Page 150 of Enchanted Throne


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He gently placed my crown on my head and then rested his head on mine, crown to crown. “I know these joint parliament sessions in the throne room are not your favorite, but I also want to remind you how powerful it is that you are even posing as the proxy right now. Were it not for you, my father likely would’ve already caved and given into Savaryn’s demand for a tax increase.” He inhaled deeply before brushing a quick kiss to my lips. “You are making a difference, love, even now. And you are showing parliament where you stand. That you are not to be shoved around.”

I inhaled deeply. “Thank you for reminding me of that. It all just feels so... insignificant with everything else going on. I don’t want to sit through three hours of this. I want to spend time in the forest healing trees. I want to spend time with you. Arguing about things that will never get passed and do not matter is worthless to Wylan right now.”

“I agree, but even just your presence there matters.”

I pulled back and smiled. “Okay, My Prince. You have adeptly inspired me for another boring day. Shall we?”

“In a moment.” Without warning he pulled me back into him and kissed me.

As he deepened the kiss and trailed his fingers down my back, I conveniently forgot we needed to go anywhere at all. I wasn’t sure I even knew my own name I was so focused on his touch and the trail of his fingertips. Dangerous fingertips that could immobilize a man in mere moments with the power of his magic yet were so gentle and potent in the way in which they touched and held me.

The door opened. I heard footsteps clomp in. “Hey,” Owen greeted us, amusement on his tone.

Neither of us moved, but we did at least stop kissing.

“We have to leave for parliament. Or were you two planning on skipping today?”

Krew just closed his eyes and rested his head on my forehead.

“Hey,” Owen repeated, snapping his fingers twice. “We need to go.”

“Can I just use my princess powers and demand he get out?” I asked Krew.

“We are already late enough as is,” Owen said exasperatedly.

Krew moved but took my hand in his. “Why didn’t you say so?”

I smirked, knowing he hated being late to things.

Owen rolled his eyes. “You two are annoying.”

With a giggle from me, we finally left.

Sure enough, we entered in through a side door. I wanted to be embarrassed or feel bad considering we were late only because Krew got a little carried away, but I really wasn’t.

As soon as I took my proper proxy throne, the king leaned over, resting his elbow on the arm of his seat closest to me. “You’re late.”

I smiled at him in faux sweetness. “A man has needs you know.”

Krew choked on a laugh, having heard me.

The king rolled his eyes.

It was one of my absolute favorite new things to do in making him uncomfortable. I didn’t care how much of a harlot it made me appear. If he was uncomfortable, I was there for it.

Just when I was beginning to feel the exhaustion of the late night before settle in, choosing to speak with Krew through our bond so that I didn’t fall asleep in my chair, I heard the name “Brakken” and snapped my attention back to parliament.

Keir cleared his throat. “After Jorah’s ability to bring the lake back to life after all this time, I thought it best we reach out to Brakken and see if they have had any change in their Enchantment being stuck. If the disease which decimated their magic was finally weakening there as well.”

The king listened but didn’t seem unnerved. Likely because he knew it wasn’t. And I knew he was to blame for this so-called disease. I didn’t have proof. But I knew it. Then again, I had thought I knew in my gut the sword was the object holding the queen’s magic, and I had been wrong about that. Was it possible I was wrong about this too?

“And?” Mr. Winston asked.

Keir gave his head a shake. “My correspondent I sent to Brakken has reported back that there has been no change in their magic. But word of our lake finally being healed has spread there. Though a large population of Brakken’s Enchanted believe their powers are dead and gone forever, those who had never quite given up are renewed in their hopes.”

“Need I remind you,” the man I only knew as Martese began, the same elderly parliament member who had stood up to the king, “if Dra Skor comes back into the full power of their own magic, the tension between their country and ours might also be renewed.”

The king swatted a hand, the ruby ring on his thumb reflecting the light with the movement. “I understand your concern, Martese, but while the rest of the countries have been struggling to retain their powers, Wylan has been strengthening ours. Because of our efforts to keep the disease from our shores, we have been stronger over the last ten years, and they know that. Not to mention the blow their economy had when the disease hit. They are still recovering from that alone. It would take an act of sheer idiocy on their part to attack us the moment their magic came back. And even if they did, we could handle it.”