“Your Grace, this is my mate, Kreslan Piers.”
“Nice to meet you again, King-Mate.” The duke gave a low bow.
Kres nodded. “Same here.” Vohne’s grip tightened on his waist, letting him know his voice was less than sincere.
The duke looked amused at Kres’ combative tone. “I’m glad to see you’ve reunited again. We all worried you wouldn’t come back.”
“So I hear. Now the question is why it took so long?” Vohne replied.
Hellbur frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Don’t you think it a little strange that it took me over a hundred years to return? Not to mention I didn’t appear for a major conflict.”
The duke straightened his tie as he looked back and forth between Vohne and Kres. “I thought you wanted a break or something. After hundreds of years of rule, you deserved some time off.”
“And you thought I’d take it in the middle of a crisis? That I’d let the Thresl mates be purged and not rush home?”
Hellbur paled. “You’re right, but in the middle of a war against our mates, it was difficult to think clearly.”
“I hear some people want to take his place,” Kres grumbled. He didn’t like the way the duke looked at his mate.
“There has been some talk.” The duke cast an apologetic look at Vohne. “You were gone a long time, Your Highness, but my house is eager to renew our vows to your service.”
Vohne gave a nod. “There will be a renewal ceremony tomorrow. It will be interesting to see who shows up.”
The duke gave an uncomfortable smile. “There are some who want to go their own way, claiming the monarchy is outdated. Some peoples’ memories have faded over time.”
This time it was Kres sending calming thoughts to his mate when he felt Vohne start to growl.
“Maybe it’s time to remind people why they need a king,” Vohne said in a cold voice.
* * * *
Kres spent the rest of the day pretending he was happy to meet people. He wished he had enhanced senses or superpowers or anything to help him sniff out the back-stabbing betrayers. To help catch the court members who’d tried to harm his mate and would try again.
As big as he talked, he could feel Vohne’s pain at his people’s betrayal. Even though he gave a good front as a calm and confident ruler, Kres could feel the insecurity and hurt Vohne hid just beneath the surface as they walked through the palace greeting people.
Vohne gripped Kres’ arm as if reading his unease. Considering their link, maybe Vohne did experience Kres’ emotions. He gave his lover a smile.
“Greetings, King and King-Mate.” A beautiful woman with shining black hair and sparkling blue eyes curtsied to them. Kres sized her up, wondering if the knife belted around her waist was ornamental or functional. He moved slightly in front of his lover until Vohne tightened his hold and pulled him back.
The woman’s mouth quirked into a smile. “I’d heard you were protective, but I hadn’t heard the king couldn’t take care of himself.”
Kres bared his teeth in a facsimile of a smile. “Want me to show you what I can do with your knife?”
She laughed, but he noticed she did add a little space between the king and herself. “I am Niafe, daughter of Lady Nelb. I’ve come to warn you, Your Highness, my mother means you ill will.”
“And you just happened to come by to warn us because you’re such a devoted subject?” Kres asked, his voice heavy with sarcasm.
“Easy, mate,” Vohne murmured in his ear. “No reason to kill the messenger.”
“She’s not the messenger. A messenger would be someone carrying a message from one person to another. She’s the source,” Kres corrected his mate.
“I have a message from my mother,” Niafe offered with a shy smile.
Vohne gave Kres a smug look.
Kres scuffed his boot on the ground then afterwards felt guilty. Some worker would probably stay up all night obsessing about that smudge on the surface of his shiny boots. Maybe he’d hide them when he got back to the
“Nice to meet you again, King-Mate.” The duke gave a low bow.
Kres nodded. “Same here.” Vohne’s grip tightened on his waist, letting him know his voice was less than sincere.
The duke looked amused at Kres’ combative tone. “I’m glad to see you’ve reunited again. We all worried you wouldn’t come back.”
“So I hear. Now the question is why it took so long?” Vohne replied.
Hellbur frowned. “What do you mean?”
“Don’t you think it a little strange that it took me over a hundred years to return? Not to mention I didn’t appear for a major conflict.”
The duke straightened his tie as he looked back and forth between Vohne and Kres. “I thought you wanted a break or something. After hundreds of years of rule, you deserved some time off.”
“And you thought I’d take it in the middle of a crisis? That I’d let the Thresl mates be purged and not rush home?”
Hellbur paled. “You’re right, but in the middle of a war against our mates, it was difficult to think clearly.”
“I hear some people want to take his place,” Kres grumbled. He didn’t like the way the duke looked at his mate.
“There has been some talk.” The duke cast an apologetic look at Vohne. “You were gone a long time, Your Highness, but my house is eager to renew our vows to your service.”
Vohne gave a nod. “There will be a renewal ceremony tomorrow. It will be interesting to see who shows up.”
The duke gave an uncomfortable smile. “There are some who want to go their own way, claiming the monarchy is outdated. Some peoples’ memories have faded over time.”
This time it was Kres sending calming thoughts to his mate when he felt Vohne start to growl.
“Maybe it’s time to remind people why they need a king,” Vohne said in a cold voice.
* * * *
Kres spent the rest of the day pretending he was happy to meet people. He wished he had enhanced senses or superpowers or anything to help him sniff out the back-stabbing betrayers. To help catch the court members who’d tried to harm his mate and would try again.
As big as he talked, he could feel Vohne’s pain at his people’s betrayal. Even though he gave a good front as a calm and confident ruler, Kres could feel the insecurity and hurt Vohne hid just beneath the surface as they walked through the palace greeting people.
Vohne gripped Kres’ arm as if reading his unease. Considering their link, maybe Vohne did experience Kres’ emotions. He gave his lover a smile.
“Greetings, King and King-Mate.” A beautiful woman with shining black hair and sparkling blue eyes curtsied to them. Kres sized her up, wondering if the knife belted around her waist was ornamental or functional. He moved slightly in front of his lover until Vohne tightened his hold and pulled him back.
The woman’s mouth quirked into a smile. “I’d heard you were protective, but I hadn’t heard the king couldn’t take care of himself.”
Kres bared his teeth in a facsimile of a smile. “Want me to show you what I can do with your knife?”
She laughed, but he noticed she did add a little space between the king and herself. “I am Niafe, daughter of Lady Nelb. I’ve come to warn you, Your Highness, my mother means you ill will.”
“And you just happened to come by to warn us because you’re such a devoted subject?” Kres asked, his voice heavy with sarcasm.
“Easy, mate,” Vohne murmured in his ear. “No reason to kill the messenger.”
“She’s not the messenger. A messenger would be someone carrying a message from one person to another. She’s the source,” Kres corrected his mate.
“I have a message from my mother,” Niafe offered with a shy smile.
Vohne gave Kres a smug look.
Kres scuffed his boot on the ground then afterwards felt guilty. Some worker would probably stay up all night obsessing about that smudge on the surface of his shiny boots. Maybe he’d hide them when he got back to the
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