Kingdom Come (26 page)

His father’s eyes landed on Caern and he stalked across the room. As he approached, Edric could clearly see the murderous intent in his gaze. He stepped in front of the unconscious man.

“No.”

Gol’s eyes widened in outrage. “Get out of my way,” he growled. “He has caused enough strife in my house.”

“He has to have a chance to explain himself.” Even though the words came out of his mouth, he did not agree with them. Were it not for Abby’s morals, he would gladly kill the man at his feet.

“What is this?” his mother demanded, coming to a stop next to her mate. Her eyes landed on Caern and she reached for the dagger on her belt.

“Abby wants him to have a trial of some kind.”

Both of his parents looked at him, all trace of anger fading in the face of their surprise.

“You saw Abby?” his mother demanded. “How is she? Is she returning?”

Edric smiled. “She is well. Better than that, actually. I will let her tell you when she arrives.”

“And the bonding?” Gol asked.

Edric nodded.

Gol smiled and thumped him on the back. “Congratulations, my son.” His gaze dropped back to Caern and darkened. “He will have his say, as Abby wishes.”

Two of the guards moved from their place near the far door and grabbed Caern by both arms. He watched them drag the man from the room with no small amount of satisfaction. When the door had closed behind them, he turned back to his parents.

The two of them looked at each other, their earlier anger with each other absent. Loreet nudged Gol with her hip and he nudged back, before they realized he was watching. Edric shook his head at them. He imagined he and Abby would be much the same at their age. The sound of the door drew his gaze.

Abby strolled into the throne room as if she were completely at ease. It was only the small crease between her eyebrows that gave away her unease. The tension faded once her eyes landed on him. Again, he was struck by her beauty. She had changed from her jeans and t-shirt to the armor he had made for her.

He admired her as she approached. From her bright eyes to her swinging hips, she was perfection. She must have seen his thoughts on his face, because she gave him a teasing smile. When she stopped in front of him, he could not resist brushing his lips absent hers.

“Hi,” she whispered.

“Hi,” he said back, kissing the corner of her mouth before he wrapped his arm around her waist and turned to face his parents.

Loreet smiled at the both of them. “I am so pleased to see you, Abby.”

Gol nodded in agreement. “I had concern for you during your long absence.”

“Thank you. I’m happy to be back,” Abby said.

Edric smiled at the feel of her under his arm. “I told them we had some news.”

Abby glanced at him. “Do we?”

He cocked his head to the side. “We do if you say we do.”

She laughed. “What Edric’s trying to say is we’re going to have a baby.”

Edric looked away from her just long enough to take in his parent’s reaction. Gol blinked, face completely expressionless. Loreet’s gaze dropped to scrutinize Abby’s abdomen. At the same time, they started beaming.

“That is wonderful news!” Gol said. He gave Abby a bright smile. “Congratulations to you both.”

“Thank you,” Edric said, as Loreet stepped forward to hug Abby.

They spoke for nearly an hour before Abby began to lean on him heavily. He squeezed her gently and she looked up at him. Her eyes were happy, but she was clearly starting to tire.

“I think we will retire for the evening. It has been a long day.” He saw Abby nod from the corner of his eye.

After Gol and Loreet bid them good evening, he steered Abby from the room. By the time they reached the guest room, her eyes were partially closed and he was supporting most of her weight.

“Abby,” he murmured in her ear, as he lowered her to the nest of pillows. “Are you hungry? Thirsty? Do you need anything?”

She partially sprawled out across the pillows and looked up at him with heavily lidded eyes. “Just you and sleep.” She gave him a crooked smile. “In that order.”

He bolted the door and dropped to his knees beside her. She rolled to face him and simply looked at him for a moment. Then, she rose to press a kiss to his lips, her mouth soft and warm against his. He drew in a shaky breath. She moved from his lips to his neck, drawing a soul deep groan from him.

He felt her smile against his skin, as her hands began to slide beneath his armor. He quickly followed her silent instruction, removing both his armor and hers. She rewarded him with a bright smile when they were both free of clothing. He rolled onto his back when she placed a palm on his chest, staring up at her as she moved to settle over him.

He could not tear his gaze away from her face, even when she began to move. All of his emotions were reflected back at him. Love, adoration. It hit him all at once, how close he had come to losing her forever. It would have been so easy. He could see how it would have gone had she rejected him. Him slowly becoming a bitter and hateful Dorn king.

She twisted her hips and he threw his head back at the sensation.

