Page 61 (1/1)
Later, Rhiannon spoke with her children, asking thes expressed worry about their brother’s sadness A word she would never use with Fearghus He wasn’t as exuberant as Éibhear or as lusty as Gwenvael or as cocksure as Briec He wasn’t even brutish and grumpy like her Bercelak Instead, he lived quietly and calmly He only became upset when he couldn’t have time to himself He left the court earlier than any of her others because he couldn’t stand the noise or his siblings constantly pestering his She prided herself on understanding all her hatchlings She understood them better than any of them realized She knew he needed to be alone And even when he took the throne as king, he’d be the sae that Or hi Because of the girl, people no dragons could shift into huh hopes for, only spoke of hter, heir to her Magick and power, actually served the hu, Rhiannon becairl seduced her son--and clearly the rest of her faht before she irl had absolutely no feminine wiles to speak of A hard warrior who risked death so she could protect all her tiny hu to her as "it" the moment she took her flame She screa But once the process changed her body, the girl had gone on to take her brother’s head, become ruler of all Dark Plains and Garbhán Isle, and still unite with a dragon All in the same day
That still impressed Rhiannon But now she had an unhappy son and she blairl A year had passed The fehty fist and now she needed to return to her irl changed her e her mind
Rhiannon’s offer to Annas sihus now or suffer h the castle, her children trailing behind her, Keita desperately trying to cover up her mother’s nakedness with a cloak Her children had arrived a bit earlier and were already dressed They lived aot how much the humans’ own bodies caused theh to pull the cloak on, but stopped and halted her children at the sound of Annwyl’s voice
"So the ruust "You have on"
"Very true But, of course, if it bothers you, Lord Hamishplease, feel free to come and take my throne from me"
Rhiannon exchanged glances with her children See the tiny hus off the arht She looked in the eye of each and every head of the Houses before her She tired of ga With all the Houses present, the tin and her
"Perhaps this is as good a time as any to clarify the situation for all That way there are no hus the Destroyer, the Black Dragon of Dark Plains He is my mate and my consort With him I shall rule I understand if any of you have a problem with this And please, feel free to try and take my throne from me" She lowered her voice to a whisper, but it razored across the silent hall like a shout "Please"
She waited When none stepped forward she turned her back But the flicker of Danelin’s eyes alerted her They’d weathered ether and sometimes all you had time for was a look or one word She knew exactly what he needed to tell her and she moved with her usual speed and brutality
Annwyl pulled the jeweled dagger Fearghus gave her so long ago fro it behind her The blade skewered the throat of a member of the House of Adha ed itself right in his neck His big body crashed to the floor, causing everyone but Annwyl and her troops to ju it all settle in for everyone present Then she looked over the faces of the nobles "Anyone else?" No one uess we are all clear now"
She sat back on the throne, watching as Halanced at Danelin "Are we done now?"
He leaned in low so only Annwyl could hear him
"There were to be three more, but I believe they hs heavy on my heart, Danelin," she muttered under her breath
He raised an eyebrow "I can see that, Annwyl" All her original troops from her squire to Brastias still called her by her name only, without the formality of title and she would not have it any other way
"Annwyl the Bloody!" A voice rang out across the hall, startling Annwyl and Danelin as well as the entire court "You speak of your mate and yet you are not with hih her veins like blood It must have been on her face as well; Danelin stepped back from her, his hand on his sword, while Brastias and her troops moved in closer Whether they orried for her or about her she did not know