'YOUR MAJESTY, OUR CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN on your felicitous marriage. May you have many healthy children,' the Prince and Princess of House Vaethon, along with two of the Grand Dukes' and Grand Duchess' all echoed the age-old appropriate lines. The oldest of the noble houses, Vaethon was the only to have a remaining royal bloodline, and they wore it with pride. It always amused Alek greatly when the Princess looked down her nose at him while curtsying. Adopted or not, the family he came from started with very humble beginnings, just a common man who wanted to make a difference. It might have been millennia ago, but House Vaethon never forgot your base.After the three required bows, the house of nobles backed their way from the throne room, in the process of being reduced to its normal size, the numerous bouquets and trees in pots already removed.It's amazing how quickly everything returns to normal, Alek thought, absently giving the royal nod while flicking his gaze around the ro

'ARE THEY RELATED TO AWUFS?' I asked while sidling back further still until I stood just behind Alek.A better question might have been, are they herbivores?The heavy set four legged animals looked more likely to be related to a rhinoceros than the timid but massive awufs; potentially a carnivorous rhino. They had long snouts they kept wrinkling as if snarling, revealing decent sets of teeth. On the end of their snouts two twisted curling tusks grew, the pointed ends sticking out, and both creatures bore scars on their faces that looked like they had been on the receiving end of another's tusks. Their hide was a dense short fur that bristled out with flowing striations of shades of tan and black across the dark brown fur. Their feet were cloven.The centaurs leading the creatures appeared indifferent by their appearance, calling them, smacking their snouts or backsides to get them lined up in front of the wagon.Nudging Alek when I realized he hadn't answered my question, he jolte

SLEEP DIDN'T RELIEVE THE OVERWHELMING anxiety. It followed me into my dreams, faces merging with other faces, shadows everywhere, making me jumpy when I woke, mistaking furniture for hidden men. Panting with panic after waking from another horribly vivid yet bizarre and confusing dream, I flared my energy out, eyes searching the large room. All I saw was my own startled expression in the mirror, with Audi alert to my alarm beside me, crying as she too peered around the room. I shushed her before Leseach could hear, the Northerner sleeping in an adjoining room. Her permanent guilty expression was more than I could bear at the moment.It wasn't her fault. I knew that. But I hadn't the strength to deal with my own emotions at the moment, let alone hers. The last couple of days were a blur, I only moved from this room to the bathroom and when I did, Leseach always had food in my room by the time I got back.I missed the girls' something terrible. But there was no way I'd allow that s

WALKING BACK FROM CAT'S QUARTERS, Elena flicked her fingers in and out in irritation. Cat performed perfectly again in the Council meeting. Cold, polite, to the point. Such a vast transformation from the chatty, curious, and questioning young woman who had a tendency to nod off. Three days had passed since Elena realized Cat was still here, yet she refused to give Elena even the slightest information about whatever the argument she and Alek had had. Elena found out quickly enough that Alek had escaped to Delanta to lick his wounds and that in turn caused more irritation.That boy! He needed to learn to hold his ground with emotional matters! It didn't matter how well he fought in battle, when it came to a kingdom, to a realm the size of Elion, you needed to hold your head in emotional matters.Reaching her own quarters, she gave a curt nod to the guards at the doors as they opened them quickly, shutting them behind her.Standing in her own space, hands on hips, she growled. Pacing

SIX DAYS, KASSIE GROWLED TO herself while marching along the hallway to the room she and Rumal occupied. Nothing from her, but he's still here!Enough was enough. She'd been patient. Waited. Waited. And waited.Now was the time for Cat to confess just what the hell was going on. Kassie sniffed indignantly when the voice in the back of her mind reminded her of the promise they'd all made not to disturb each other.It's her fault I'm breaking it, she's the one who should have had the decency to get in touch when her husband vanished.Nodding in agreement with herself, she put on an extra burst of speed, shoulders square as she eyed the door she approached.A glimpse of movement, of curly grey and brown hair, out the left window made her pause then turn to peer out.There in the garden walked her mother, with a strange almost tentative waltz to her step. Bemused, Kassie stepped closer to the frame, keeping against the wood so not to be noticed as she looked to see what had her mothe