“Stay with me,” she murmured, lowering her body until their chests were pressed together.

“Always,” he panted. His hands grasped her hips to help her movements.

“Say it, again,” she breathed in his ear. “Call me your love.”

He shivered. “My love.”

“Again.”

He cradled her face in his, kissing her lips. “My love.”

She shuddered over him, letting out a breathy moan, before she stilled. After a moment, she raised her head to look at him. Her eyes moved over his face slowly and she smiled. He gently rolled them and began to move over her. She sprawled out, a pleased smile on her face.

As he reached his end, she arched her back and let out a soft cry. When her eyes opened, they were so full of emotion he could not breathe. She raised a shaky hand to his cheek.

“I love you.”

His chest filled with warmth. “I love you.” He dipped his head to take her lips in a soft kiss. “I don’t think I’ll let you out of my sight after this.”

She laughed, eyes crinkled in happiness. “I don’t think I would go.”

He looked at her for a long minute, taking in her bright eyes and smiling lips. She was stunning. He gently moved away and lay on his side facing her. She turned to face him and he caught her hand in his.

“Is it too early to discuss names?” she asked, startling a laugh from him.

“Impatient, my love?”

She nodded. “Usually.”

“Very well,” he answered, brushing her hair back from her shoulder to kiss her skin. “What did you have in mind?”

She pursed her lips thoughtfully, one hand absently stroking his chest. “Something unique. For either a boy or girl.”

“Ananta? It means endless.”

She considered it. “Maybe, for a girl.”

He nodded. “It was my great-great-great grandmother’s name.”

“That’s a lot of greats,” she said with a smile.

He moved closer to kiss her. “I have heard she was quite great.”

“A good name for a daughter, then.” She followed his lips, kissing him back. “What about a boy?”

He quickly went through his ancestral names. “I had a great uncle named Adir and another named Jarek.”

She scooted closer to him and tucked her head under his chin. “What do they mean?”

He wrapped his arms around her. “Both mean strong and fierce.”

“I like them.”

“We have plenty of time to pick one,” he said against her hair. “Are you warm enough?”

She raised her head, a smile on her lips. “Is this what I should expect for the next eight months?”

He smiled back, considering her question. She was the person who meant more to him than any other. He nodded.

“For the next eight decades.” Or longer.

“Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other,

But in looking outward together in the same direction.”

-
Antoine de Saint
-
Exupéry

She was not sure how she ended up serving as both judge and jury, but looking out at the sea of faces she swallowed hard. The Dorn wanted Caern’s blood, a sentiment she did not completely understand. Gol explained it. As the future bonded of Dorn’s future king, Abby was considered Dorn royalty. She shook her head to herself.

Scanning the crowd, she saw many of the Dorn giving the Ghadrikans dark looks. In return, the Ghadrikans were causally examining their weapons. The Raena were the biggest surprise of the morning. Kaleen had brought a large group of guards with her and situated herself at the front of the room. She had been giving Abby encouraging looks for the past hour.

Finally, Edric appeared through the crowd. Behind him, half a dozen guards dragged a limp body. Abby’s eyes widened and she looked from Caern to Gol.

“What’s the deal? He is supposed to be getting a trial.”

Gol glanced at the badly beaten captive. “He lives. It was much to ask.”

She watched Caern climbed to his feet, a sneer on his face. “You think yourself fit to judge me, mixed breed—”

Edric whipped around and backhanded him before he could finish, sending the man flying. Abby watched with wide eyes, as he advanced on the man.

“If you ever insult my mate again, I will rip your tongue from your mouth,” Edric said in a fierce whisper.

Abby blinked at the threat. She was sure it was not normal for those word
s to make her feel warm and fuzzy inside. She cleared her throat.

“Let’s get started. The Dorn crown can go first.”

As discussed, Gol began his testimony of Caern’s guilt against the Dorn kingdom. As the laundry list of crimes grew, the Dorn second began to smirk. The smug expression grated on her nerves. After covering everything from planned genocide on Earth to murdering his brother, the late king’s second, Gol fell silent.

Abby glanced at Kaleen to see her watching Caern with tears in her eyes. “You killed him.”

Caern did not even spare her a glance, so he did not see when she flew at him. She scratched at his face and eyes like a woman possessed, screaming words in her own language. Candace hurried forward to extract her from the one-sided fight, but only after Caern’s face was covered in blood.

Abby turned her attention to Loreet. “Queen Loreet?”

