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I accepted their pledges and dismissed them No caste would be welcome in the royal palace until some time elapsed and I sent ht be anization necessary before I could be content with the strength of my rule in the city

Heartsblood, the Iht, came last He was a little suishable apart froible power he radiated “You have shown

He dropped to his knees without being asked I read fear in his alien face and a silent question Greydusk had been serving ; would I reward him for that? It was not beyond the realm of possibility that I would wrest poay from Heartsblood and bestow it upon my favorite—a capricious decision, yes, but one worth considering In ages past, I would’ve done it without a second thought I let the knight kneel in terror for several long htfully

“Hoould you reward one such as Greydusk? He is ht hand”

“There is no higher honor,” Heartsblood rejoined

Ah, clever I decided I liked this Imaron With five slim words, he intimated that his own station was already lesser than the one Greydusk had attained through his own merits, and therefore an insult to him, should it be offered as a prize In the same breath, he honored me; the compliment ell crafted—masterful, truly

Amusement shone in my expression “You are kind to say so”

“I would swear my oath, if it pleases Your Majesty”

“It does”

He was quick again, this ti Heartsblood trotted the, but with every indication of sincerity When he finished, I said, “On your feet, Knight of the Imaron I am pleased with your alacrity In tilorious new era Until then, be watchful onthat troubles you”

“Do you expect insurgency, Your Majesty?”

Here, I hesitated While his as pleasing, I didn’t trust him “It is always best to anticipate trouble That way one may be surprised for the better and prepared for the worst”

The Iht flashed a mouthful of teeth “Spoken like a true queen”

“You will keep your finger on the city’s pulse?”

“I swear it”

I dish to keep his word on that alone; and if not, then gratitudehis loyalty was absolute Instead, I chose to give Heartsblood an opportunity to prove hi myself, but I couldn’t rule this city without allies Soh respect

Deep weariness tre motionless on either side ofday—and how odd that I would consider such a thing

“Go to your barracks now,” I said “I a from the public eye Clear the hall and the antechamber I’ll see no one else today”

Mustering the last vestige of regal dignity, I swept from the throne room and down the hall De the tiles to a high shine, lowered their faces so they could see nothing but the hem of my robe I missed the freedom of the trousers and boots I’d worn on the streets, but since I wouldn’t be engaging in personal combat, I bowed to tradition and worecourt

Deep down I hated it

Soht once I pulled together the shambles of my court, the painful dissatisfaction would fade But it hadn’t With a soft sigh, I went to e

The future lay before ly bleak and endless I don’t want to be queen I want—the thought was too foreign for ht My head ached in the worst way, and I dug my knuckles into my temples Nausea rose to acco I sat like that, but a soft touch on my shoulder roused me

My vision was spotty I turned, wondering what they needed now “Yes?”

“You don’t look good” Shannon sat down across from me; she and Chance were the only ones who entered et Aleve here”

“No” And I feared taking a deht affect my human body in some unpredictable way In tiickal alternatives And I needed to think about the question of aging, as to how it pertained to the three of us Deer natural life spans

“Have you been avoiding me?” That was like her, soet in her way And I respected her for it

“Definitely not There’s just so much to do”

But I had been, because I didn’t want her to realize how different I’d become

“Are you sure it’s not because of Jesse?”

For aabout Then the h: a tall, lean cop with a cowboy’s walk, tawny hair, and a Texas drawl But I didn’t feelto me Never had

“Honestly, I don’tdeep for some memories and the pain in my skull eased “I was never really with him anyway Not like you”

“But he was into you Not me I just walked into the vacancy”

That sparked a stronger response, a chemical reaction in my tired brain The pain blossoht side of the glass, no longer screaain

“There , Shan Maybe he focused on me because I was suitable You’re the one he’s not allowed to have without people judging”

“I’rily

With a s of surprise, I realized she was I’d et spell I neveras it did It ”