She'd told him, "My subjects have provided me with a new place. Now, if you don't mind, I've had a taxing day saving all of these refugees, my subjects and all-
since I am their queen, even if you let them think I'm a lowly sex slave."
"They don't any longer."
"I deduced that when they started with the obeisance and gifts and all. They adore me. Coins will be minted with my face on them. It's in the works."
Chapter 16
Sabine had refused to budge. Rydstrom allowed this because she remained here. If she stayed, he thought they might have a future.
Did Rydstrom go out of his way to see her? Every damned minute that he could. He was searching for her this very afternoon. She wasn't at the hot springs, nor at the particular bluff where she liked to sit.
But from that height, he spied her playing dice down in the camp, gambling with others. When Rydstrom sank down to watch her, something sharp jabbed him. A basilisk scale? He peered around him and found more strewn about. Had she been sitting up here with the dragon?
He ran a hand over his side, over the tattoo. All those years ago, Rydstrom had been marked with the image of this beast, never knowing that a sorceress would captivate both a dragon-and a demon.
Now she was laughing as she played dice, likely saying outlandish things. But her companions always thought she jested. They were awed by her beauty and mysterious air, by the illusions of gold that gleamed on her and the bold paint that masked her face.
They simply thought she was a merry queen-that one did not ever want to anger.
As Sabine could make the dice appear to be anything
she wanted, she was doubtless bilking others of their gold. He suspected Sabine was stockpiling her winnings in a secret location-
He heard someone approaching . . . Durinda. They hadn't spoken more than a couple of words since her revelation, and he grew tense.
"They love her now," she said, sitting beside him. "Amazingly. You know she still calls the children spawn and uses the pronoun it when referring to any of them." She made her voice like Sabine's-condescending and unamused-as she said, "'It smells fusty ... If it wants to give me your family's savings, then who are you to naysay?'"
Before Rydstrom could defend Sabine, she said, "But she is actually behaving like a queen. An unorthodox one to be sure, but a queen just the same."
"You believe that?"
Durinda nodded. "Sabine had the power to fend off a dragon, and made the choice to protect these people. And she's told the girls-the ones that she confused terribly about horse monikers-that she would give an educational class on . . . things of that nature. Yes, she did ask for gold in return, but one could argue that was merely taxes for government services. If given authority, she would enact social change."
He recalled what Sabine had said about the ignorance of the women, the medieval state of Rothkalina, the lack of infrastructure.
"And she's right about the fighting," Durinda continue 'quietly. "It can solve problems. We lived in a gen-
teel society where we weren't as strong as we could have been. And when we were defeated, we were wholly unprepared for centuries of tyranny." She met his gaze. "Do you think Sabine would rest if she perceived her kingdom to be vulnerable?"
Never. He couldn't ask for a fiercer queen.
"You know, it's given me hope," she said. "If two people as unlikely as you and Sabine can be mates, then maybe the male I'm journeying to wed is the right one. I am optimistic."
This relieved Rydstrom greatly. He felt himself relaxing around her once more. "Do you think your new husband will allow you to keep Puck?"
"I do hope so. Because if not, your queen has offered to take him."
His brows shot up. "What?"
"She told me, 'I'll be taking that demon boy person.' When I reminded her that Puck wasn't her pet, she rolled her eyes at me and said, 'Hellooo, that's what I'm trying to remedy"'
He felt his lips quirk.
"Interestingly, Puck found gold under his pillow in exchange for his tooth. I suspect she made herself invisible and slipped in our tent, though she vehemently denied involvement and called me a name I won't repeat here. Puck is beyond ecstatic."
Rydstrom had already accepted that he needed Sabine. He hadn't dared hope his kingdom would embrace her like this.
Maybe she was exactly what Rothkalina needed. Fate
had gotten it right.
There were only two problems. First, Sabine wasn't truly his queen. And after she learned that he'd deceived her, she wouldn't be likely to forgive him. Secondly, Rydstrom planned to slay her brother at the earliest opportunity.
He'd considered talking to her about Omort, the future, and the fact that there would soon be a war- Rydstrom anticipated striking this spring. But for now, he'd decided it would be better just to get her to New Orleans, back to his home before she could bolt.
"I also came here to tell you that the portal keepers have begun arriving for tomorrow," Durinda said. "They come with information-the Lore is abuzz with tales of your brother claiming the sword from Groot the Metallurgist. Our Cadeon has succeeded."
"Any word of how he's done this?"
Durinda shook her head. "Not yet."
Two weeks ago, Rydstrom wouldn't have given a damn how. But now he feared Cadeon had turned over his own woman for it.
Rydstrom had expected his brother not only to betray his female, but to hand her over to a madman bent on breeding with her-and Cadeon might actually have done it for the sake of the kingdom.
Rydstrom's gaze was transfixed on Sabine. If so, he's a stronger man than I am.
Sabine had an urgent decision to make.
For the past two nights, she'd adored sitting up on the bluff, keeping time with the dragon, gazing out at her sleeping subjects, and watching the silhouette of Rydstrom as he paced in his tent for her to return.
But the portals were opening at noon, mere hours away, and she still hadn't decided if she was going with
him.
As she gazed down at him readying his people, with his shoulders back and looking so kingly, Sabine debated her course of action. She was free and could easily escape. But those same worries about traversing Grave Realm and what she could expect from Omort plagued her.
And more, she was only a day away from getting into Rhydstrom's house, into his life. By all accounts, Cadeon was ever closer to the sword. Maybe Sabine should jour' ney with Rydstrom just in time to collect that sword for herself? Lanthe would get her message and come for her in Louisiana, providing her escape well before the mor-sus was supposed to hit in twelve days. And ultimately, the sisters might have their queendom . ..