Loreet glanced at her son. “I elect my son, Prince Edric, to speak on behalf of the crown, as it was his future mate who was acted upon.”

It was odd to hear herself referred to as if she were not present. She nodded to Edric.

“Go ahead.” She watched him take a deep breath, before he began to speak.

“My future bonded, Princess Abby of the Raena, was the victim of Caern.” He met her gaze. “She was taken from her place of residence, beaten, held captive, and finally sold at the beta intergalactic slave market.”

Hearing the crimes against her in his voice, seemed to make them more real. She tore her eyes away from his intense gaze and frowned at Caern. He sneered at her.

“What do you have to say for yourself?”

“I need not defend myself to a filthy—” He was on the ground before he could finish the insult.

Edric loomed over him, breathing hard, his hands balled into fists. “I ask that we

sentence him.”

“He needs to say his part.”

Edric glanced at her, his fury fading once his eyes landed on her face. “Nothing he says can account for his behavior. Nothing.”

There was a murmur of agreement from the crowd. She looked around to see the same vengeance in every gaze. It was tempting to give the man to them.

“What do you say, Prince Edric?”

He gave Caern a disgusted look. “Death.” The crowd surged forward in anticipation.

Abby turned her gaze to Kaleen. She had a vested interest in the proceedings, after all.

“Death,” she spat, before the question was asked. The usually quiet woman looked as if she were on the verge of tearing Caern apart with her bare hands.

Finally, Abby looked to Gol. He had a considering expression on his face as he frowned at his second. The look faded into one of amused satisfaction.

“King Gol?”

His smile widened when he looked at her. “Servitude.”

The crowd let out a roar of dissent and he turned to hiss at them. They fell silent and he returned his gaze to her.

“He should be stripped of the titles he worked so hard to take and sold to the Kevitrims.”

The crowd gasped. Abby glanced at Caern to see him staring at Gol in horror. She raised her eyebrows. His skin had lightened to a pale green and he looked vaguely ill. She had the feeling Gol had tossed out a punishment worse than death.

“We’ll vote,” she announced. “Show of hands. Who is for a death sentence?”

A few hands raised in the back. She nodded.

“And who is for servitude?”

The rest of the hands raised and Caern began to struggle against his guards. She
sat back in her chair. Vaguely aware of the hundreds of stares fastened on her, she pondered her decision. From Caern’s reaction and the excitement of the crowd, servitude to the Kevitrims was worse than death.

She knew she should shy away from giving a sentence, when she was not sure exactly what it entailed. There had to be a reason the bloodthirsty Dorn were pleased with their king’s proposal. She could be sentencing Caern to torture and death. Her moral compass was spinning wildly.

On the one hand, he had been responsible for thousands of deaths. He had caused pain and irreversible damage to millions of people. He had nearly caused a world ending war on her planet. Her eyes rose from her lap to look him in the eye. But, he was her uncle and his association had to mean something.

She thought of Keltrin, the father she would never know, and Alfred the father who could have been killed by Caern’s actions. Her gaze hardened. In her mind, she saw Caern’s face as he brandished the wrench. He had wanted to kill her. Worse, he had wanted to kill her baby.

“I have made my decision.” Many things she could forgive, but the threat to her baby was not one of them. “Servitude. Effective immediately.”

Caern let out a high screech, like nothing she had ever heard before. She watched him thrash wildly, screaming in his own language in his panic and rage. It was not until he was out of sight, that she allowed her decision to sink in. She had condemned a man to a punishment worse than death.

The warm hand on her chin brought her back from her thoughts. She let Edric lift her face to meet his gaze. His eyes moved over her, taking in her worried frown and pursed lips. In a fluid movement, he knelt at her feet, ignoring the members of the crowd still present.

“None of this is your fault.”

She looked away. “I just sent him to a punishment I don’t even understand.”

His eyes hardened for a moment, even as his hand was soft on the side of her face. “He deserved far more than he received. If I had my way…” He trailed off and shook his head. “He is lucky.”

Abby looked into his eyes, searching for any blame. There was none. She ducked her head and pressed their foreheads together.

“Can we get out of here, now?”

He huffed out a laugh against her lips. “Come with me.”

She took his offered hand and let him lead her from the dais where she had been sitting. The crowd parted for them without a word. She caught Kaleen’s eye as she passed. The other
woman’s eyes were full of tears, but she was smiling. Abby nodded her understanding.

