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He sighed “I love you, Ker I am wants to surrender to you If ive it to you But I’m the last of the Grayhaven line, and I have a duty to the land and the people of Dena Nehele, and what Dena Nehele needs is more important than what I want for myself as a man or a Warlord Prince”
“What does that have to do with the other Warlord Princes leaving before I could choose my court?”
“There isn’t going to be a court”
Kermilla rolled her eyes “I can’t rule Dena Nehele without a formal court”
“I know I’m sorry I am so very sorry”
It took her ashe drew back a little
“There isn’t going to be a court,” Theran said quietly, just toto rule Dena Nehele”
“Why?” she wailed “Is it because you’rethat old pot?”
“In a way, it is about the wish pot Not because you broke it, but because all you see is an old pot that has no value to you And what that tells me is that in all theI said about Dena Nehele You’ve haven’t listened to anything I said about the people or our history or e need from a Queen”
“Well, I don’t need the Warlord Princes,” Kermilla said “I’ll just fill a First Circle with Warlords and—”
“If you try to form a court here, the Warlord Princes will kill you,” Theran said harshly
The color drained from her face “Theythreatened me?”
“When one Warlord Prince makes that kind of statement, it’s a threat When twenty-seven of them say that, it’s a declaration of war”
She swayed, and he wondered if she was going to be sick
“Who’s going to rule Dena Nehele?”
“It doesn’t matter What matters is it can’t be you And that’s why you have to leave”Before they co into pieces
“Leave?” She looked so young and so lostand so lovely “Why can’t I stay with you? You love me You said so!”
“You said it yourself the other day,” he replied gently “You’re a Queen If you stayed, you would want to rule As much as I would want that for you, I would have to oppose you for the good of the people We would destroy each other, Kermilla And ould destroy as left of Dena Nehele in the process”
She stared at hi
For a one But he saw it, and in that moment, he sahat the other Warlord Princes had seen in her—and understood why they never would have served her
Then thewoman who had dazzled him when he’d first met her She was lovely Kerer be his life
She leaned forward, her lips curved in a sexy sood-bye?” She laughed a little “That could take a day or two”
He wanted to yield Mother Night, hoanted to yield!
Gone before sunrise—or dead by tomorrow’s sunset That was all the time she had left if she stayed in Dena Nehele He shook his head “No”
“When am I supposed to leave that we can’t take that little time?”