Fantasyland 01 Wildest Dreams (73 page)

He said
it.

Then, my voice
husky, I started to threaten, “Frey Drakkar, if you make me cry
–”

He cut me off.
“But what I didn’t know until later was when the elves bound you to
this world, they also bound you to me so when I returned from their
realm, I knew where you were, I sensed you, I could find you, I
went right to you, taking the dragons with me. I sent a messenger
to bring my men to me so they would be safe from the dragon’s fire
then, as you ran with your witches through the forest, I knew
exactly where you were so the fire I aimed from my beasts never got
near you.”

That was when
I blinked and breathed, “Really?”

He grinned
again and whispered, “Really.”

“Cool.” I
whispered back, still on a breath and watched my husband’s grin get
bigger.

Then his face
grew soft and his warm eyes roamed my own as he muttered, “By the
gods, I hope you never lose your wonder for all that is life, my
wee Finnie.”

“Well, as long
as I’m in a world with fire breathing dragons, magical elves, hot
guys who are impervious to extreme heat and fantastic ships
straight out of a movie that are named after me, I don’t think
that’s gonna happen,” I told him and his head tilted to the
side.

“Straight out
of a what?”

I cupped his
jaw, lifted my head and touched my mouth to his.

Then I dropped
my head back down to the pillow and whispered, “I’ll explain
later.”

The look in
his eyes shifted, that shift corresponded to a tingle someplace
really good and his hand slid from my jaw, down my neck, my chest
and my side as he murmured, “You will?”

“Unh-hunh,” I
agreed, pressing my body to his as my hands moved on him and his
head dipped closer, his nose sliding along mine.

“When?” he
asked quietly.

“Later,” I
answered, hooking a leg around his hip.

His lips came
so close I could feel his breath on mine but his eyes stayed open
and held mine captive.

“So then, what
are we going to do now?” he asked.

“I don’t
know,” I said breathily. “Do you have any ideas?”

“A few,” he
answered, his voice slightly gruff, his hand sliding back up my
side to cup my breast.

I drew in a
soft breath.

“I think I
might like your ideas,” I told him.

“I know you
will,” he told me.

“Sure of
yourself?” I teased, his thumb slid across my nipple, my back
arched and I drew in a breath that was not at all soft.

“Yes,” he
answered, his eyes smiling but still lit with that lazy, sexy
light.

One of my
hands slid up the sleek skin of his back and into his hair. “You
could tell me what it’s like in the elves’ realm,” I suggested.

“Later,” he
whispered, his lips still close, his thumb now circling my
nipple.

I bit my lip
as the sensations curled through me and I waited, breathlessly, for
his mouth to take mine.

When I didn’t
get it, I prompted on a whisper, “Seriously, baby, are you going to
kiss me, or what?”

My husband
made me wait half a second while, super close, he looked deep in my
eyes.

Then, just
like Frey, he gave me what I wanted.

He kissed
me.

* * * * *

Incidentally,
I slept soundly that night and, except on a rare occasion, every
night after.

* * * * *

One month
later…

In the Queen’s
Study, Rimée Keep, Snowdon.

I stood
silently at the window in my mother’s study, my body facing it but
my head was turned so I could see the people at the desk.

Frey, Calder,
Apollo, Olwen, Norfolk and Walter were standing at one side, the
heads of three once Lunwynian, then Middlelandian, again Lunwynian
Houses stood at the other side. All three had not participated in
the rebellion and, for their refusal to support that campaign, they
had all been imprisoned throughout the short war by Broderick then
the other heads.

Now, they were
not.

Mother stood
behind the desk, bent over it, signing a huge, poster board-sized
piece of parchment.

Baldur stood
next to her watching her with a stony face.

She
straightened and offered her silver pen to him.

His lip curled
as he looked at the pen.

“Do not delay,
Baldur,” Apollo said low. “Your carriage awaits and the rest of us
have things to do.”

Baldur glared
at Apollo then he looked to Mother.

“It is my
understanding, my son showed kindness to your daughter before she
slaughtered him,” he noted coldly.