She and Edric walked through the halls of the palace in silence, their fingers laced together. She was not sure where they were going, but the act of walking relaxed muscles she did not even realize were tense. Edric seemed to know how much she needed the silence to think.

When they finally came to a stop, they stood at the doorway to a vast garden. The space was filled with fragrant flowers and blooming trees. Most she did not recognize. She stepped out into the light and tugged Edric behind her unresisting, following the stone walkway through the low shrubs and flower beds.

The path curved between two large trees full of pink and purple flowers, before it came to white stone fountain. Abby paused at the small clearing and blinked several times. The scene did not change. The space was filled with every kind of lily she had ever seen. In the center, at a place of honor, a raised flower bed was full of tiger lilies.

She turned slowly to meet Edric’s gaze. “When?”

He looked at the flowers, then back at her. “That day in the garden. When you said you loved lilies.”

“But…that was before-you had no way of knowing I would ever come here.” She frowned at him in confusion.

“I know.” He smiled and it had a tinge of sadness. “It would have reminded me of you.”

Her eyes burned. “I don’t know what to do with you,” she muttered, before she threw herself at him.

He caught her with a wide grin. “I assume you like it.”

“Of course I do, you crazy man.” She kissed the underside of his jaw. “I want to bond with you.” She felt him shiver.

“Yes.” He nuzzled at her neck and she gasped when he grazed her skin with his teeth. “I want that very much.”

She pulled back to grin at him. “Next week?”

“Three days.”

“Tomorrow,” she said emphatically.

He nodded. “Done.”

…

He did not bother to tell Abby the plans for their bonding had been in place for over a month. His father had advised against showing how eager he truly was to bond with her. Gol had told him stories of his pursuit of Loreet and her fierce independence. So, Edric gave Abby her space for the rest of the day before their bonding ceremony.

He wandered the palace grounds, careful to stay away from the garden in case Abby chose that as her place of solitude. By the next morning, he had half convinced himself that she would change her mind. He needed to see her. He went to his father instead.

Gol answered seconds after he knocked, quickly ushering him into the rooms he shared with Loreet. When Edric sat and his father settled across from him, he simply stared at the older man. Their relationship was too new for him to feel comfortable opening up to him. Gol ended the awkward silence.

“She has not changed her mind. She will not.”

Edric’s eyes widened. “How did you—”

“You are not the first visitor this morning.”

“Abby was here? When? How is she?” He worked hard to keep the demanding edge from his tone, but knew he only partially succeeded.

Gol gave him an amused look. “She had the same concerns.” He held up a hand when Edric started to question him. “She’s eager for the afternoon.”

A weight lifted from his shoulders. “She is.” He smiled to himself. “Thank you.” He started to stand.

“Queen Kaleen has asked to see you.”

Edric paused. “Oh?”

Gol gave him an unreadable look. “She’s in the garden room.”

Edric considered his father’s expression as he made his way toward the smallest of the sitting rooms. While Kaleen was technically Abby’s mother, he knew she thought of the woman as a virtual stranger. He had no idea why the Raena queen would want to speak to him.

“Come in,” she called when he knocked on the door.

He entered the room and quickly found her sitting on the window seat. As Abby liked to do. The similarity made him give the foreign queen a small smile. She nodded in return and crossed the room to sit in a chair in the center of the room. He took the one across from her, without waiting for an invitation.

She raised an eyebrow. “Good morning.”

“Same to you. King Gol said you wished to speak with me.” There was no reason to skirt the issue.

She gave him an amused look. “A man who gets to the point. Commendable.” Her smile vanished. “I have a request to make of you.”

“What is it?” He watched her eyes move to the window.

“My daughter is with child.”

It was not a question, so he did not answer.

“I ask that your child be my heir.” She looked at him expectantly.

He stared at her. She appeared to be completely serious. He frowned. “That is Abby’s decision.”

She smiled. “I hoped you would say that. Abby has agreed on the condition that you have at least three children.”

His mate was a
s wise as she was beautiful. He nodded. “Then, it is settled.”

He left soon after it was decided and wandered the palace. Unerringly, he found himself in Abby’s garden, watching her where she sat in the bright light. She faced him with her head bent, something in her hands. It was only when the light glinted off it, he realized what she held.

The queen’s ring, lay in her palm. The symbol of the Ghadrikan Kingdom, given only to the ruler, and she had it. His chest filled with pride. She had accepted his mother’s offer. When they bonded, she would become not only his arammu but Queen of Ghadrik. Still smiling, he backed away before he could disturb her.