Total pages in book: 208
Estimated words: 209645 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1048(@200wpm)___ 839(@250wpm)___ 699(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 209645 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1048(@200wpm)___ 839(@250wpm)___ 699(@300wpm)
“I did not know this.”
“I told you about my grandmother’s eyes some nights ago.”
“I mean, about the ships.”
“Well, now you know.”
Now I knew.
There was an army of dragons on the beach behind me. A beautiful galleon heralding a surprise visit from an apparently powerful man who was a friend of my husband’s. A welcome visit, with what we might be facing.
But all I could think was “Her Majesty’s Beauty” had a lovely ring to it.
“I see this makes you happy,” Aramus remarked.
“It’s the highest honor I’ve ever been given,” I replied.
His brows shot together. “Wife, you married a king.”
I smiled up at him as I pressed into his body. “The second highest honor, I mean.”
He scowled down at me.
I kept smiling up at him.
“As heartening as many might think witnessing your style of flirtation,” Ore said from close, and both my husband and I looked his way, “it’s making me ill. Not to mention, Frey is hailing. Shall we hail back? Or perhaps give him a bent arm fist. Right before, of course, he orders his dragons to annihilate us.”
I suppressed a giggle.
The bent arm fist, when you clap your other hand into your elbow while doing it, was rather rude.
Though it didn’t invite dragonfire, in my opinion.
“Hail him,” Aramus gave the obvious order.
Ore strode off.
I tipped my head to again look up at my husband, stating, “This is exciting.”
“This is exceptional,” he returned. “I sent our remaining ships to Sky Bay. One had gone home to ready our fleet should Cassius need our aid. Another had done the same to transport Cat’s body so he could be at rest. I did not expect the delay in True and Farah’s wedding, so by the time the other ships arrived to us and we sailed to the River Fae to take it down to Notting Thicket, it would be longer than riding. Now, we can board The Finnie and sail with Frey and the rest of the men can ride through that sand and heat until they meet the wet and chill. I was not looking forward to that and more, not looking forward to putting you through it.”
And I was not looking forward to doing that.
“Thus, my Ha-Lah,” he carried on, “you do not have to leave the sea.”
And again, yes.
My husband was earning my love.
Swiftly.
However, I had plans for that eve, or one in the not too distant future.
“And Frey will likely give us a cabin,” Aramus continued. “And although there will be men around, there will be a proper bed and I can think of only one more suitable place to make my wife my wife. That being in my bed on the Scream. But this will do.”
To that, I shot him a blinding smile because I agreed.
This would do.
I turned my gaze away from the soft look my husband was giving me to the ship that was apparently called The Finnie.
Yes, it would do.
Absolutely.
“Oh…my…God, I am so totally having gowns made like that for me,” the white-haired woman proclaimed about two seconds after she alighted from the boat that had been rowed from The Finnie.
Two very tall, very built, very handsome men had jumped into the surf to guide the boat to the shore, the only passengers two women.
One was wearing a shirt much like my husband often wore (and like one of the men with her wore, though his was brown). It was white with billowing sleeves and unlaced at the neck. On the bottom, she wore breeches and boots.
The other woman was a redhead in a pretty, peach gown with cap sleeves and an empire waist.
I did not think much on this.
I thought it odd, the white-haired one’s vernacular.
“I am too. Holy crap. It’s fab,” the redheaded woman said as she flipped off her slippers without thought, dragged her skirts up to her thighs and jumped out of the boat after her companion.
“Hey, I’m Finnie,” the white-haired one said to me, extending a hand like we would shake.
Did she not know I was queen?
“And this is Maddie,” she went on, tipping her head to the side to indicate the redhead.
“Um…” I mumbled.
“Wee wife, this is Queen Ha-Lah of the Mar-el,” one of the big, built men informed her.
“Oh, right, yeah, the royal rigmarole,” the white-haired one muttered. She dropped her hand, dipped a perfunctory curtsy that was amusing, considering she had no skirts, and said, “I’m Seoafin, Ice Princess of Lunwyn. And this is Lady Madeleine, wife of Lord Apollo,” she jerked her head back to the other man, “Head of the House of Ulfr. And this is my husband, Frey, commander of dragons and elves and all-around hot guy that is impervious to age, which is kinda annoying since every day, I get a new wrinkle.”
“You do not,” the redhead snapped.
“I so do, look,” the white-haired one demanded, jabbing a finger at her forehead.