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"Maybe you didn’t"

"Yeah, except the cuffs are in the training hall now"

I frowned

"Look, it doesn’t , really--I’ve seen it happen before, you know In trauma situations, families of victims can quite often experience otta tell you, baby, the things that went through"I wanted to rip shreds off anyone who’d ever touched you I wanted to kill David for not being here to protect you I was so blindly angry I actually punched him in the face"

"Really?"

"Yeah" He looked at his fist "He shoulda been here He shoulda been here all along, and none of this woulda happened"

I rubbed his chest, letting out the breath I’d been holding "It’s okay, Mike I’uards on ed out of his head

"Yeah Can’t have you losing sleep"

He kissed my hand "Thanks, Ara"

"No worries"

David woke early, slinking out bed without disturbing the covers, and left the rooers Outside, the croed and the excites to come could almost be heard in the very breath of the earth Today, Mother Nature gained a king; today, David would don his cereether, ould spill blood on the Stone

I knehere he was going when he left--knew he needed to run--needed to clear his head because, in his mind, today reat respect for royalty, and to beco was an honour I knew he felt deeper than any of us could understand But that wasn’t why he went running He went because this also marked one of the first items in his Inventory of Death All he needed after today was to get er, and then, he believed, he’d be going to his death--leaving me and our unborn child alone, possibly to fall into Jason’s aret a cat, but eternally and definitely safe from Drake He loved me thatto die, never to hold her

I rolled the covers back and sat up, feeling the summer heat in the floorboards underdouble-breasted white coat David would wear to be crowned in sat on the

I wandered over and ran old buttons, over the tasselled epaulettes on the shoulders and across the blue sash I iined this being the happiest day of our lives--one not spoiled by Drake; i the truth about what I planned to do with Arthur, so that maybe, when that crown touched his head, he could rejoice his rise as king, not

"Ara?" The door popped open and David walked in

"Hey"

"Hey, why are you awake so early?"

"I orried about you"

"Me?" He lifted his shirt off "Why?"

I shrugged one shoulder

"Seriously" He stood beside , sweetheart? It’s not like I have to do the Walk of Faith"

"I know," I said, looking away froe to throw hihting so me about"

"Whatain

"My love" He swept ainst his bare chest "I love you, okay And I’ht"

"I knoill" I looked up at hiht"

He stared into hts, but all he got was a firht behind theht I would not let hio--not let him die to savewill be all right"

The rounds were coloured with faces froether, all united to celebrate I s each one as I walked toward the Throne Roouests and visitors Everyone was charged with the sah I drew on their energy and could relate it, the deeper concern for David’s e all that up

I stopped by the common room and waltzed inside to where Arthur sat in a chair by the , staring off thoughtfully into the bright summer day

"Arthur?"

"My dear" He reached his hand out

I took it and sat down on the arm of his chair "Are you okay?"

"Splendid"

"You look sad," I said, cocking ht be a better word"

I slid down onto the tiny spot next to hi him to shift over a little "Are you worried about David?"

He leaned his elbow on the arhtly to look at me "I’m more concerned about you, actually"

"Me? Why?"

"I’h with this plan--to have a child And once that crown touches my nephew’s head, you will have no choice--if you want to keep him"

"I know" I looked down "But, I have a bit of a proble er But if I sleep with hinant and--"

"Don’t worry" He pattedyou now He and I have coement?"

He cleared his throat quietly as he looked down "He ca his dark conscience--toldforced to create life under the wrong circumstances He said if he was ever to father a child, it should be out of love, not force, and he asked that I reconsider ued a few very good points"

"What did you decide?"