Page 101 of Golden Queen
And then his lips slowed, gentled, and he pulled away. His hands held me back as he kissed first my lips and then my closed eyes each in turn, tenderly.
I looked up to find his face set in grim determination.
And then he stepped back out of my embrace. "I'll summon the eldermen," he said, muscle ticking in his jaw.
I nodded, angrily swiping away the tears that had run down my cheeks. I slid down from the table and went around to take my seat.
As Io crossed the chamber, I suddenly knew that it had been a goodbye—on his part at least. It would never happen again. He had too much honor to ever let that happen again after we signed that hateful fucking parchment.
And we did sign it. Io was seated in one of the eldermen's chairs. I watched his long fingers race across the page, signing his name in tall, elegant script.
And when I took the pen in my shaking hands, I realized that the cut on my palm was gone. He had healed it as he held me.
I met his gaze and saw mirrored in his expression, for the briefest of moments, a shadow of what I felt inside; desperation and horrible, world-ending anger.
Eighteen
The evacuations went more smoothly than I would have ever believed possible.
Where I expected anger and panic, the people showed me stoicism and loyalty. They did not want to wait as sitting pawns for Penjan any more than I did.
So I went to the balcony of my tower, and I gave them what they were seeking when they had gathered beneath the fortress walls to chant,Long live the Queen!
I stood beside Baron Mandelian, my newly appointed chancellor, and I waved and smiled at them even as the heralds went forth through the city, sounding the evacuation orders.
Half the people would take the northern Godsway and head to Cold Garden. The other half would take the southern road and make for Athelen. From there, they could spread across the Southern Continent as they wished, but in the meantime, the most direct path out of the godsgrass would be the northern and southern routes. I did not want my people caught on the plains in the event that Penjan truly did burn the kingdom.
The godsgrass would regrow. My people would not.
Despite reluctance to have him in my presence, Markus was doing most of the work in managing the evacuation. It was, perhaps, an effort by him to make himself useful enough so that I did not remember what he had done to Tatana—as though I could ever forget. But I ultimately needed his help, so my wrath would need to wait for more settled times.
Cazmiri came to the castle to tell me goodbye on the first day of evacuations. Juriae was waiting with most of the Radune party to hasten to Gold Harbor, where they would sail back to Orin, and then on to Radune.
She begged me to come with her, holding me in a tight embrace as though she held true affection for me. It was one bright point in my future in Nightfall—that during the time I would be forced to be there, I would at least have a friend.
I refused to leave with her, of course. There was too much to be done before I could leave the city, but I assured her that the Lord of Darkwatch would get me away safely.
The mention of Io made some sorrow cross her features. She knew what had been between us. She was there to see it for herself during the time we spent in her home, and she had seemed happy for us. She must have been one of the few who knew what I was personally sacrificing for Windemere.
I could tell she wanted to say more about it—about this whole terrible situation we found ourselves in, but she held her tongue, thankfully.
I could hardly bear my own dark thoughts about it. If she had expressed her sympathy, I might have broken down, weeping again.
And the gods only knew who she might tell about the relationship between me and Io. I was sure the tale would reach the king eventually, no matter what I did. It would only make it worse if it was known how broken-hearted I was after the betrothal. And if my soon-to-be husband learned that I loved his little brother more than all the world, he might even recall his armies from Windemere.
Taiger left with the Radune party as well.
He came with Cazmiri to tell me goodbye, but since my dragon had been in the castle with me since the day following the coronation, I thought the visit had been as much to bid her farewell as me.
Taiger had bonded with the white dragon nearly as much as I had.
I briefly considered allowing him to take her along to Orin. But as I considered her, laying in her customary place along the back of my neck, I knew it would have been in vain. She would have come back to me as soon as the opportunity presented itself.
On the second day of evacuations, I visited Madia and her father to be sure they had everything they needed to leave. I rode Etreyiu through the gates with a small group of guards while my dragon flew somewhere far above.
When we reached the slums, Madia came out of her little hut beaming.
"My dear sweet child!" she said, holding me back to get a better look at me in my regal attire. "I am so glad to see you as the queen you were born to be. Your mother would be so proud!"
