“That your boy?” Kesyn asked.
Tam sighed. “I’m afraid so, sir.”
The old mage grinned. “Well, I think that takes care of his introduction to the court.”
Tam desperately wanted to be somewhere else as Talon leapt down from the wall and took a victory lap around the square.
“He’s all yours,” Tam told his teacher.
“Oh joy.”
The old mage’s words said one thing; the gleam in his eyes told anyone watching him something else.
Kesyn Badru lived for a challenge.
Talon was taking the last half of his victory lap. Kesyn for a teacher. I almost felt sorry for Talon. I grinned slowly. Almost.
Since there was no longer a father of the bride, Kesyn stood in. And I was thrilled and honored when Princess Mirabai asked if I would stand in for the mother of the bride.
The new goblin queen had to be the happiest-looking new orphan I’d ever seen.
It was a beautiful wedding. The throne room was lit by what had to be hundreds of candles with not a blue lightglobe in sight, filling the room with a warm, golden glow. The room was far from being full. The only courtiers in attendance were those whom the new king trusted not to put a knife in his back. Though I bet the kitchen staff loved it; less people to feed at the reception.
At the end of the ceremony, when the priest had told the king that he could kiss his bride, he probably didn’t think he’d have to ask him to stop.
The marriage of the new goblin king and queen was off to a good start.
Though one person in attendance was a little on edge. King Chigaru had named Tam as his heir until such time as he and Queen Mirabai had a child.
Tam was standing off to the side, wearing full court robes, having what I’d counted as his third glass of wine. I noticed that Tam’s simple circlet had been replaced by an only slightly less ornate version of the crown Chigaru was wearing.
“Fancy headgear,” I noted, determined to keep a straight face. “Nice.”
Tam grunted. It wasn’t a particularly enthusiastic one. “I’ve never wanted anyone to survive this badly.”
“Maybe your new king thinks that after what you pulled off in the temple, no assassin would be suicidal enough to come after him with you around.”
Without changing expression, Tam brushed the tip of his nose with his finger. “That and one more level for an assassin to go through.”
“Gee, wasn’t that nice of him?”
“For once, His Majesty is right. However, one shrewd move deserves another.” Tam inclined his head toward where a black-garbed mage stood guard over the royal couple. I spotted more, strategically placed throughout the reception room watching king, queen, and guests. These guys looked familiar.
I smiled. “Your dark mage hit squad buddies from Mid?”
Tam grinned with satisfaction and no small level of relief. “That’s them.”
“So you don’t want to be king?”
“You’ve seen the job. Would you want it?”
“Can’t say that I would.”
I glanced over to where Talon was essentially holding court and basking in the grateful glow of a bevy of beautiful young noblewomen. I wondered how many of those noble ladies had seen the kid naked? Heck, probably all of them. And if any of them hadn’t seen, they’d heard.
“I see what you mean,” I said. “You as king would make Talon a prince. That’s an ego boost the kid doesn’t need.”
Chigaru had maneuvered Mirabai to a cozy corner where they were engaged in some serious smooching.
“You shouldn’t have to wait long for that heir,” I noted. “Though I have to say that baby goblins must make for some painful nursing.”
Tam smiled, leaning down close to my ear, and whispered, “Our fangs don’t come in until after we’re weaned.”
“Oh.” I felt a flush creep up my neck into my face as I had a visual of Tam and breast-feeding. That image would be staying with me for a while and making repeat appearances at inconvenient times.
Imala swept over to where Tam and I were standing, looking drop-dead gorgeous in a formfitting silver velvet gown. For her service to the crown, Chigaru had made her a duchess and given her lands to go with it.
In addition to the deemed-to-be-trustworthy palace guard and Tam’s buddies turned bodyguards, Mychael had arranged for some Guardian backup troops to supplement Chigaru’s forces in the city until the transition was complete—which meant once all the traitors had been rounded up and dealt with according to their level of treason. I hoped Mychael’s men liked goblin food; they were going to be here awhile. This place had been a bubbling vat of treason.
“How’s the roundup going?” I asked her.
“Fast enough for progress and too damned slow for me. Separating the merely manipulative from the hardened opportunist is proving difficult.”
“In other words, all of them are back-stabbing hypocrites.”“If there weren’t any hypocrites, we’d have no royal court,” Imala said. “And we’re questioning all of them.” She sighed.
I whistled. “All of them are a lot.”
