to speak. There was no reason for him to talk to her at all , she knew, but now that it had been established that she was in charge of him, no one could help him even if she thought anyone would.
“Where is she?” Elizabeth had been thinking of the first time she’d seen Phillip when Rythen finally spoke. “Where is Kim now?”
“Home. She demanded that Aaron take her there, and as your mate, he has no choice but to listen to her.” Elizabeth got up and moved to the window to look at the new forest. “It’s nearly complete. All the faeries have been planting seedlings for hours and some of them are already sprouting.”
“I didn’t think it would work.” She nodded as a large tree started to spread its branches and reach for the sky. “There was a great deal of power given freely today. I wonder why they would help me.”
“They didn’t. I asked and they said they’d do anything for me.” She glanced at him before looking out the window. “I know you have a low opinion of the way I ran things , but everyone here seems to like me. And would, as you’ve found out, do anything I ask of them.”
“I’m beginning to see that.” He shifted on the bed , and she put a pillow behind his head. “Thank you.”
“Kim is living with an abusive boyfriend. He hits her a great deal, and one day I fear he’ll kill her. She will not leave him because she feels that she deserves no more than him.” Elizabeth thought of her own mate and knew that he’d die before he caused her any hurt. “Her father abused her, as well as anyone that thought to make themselves feel better by hitting her. She’s very…I was going to say fragile, but I don’t think that word suits when she is with you.”
“No, she has no problem standing up to me. ” Elizabeth continued to watch the field. It was coming along so nicely, and the flowers that had been planted just that afternoon were sprouting true leaves. The trees, which were saplings that had been taken from Avalon, were doing well too. She turned to Rythen.
“I remember meeting Phillip the first time as if it were yesterday. He’d been watching over a man you’d brought in to see to something.” Rythen nodded, smiling. “Do you remember him?”
“Yes. He was a pompous fool. He actually told me that making the seer of magic a woman would be a grave mistake. I told him someone needed to be there who would have a temper to match mine and would have a will to only rule. I guess I did well in that area with you.” He looked at the painting in the wall of the Tree of Life. “I never meant for you to have children.”
She sat down. Never have…? “Why not? And if you didn’t, then how did I have Mathew and Savannah?”
“Those damned Fates. I had told them what I was doing, that coming up with a woman to rule forever would be the only way to make the worlds work. We knew that there would be problems. But a continuity throughout the centuries would have made dealing with them so much better.” He looked at her. “I was gone but ten minutes. And when I returned, I knew they had done something but had never…it wasn’t until I returned after Mathew was born that I realized what had happened. Then when Savannah was born some years later, I knew it was for the best. They made you happy.”
“They made me very happy. And how do you feel about Mel? Do you think she could run the kingdom without guidance?” She waited for him to answer, but when he didn’t, she stood up. “You can admit that you’ve made a mistake. It will change nothing. You’re still going to end my life.”
“It was a mistake.”
Those four words meant more to her than she thought possible. Elizabeth knew that he’d not change his mind about the other. And when he didn’t continue, she stood to watch the progress again. In the few minutes that she’d looked away, so much had changed.
“When I created Avalon to have a place to go, I never dreamed it would come to mean so much to so
“Where is she?” Elizabeth had been thinking of the first time she’d seen Phillip when Rythen finally spoke. “Where is Kim now?”
“Home. She demanded that Aaron take her there, and as your mate, he has no choice but to listen to her.” Elizabeth got up and moved to the window to look at the new forest. “It’s nearly complete. All the faeries have been planting seedlings for hours and some of them are already sprouting.”
“I didn’t think it would work.” She nodded as a large tree started to spread its branches and reach for the sky. “There was a great deal of power given freely today. I wonder why they would help me.”
“They didn’t. I asked and they said they’d do anything for me.” She glanced at him before looking out the window. “I know you have a low opinion of the way I ran things , but everyone here seems to like me. And would, as you’ve found out, do anything I ask of them.”
“I’m beginning to see that.” He shifted on the bed , and she put a pillow behind his head. “Thank you.”
“Kim is living with an abusive boyfriend. He hits her a great deal, and one day I fear he’ll kill her. She will not leave him because she feels that she deserves no more than him.” Elizabeth thought of her own mate and knew that he’d die before he caused her any hurt. “Her father abused her, as well as anyone that thought to make themselves feel better by hitting her. She’s very…I was going to say fragile, but I don’t think that word suits when she is with you.”
“No, she has no problem standing up to me. ” Elizabeth continued to watch the field. It was coming along so nicely, and the flowers that had been planted just that afternoon were sprouting true leaves. The trees, which were saplings that had been taken from Avalon, were doing well too. She turned to Rythen.
“I remember meeting Phillip the first time as if it were yesterday. He’d been watching over a man you’d brought in to see to something.” Rythen nodded, smiling. “Do you remember him?”
“Yes. He was a pompous fool. He actually told me that making the seer of magic a woman would be a grave mistake. I told him someone needed to be there who would have a temper to match mine and would have a will to only rule. I guess I did well in that area with you.” He looked at the painting in the wall of the Tree of Life. “I never meant for you to have children.”
She sat down. Never have…? “Why not? And if you didn’t, then how did I have Mathew and Savannah?”
“Those damned Fates. I had told them what I was doing, that coming up with a woman to rule forever would be the only way to make the worlds work. We knew that there would be problems. But a continuity throughout the centuries would have made dealing with them so much better.” He looked at her. “I was gone but ten minutes. And when I returned, I knew they had done something but had never…it wasn’t until I returned after Mathew was born that I realized what had happened. Then when Savannah was born some years later, I knew it was for the best. They made you happy.”
“They made me very happy. And how do you feel about Mel? Do you think she could run the kingdom without guidance?” She waited for him to answer, but when he didn’t, she stood up. “You can admit that you’ve made a mistake. It will change nothing. You’re still going to end my life.”
“It was a mistake.”
Those four words meant more to her than she thought possible. Elizabeth knew that he’d not change his mind about the other. And when he didn’t continue, she stood to watch the progress again. In the few minutes that she’d looked away, so much had changed.
“When I created Avalon to have a place to go, I never dreamed it would come to mean so much to so
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