bond with her when we arrived home, but Kessara had told me I needed to think long and hard about it, make certain I was sure.
The only thing I was certain of anymore was her.
Hours later, I stood on the deck again, this time walking the real Artem off the ship and to his mother, his mother who wept giant tears all over the dock in seeing her son returned home.
And then she shocked me by hugging me as soon as she had finished with Artem. “Take care of my girl.”
“I will,” I promised. “And you all take care here. Let us know if you need anything at all. I mean it.”
The queen wiped at her eyes. They had to be going quickly, that was the plan, still she stayed long enough to say, “I want to see her in a few months, your next training break. If you would be so kind as to put in a good word for me.”
“Why don’t you come see her?” I looked to Artem. “I know you both cannot come together, the queen and the heir apparent traveling together frowned upon, but you can both return whenever you’d like. Just let us know.”
The queen looked to the sky and took a deep breath before looking back at me. “Thank you.”
I’d just been offering my mother-in-law a trip, I hadn’t really realized I had just unraveled yet another strand of Theon Valanova’s legacy. That he stole Agrian power from the queen and then banished her from Wylan to raise their child alone.
“I think you’ll find the castle feels much different these days,” I said gently. “Let us show you how different Wylan is.”
“And Theon’s sons? What of the new king, would he even allow that?”
I read between the lines. She worried Krew hated her, as she had been the reason his father had cheated on his mother. But she hadn’t been Theon’s only infidelity. Far from it.
“Of course Krew will,” I assured her. Krew was living with theknowledge that his father had killed their mother in siphoning her magic. It wasn’t too difficult to believe his father had bonded with another. Theon Valanova being a cheater and a vile person in general was not new news.
I shooed them toward their carriage. “This isn’t goodbye, Your Highnesses. This is merely a homecoming. And I need to return home and see what Kessara and her team have gotten into now.”
“Apprehending more lowlifes, no doubt,” Artem laughed as he shook my hand.
“Hopefully no more sneaking off to parties,” the queen laughed.
“I do have my work cut out for me,” I joked. “See you after the next round of training.”
Back on the ship, we waited until the queen sent word Artem was safe back at the castle. Then and only then, did we set sail for home.
CHAPTER 45
Only hours to the shore, I got more and more anxious. Traveling by sea didn’t bother me, my sea legs were well established these days. But after three nights of being on this ship, I was more than ready to be back on land. Hopefully for a while.
I had a honeymoon with my wife to look forward to, the Winter Solstice rapidly approaching. And then we would be back at training.
Though the end of the training session had been nothing but a whirlwind of chaos, I was rather looking forward to the routine of it all. It was better than putting out all these damn fires.
