Eriste’s eyes widened. “I see.”
“Good.” I smiled at him, fighting back my anger. “Then it’s probably time we get back. We wouldn’t want to be late to the ball we’re hosting in your honor tonight, would we?”
“Of course not, Your Majesty.” Eriste’s lips were set in a thin line, the skin around them a pale, bloodless white. Obviously he hadn’t expected me to be quite so willing to stand up to him or my aunt’s suggestions. But if she wanted me to not suspect her of trying to take my throne, she was going to have to come to me.
“Let me escort you back, my queen.” John stepped forward and held out his hand, helping me to my feet. Strength flowed from him to me, keeping me upright.
“I think perhaps I’ll enjoy the gardens a bit more.” Eriste waved his hands again, twitching his fingers toward the now-empty platters, and the various bits of our picnic packed themselves back into his basket. “Your Majesty.”
“As you like,” John said. “We’ll leave the woodsmen guard with you, for your protection.”
“Thank you,” Eriste said, his voice tight and eyes blazing. So much for him using magic to send a message to my aunt now. Not with Eamon and the rest of his wizard-hating guardsmen standing watch. “But I don’t think that will be necessary.”
“Oh.” I smiled at him. “I insist. After all, there are giants out there. And trolls. And all sorts of creatures that have a bone to pick with wizards. I want to make sure that you’re safe.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty,” Eriste said through clenched teeth as he gave me a quick nod.
“It’s my pleasure.” I wrapped my hand around John’s forearm and gave my new ambassador the tiniest possible nod before turning on my heel and letting John escort me back toward the castle. The guardsmen around us stood at attention, their backs stiff and chins raised, as we passed.
“You know he plans on sending a message to Bavasama the minute he’s alone, don’t you?” John asked as soon as we were far enough away that Eriste couldn’t hear us.
“Yep,” I said, “and I’m pretty sure my aunt’s not going to be too pleased that he didn’t persuade me to come and stay with her.”
“I think you’re right.” John tightened his grip on my arm. “So, I take it that Timbago and I are not alone in our distrust of your aunt and her new ambassador?”
“Nope. I don’t like them, either. Any ideas she had about us being one big happy family should have disappeared the minute she left us here to die at the Fate Maker’s whim. I may not know a lot about families, but even I know that’s one of those big no-no’s.”
Chapter Four
“So how was it?” Winston asked about my meeting. It was later that afternoon, and we’d managed to sneak away for a bit. Winston had found a bench in a secluded spot of the formal gardens where we could sit, watching the sun set over the trees. Just like any other normal couple out for a walk, a couple whose biggest worry was school and prom and who was throwing a party this weekend.
“Crappy.” I leaned against his chest, and he brought his hands up and started massaging my shoulders. “It would have been better if you and Rhys had been there instead of taking off on me.”
“John thought it best that you meet the ambassador from Bathune without ‘your guard dogs.’ You know that’s what he calls us, right? Your guard dogs.”
I huffed and tugged at my braid. “That’s funny. He was there for the meeting. Him and the woodsmen guards.”
“Yeah.” Winston’s fingers kneaded deeper as he found a knot in the muscles along the top of my spine. “We talked about that, too. He thought you might need an adviser to keep the ambassador from bullying you, but he didn’t want too big a presence because he was afraid it would make you look weak.”
“The three of you shouldn’t be talking about me when I’m not there.” I pulled away and turned to glare at him. “I am the Golden Rose after all. I should be the one making the decisions.”
“We just didn’t want—”
“Don’t say you didn’t want to bother me with it. I’m supposed to be bothered. It’s my job,” I said, my fingers clenching in my skirt as I tried to swallow back my annoyance. They all seemed to go around me, making decisions in my best interest. Like I was just some kid and not a queen.
“But—”
“It’s my job.”
“Fine, you’re right. I’m sorry,” Winston said. “We were worried, though. The ambassador is dangerous.”
“I know he is, and I know it was better if I faced him without you and Rhys breathing down his neck, but you should have talked to me about it. This should have been a decision we made together. As a team.”
He leaned forward, his eyes glinting, a teasing smile playing on his lips. “Yes, Your Majesty. Is there anything else you want to tell me off about, Your Majesty?”
“Don’t start that Your Majesty stuff with me.” I gave him a quick kiss on the tip of his nose, thawing a little at the sight of the dimples that creased his cheeks. “Otherwise, the next time you’re in dragon form, I’ll have one of the soldiers use their pikes to shove your dirty socks up your own snout. And you know how helpless you are at picking things up once you no longer have thumbs.”
“You will not.”
“Right in the snout.” I tapped him on the nose and we both smiled.
“Oh yeah?” He wrapped his fingers around mine. “Then I guess I’ll have to become the big, bad dragon from all those fairy tales and burn down your castle.”
“You think you’re tough enough to manage that?” I stuck my tongue out at him, teasing.
He let go of my hands and started tickling my sides. “I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll burn the entire world down until I find you.”
“Really?” I laughed. “I bet the other dragons would be pretty ticked off if you tried. Since you and Ardere have put the rest of the aerie at work hauling stuff up to the roof for the guys to rebuild.”
“True.” Winston tapped his chin, trying not to smile and failing. “I’ll just have to come up with something else to do to you.”
“Like what?”
“Whoopee cushion on the throne during your next Great Hall thingy?”
“Oh, shut up and kiss me.” I latched my finger into the collar of his black, cotton tunic and pulled him forward.
“Is that a command, Your Majesty?” He pressed his lips against mine for a quick kiss and my toes curled. Somehow I was pretty sure kissing the handsome dragon who used to live across the street from me in the real world was something I would never get used to. Not that I would mind trying.
“Stop it with the Your Majesty stuff,” I muttered as he nuzzled along my chin with his nose. “I spent all day being Queen Alicia Munroe, Golden Rose of Nerissette. Right now I just want to be Allie.”
“Okay, then.” He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me closer. “So, Just Allie, will you go to the dance with me tonight?”
“I don’t know.” I leaned my head against his shoulder. “I might want to go with someone else.”
“Who?” Winston asked as he ran his fingers down my back. “The only other guy you could take is Rhys, and I don’t think Mercedes is going to be okay with that.”
“I could take Gunter of the Veldt. He’s out of the infirmary and his mother, the Lady Arianne, told me that he’s coming back to court tonight. It’s his first public outing since the battle. I told her I’d dance with him.”
“Hmm.” Winston kissed the top of my head. “I’ll have to talk to him then. See how he’s feeling.”
“Oh, stop.” I pulled back and smiled at him. “It’s one dance.”