Page 131 of The King is Dead
~ YILAN ~
I hadn’t appointed a Governor when I’d left last time, and the nation had been imminently safe. As I had known it would be with Turo watching over and the rest of the Council there to help. But my poor, ragged General needed to know that he was valued. And I couldn’t deny that even though I wasthrilledto take this on, there was a very real danger that either myself or Melek—or both—would not return.
Having someone in true authority while we were gone increased the sense of security to the people when they learned that I had once again left to be among our enemies.
I knew the decision was the right one… and possibly the last royal decree I would make for my nation. I just had to pray Melek wouldn’t argue.
I stepped back to stand shoulder to shoulder with him. Below the level of the table I twined my fingers with his, sending waves of reassurance and pleading through the bond.
Please don’t question me on this. Please don’t questionhim!
To my relief, Melek only nodded his approval of the decision and waited, along with everyone else, to see if Turo would accept the appointment.
But Turo was still gaping at me like I’d grown a second head.
“You… are you certain?” he finally asked me hoarsely.
I nodded, smiling. “I am.”
Turo deflated, his breath whooshing out of him, blinking his eyes as if he blinked back tears. He cleared his throat and raised his chin, then bowed, first to me, then to Melek.
“I am greatly honored by your trust, Your Majesties,” he rasped. “And I accept this with deep gratitude. I won’t fail you.”
“We know,” Melek rumbled, and I could have kissed him on the spot.
The hour that followed was a flurry of activity.
While the Council argued about details that wouldn’t ultimately shift the course of the coming days, I left them to it and went to find Istral.
I had to tell my sister that I was leaving again.
My stomach sank to my toes when I was ushered to one of the attic rooms where Turo had hidden her. Climbing the narrow, spiraling staircase to its top, I met a scattering of guards standing along the hallway… and a massive Nephilim crouching, his back pressed against the door.
“Gall!” I gasped, glad that he was there, but reminded that we’d never had a chance to intervene for him.
Given the nervous looks on some of the guards faces, I suspected that he’d demanded the position, and was guarding Istral as much from these men as any other danger.
But when he heard my voice, his head snapped up and his eyes came alive.
“Yilan!”
He pushed to his feet and grabbed me to his chest, squeezing me so hard that his body trembled.
Gasping for air, I patted his back and murmured that it was so good to see him.
He put me back on my feet, then looked at me with a frown, scanning my clothes with confusion in his eyes. “I thought you weren’t doing that anymore?” he said, indicating my fighting leathers.
I smiled. “I am still skilled, Gall. And there are many times and places that I need to be able to move easily. But for now… I need to speak with my sister. I assume she’s inside?”
He nodded and stepped away from the door, opening a hand towards it. “They didn’t want me to guard her. I had to tell them.”
I caught eyes with the Sargeant and gave my head a little shake to let him know he shouldn’t worry about it.
“Well, I think it would be good if you’d come inside with me. I have some things to tell you both, and then we can leave these men to do their jobs without interruption. What do you say?”
“They said I wasn’t allowed to go in. That I was supposed to go to a different room,” he muttered sullenly.
“I understand—that’s partly my fault, Gall. I’m sorry there was confusion. But that’s one of the nice parts about me being Queen, I can tell other people what to do and they’ll do it.”