Mother didn’t
show any reaction to this pointless comment which was a miracle
considering all the other things that were
not
kind that
Broderick did, including ordering her (and my) husband to be
murdered and she stated blandly, “And it is my understanding she
actually didn’t slaughter him, she delivered a wound that was not
lethal but, instead, it was one of the men of The Drakkar, acting
correctly on what he felt would be his absent commander’s wishes,
who ran your son through.” She paused then finished, not even
trying to hide her pride, “But she did, of course, take the life of
his lover.”

Baldur’s mouth
got tight and his eyes slid through the heads on either side,
avoiding mine as they went and then he whispered, “This is
preposterous. This woman does not even have the blood of a Wilde
and she’s a
woman
for the gods’ sakes.”

“Your options
have been explained, Baldur,” Frey reminded him quietly. “You made
your choice. With this delay, are you saying you’re undecided?”
Baldur’s eyes went to Frey and Frey concluded, “For if you are, I
will be happy to make the choice for you.”

“My choice has
not changed,” Baldur snapped and I was guessing it wouldn’t for his
choices were abdicating all claim to his throne by signing that
paper and then immediately leaving on his journey to be exiled to a
small island somewhere south, far away from here or a trial for
impeachment which might end in a lifelong exile not on a sunny isle
but in a cold dungeon. “But it is my due and I wish it to be known
that you and your heads have acted well beyond the bounds of
decency and respect. Dragon fire and trials of treason for heads of
Houses? It is ridiculous. These are games of politics as they have
been played for centuries.”

“We are moving
into a new era,” Aurora announced softly, her eyes on Baldur,
“where politics do not include assassinations and clashes of steel
but diplomacy. And the heads who remain are enthusiastic about
Lunwyn’s bright future.”

Baldur’s eyes
narrowed on her and he snapped, “At your command, you will lead the
new Lunwyn to misery and my people will revolt.”

“We shall
see,” Aurora murmured then her face brightened slightly. “Though,
in opening your treasury, abolishing your paper currency and
allowing our reunited citizens to trade their paper currency for
coin, they seem to be quite content at the moment.”

Baldur’s face
got red and I pressed my lips together to stop myself from smiling
and looked out the window so I missed Baldur yanking the pen out of
Aurora’s hand. I heard the scribble of the squib on parchment and I
also heard movement as he stomped out.

I did not look
back until Mother spoke.

“Gentlemen, if
you would,” she invited and I watched her motion nobly to the oval
table in the corner of the room.

The heads
moved there with Mother. Frey and Apollo moved to me. When they
arrived, they stopped close and Frey’s hand slid to the small of my
back.

“Do you wish
to stay, my Finnie?” he asked quietly and I scrunched my nose.

“Attend a
meeting?
” I asked back and he smiled at me before he turned
his smile to an openly amused Apollo.

“Not exciting
enough for my wee wife,” he muttered to Apollo.

Apollo’s
response was an amused, rumbling, “Mm.”

“You two
enjoy,” I mumbled.

“Right,”
Apollo murmured, looking like he wanted to attend this meeting
about as much as I did.

“And your
plans?” Frey asked and my eyes went to his.

“Check in on
Sky. He’s taking a test, he should be finishing up about now. And
Bess is leaving.”

He nodded.
“Then you should be away.”

“I should be
away,” I agreed.

His eyes
warmed, his head dropped and he touched his mouth to mine before
again lifting his head.

“I shall see
you later,” he muttered, looking over his shoulder at the
conference table.

“Okay, honey,”
I whispered, lifted my hand touched his chest and his eyes came
back to me so I smiled.

His hand
tensed at my back then he moved away.

I turned to
Apollo and smiled at him too then my smile went wonky as he held my
eyes but took hold of my hand and lifted it, knuckles up, to his
lips. Then I watched as he brushed them with his lips and dropped
our hands but kept firm hold of mine.

“Until we meet
again, sweet Finnie,” he whispered gently and I felt my mouth go
soft.

“Until we meet
again, Apollo,” I whispered back, squeezing his fingers.

He made to let
go but I held on tight and moved slightly closer.