The chief of the secret service and, for now, palace security raised her glass, then drained it. Imala had some catching up to do if she wanted to keep up with Tam.
“Job security at its finest,” she said.
“Anyone who’s willing to oversee this… Imala, don’t take this the wrong way, but you’ve inherited a nut farm.”
She grinned. “They are my people.”
“They’re nuts.”
“That doesn’t make them any less my people.”
Mychael was talking with Cyran and Deidre Nathrach. Nath had wandered over to Talon to see if his nephew needed any help with his flock of admiring beauties.
Chigaru and Mirabai had given the Nathrach family all of the Nukpana and Ghalfari lands and titles, making them among the wealthiest goblins in the kingdom.
“We thought we’d stay here in the capital and bask in the glow of our reunited family,” Deidre was telling Mychael.
Cyran slid an arm around his wife and pulled her closer. “Then we’re going to go off together for a long romantic holiday.” He and Deidre exchanged a glance, their dark eyes sparkling. “And do a little hunting.”
Mychael looked from one to the other. “I take it you won’t be hunting boar.”
“Correct,” Cyran said. “I’m married to the best mortekal in the kingdom. It would be a shame not to exercise her talents.”
“You’re going after Sandrina,” I said.
“I said that I had business to settle with her,” Deidre said. “And I never leave loose ends.”
Sandrina remained unaccounted for after Sarad Nukpana had been taken by the demon. Since Deidre wasn’t a magic user, the Khrynsani hadn’t used magic-sapping manacles on her. So when Mirabai had cuffed Sandrina with them, those manacles had only contained her, not her magic. It wouldn’t have taken much for a mage of Sandrina’s skill to free herself. She’d probably been free and running for the hills by the time that demon had dragged her son to his just reward. The city had been turned inside out looking for her. No luck. Cyran and Deidre were going to make their own luck.
Cryan spoke. “We have reason to believe that Sandrina is running to her family stronghold near the Great Rift, believing that they will protect her.”
“Will they?” I asked.
Deidre shrugged. “They might if they were still free to do so, though I doubt it. Regardless, it doesn’t matter. The Ghalfari family has been taken into custody. So Sandrina is in the wilds of the Northern Reach all alone.”
Cyran smiled. “And she’s never been much of an outdoor type.”
“And the two of you are going hunting.”
“We can’t spend all of our time in bed,” Deidre said.
Cyran’s wicked grin was a mirror image of Tam’s. “We could try.”
Mychael, Piaras, and I were due to go home after the reception. Kesyn knew an expert mirror mage who was standing by to take us back to Mid. Once we’d secured a way home, Mychael had immediately contacted Justinius and Vegard to let them know and fill them in on events. Our mission had been a success and Justinius was thrilled. He reported that the goblin invasion had stopped soon after it had begun. The ships with the students were being recalled. Phaelan and Uncle Ryn had easily spotted the ambush that Sarad Nukpana had set up. The students had been all too glad to lend their magical assistance. The result? Nukpana’s ships had been completely and creatively defeated.
“Tam wants to keep Talon with him for a while,” Mychael told me.
“And have Kesyn teach him,” I chimed in.
“A place will be held for him if he wants to return to Mid.” Mychael took stock of Talon’s admirers and gave a low laugh. “Though that’s looking less likely by the moment.”
Imala had loaned me a breathtaking midnight blue gown with a silver belt, set with moonstones. Wedding finery had likewise been found for Mychael and Piaras.
Piaras was on the receiving end of his own share of come-hither looks.
“I’ll be knighting him within the year, you know,” Mychael said.
Mychael was getting his share of admiring glances, too. I growled. They stopped.
Mychael’s blue eyes sparkled. “Jealous?”
“Just defending my territory.”
I stepped in close and took his face in my hands. The stubble was nice, sexy nice. The paladin would have shaved for the wedding; Mychael had opted not to. He was relaxed, but most of all he was happy.
“We’ll be returning to Mid tonight,” Mychael said. “Justinius and Vegard will be waiting for us.”
“I’ll give both of them a kiss smack-dab on the lips. I cannot wait to get home.”
“Do you mean Mid—or Mermeia?” he asked quietly.
I knew what he was asking, and I was going to be honest with him and myself. Over the past few days my magic had come back. Not the catastrophic, taking-over-the-world power. Just mine, plus a little extra. Not impressive as most mages went, but I liked it. I would have eventually gotten used to not having magic, but it was a big part of me; and to be honest, words couldn’t describe how glad I was to have it back.