Then I said
quietly, “A wise woman once told me happiness is a line with
contentment at one end and bliss on the other.” I squeezed his
fingers again and went on fervently, “I hope you at least find a
way to the middle of that line, Apollo.”

His lips
tipped up slightly before his head turned and I knew he was looking
at Frey when he looked back to me and I saw his remarkable eyes lit
with an appealing light before he replied, “I have, my princess,
just knowing you have moved up that line to bliss.”

My belly
warmed.

“Apollo,” I
whispered.

“Hold tight to
it, my sweet,” he replied softly. “Every day is a gift.”

He knew and so
did I. We knew this to be very true.

I just wished
there was some way this wonderful man would open his heart to a
woman who would be generous to it. But I knew like I knew when I
thought I had lost Frey that this was impossible.

I nodded, his
lips tipped up more, his fingers squeezed mine then he let me go
and moved away.

I watched and
saw Frey watching us. I smiled at him as his eyes slid to Apollo
then back to me, they warmed and he smiled gently back. I looked to
Mother who inclined her chin to me, her lips curled slightly then
she looked back at the table.

I left the
room and hurried to the side entrance to Rimée Keep, hoping Bess
was not yet away.

When I exited,
I saw she was not but the carriage was loaded, the horses put to
and she was standing beside it fretting.

Her head
turned and her face lit when she saw me. “Oh Finnie! There you
are!”

She rushed to
me as I moved to her and we took hold of each other’s hands.

“Your trunks
are packed, everything is ready and –” she started but I
interrupted her.

“Bess, I’ll be
fine,” I told her.

“I know, but,
the other girls –”

“The other
girls are hopefully enjoying a much needed break like you’re about
to.”

She looked at
me and grinned so I grinned back because we both knew Jocelyn and
Esther were undoubtedly enjoying their breaks for they were both in
Houllebec in the company of their men, Thad and Oleg.

Where Frey and
I were headed the next morning and I was glad of it.

My feet most
definitely itched.

Then her smile
faded and she whispered, “I’ll miss you, my sweet princess.”

I dropped her
hands but pulled her into my arms for a hug and whispered in her
ear, “And I’ll miss you, my sweet Bess, but it’s only a short time
and soon we’ll all be back together again and off to face our next
adventure.” I squeezed hard then let her go and stepped back. “Now,
go. Spend time with your family and I’ll see you very soon.”

She nodded,
grinned at me again then part skipped, part dashed to the carriage,
taking the hand of the footman waiting there for her. He helped her
in, closed the door and she leaned out the window and waved at me
as the footman ordered the driver, “Away.”

“Farewell,
Finnie!” she called, waving as the carriage rolled forward.

“Farewell,
Bess!” I called back, waving too.

Then I watched
and waved as the carriage continued to move until it disappeared
around the castle. And I kept looking in that direction, seeing the
frost city of Snowdon now embedded in the deep green of the short
Lunwyn summer. The ice and snow were gone, the land was lush and
vibrant and, Frey told me, this would be the way for another month
or so before the snows again came and bound the nation in ice.

I turned to
the doors, went through and immediately encountered a scowling Kell
who was stomping toward me.

“Hey Kell,” I
greeted when he got close and we both stopped.

“Where’s
Frey?” he grunted, not greeting me when we both stopped.

“In a
meeting,” I informed him, his eyebrows shot up and then his face
returned to a scowl.

“A meeting?”
he asked as if this concept was foreign to him, foreign and
revolting.

“Yes, you
know, where people sit down, discuss weighty issues, drink coffee,
eat pastries and decide the future for hundreds of thousands of
people,” I stated. “A meeting.”

He continued
to scowl. Then he grunted. Then he turned on his boot without
another word and stomped away.

I giggled to
myself.

Then I moved
down the hall only to turn down another one and see a maid coming
to me.

“My princess,”
she said softly then dropped in a quick curtsy before straightening
and offering a creamy envelope to me. “This came in today’s
post.”

“Thank you,
Michelle,” I said softly, taking the envelope, she did another
quick curtsy and scurried away.