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Valda sniffed her laughter. Her eyes drifted shut as she relished the softness of Maris’s hands. “Wherever you go, I go.”

Maris’s lips curled into a soft smile. “Really?”

“I promise.” Her large hands settled on Maris’s waist, pulling her close as she tilted her head, silently asking the Sealian for a kiss.

Maris couldn’t deny her anything. She fisted her short dark hair and mashed her lips against Valda’s in a slow yet passionate kiss.

***

When Maris walked down the stairs, Valda was patiently waiting for her in the cabin’s living space. She was sitting by the small fire, her elbows resting on her knees. The queen automatically turned the second she heard the board of the stairs creak underneath Maris’s weight.

“Ready?” Maris asked, her hand slipping to grab hold of Valda’s.

“If you are,” Valda answered, giving her fingers a tight squeeze before letting Maris place her hand over her shoulder.

Maris wore a dark blue, sleeveless tunic with a black girdle tied to her midriff and a deep cut down her cleavage, accentuating her large breasts. Tight white pants covered her long legs down to her knees, while calves-high boots protected her feet. She felt awkward. She had never worn full Sealian clothing in her life, and Skylian clothing was much lighter.

Taking a deep breath, Maris straightened her shoulders as she changed into the role of New Agenor’s representative and the Queen’s helper. She opened the door and left House of Arago.

The square was loud with life. Laughter and conversation filled the cold night with the warmth of family and friends. Kids ran around between the cabins and met up at the square to regroup and run off again. Musicians tuned their instruments, and the conversation grew as more people approached.

Maris felt her body tense the closer she got to the fire pit. She saw familiar faces she recognized from her meal when they had first arrived, but there were also new faces that stopped talking to stare at her as if remembering her from some other place.

If Valda could feel her tension, she was doing an amazing job at ignoring it. Maris wasn’t quite sure she was able to hide her nervousness. She threw all the protocol out the window as her hand fetched Valda’s hand and squeezed it over her shoulder.

A deep rumble escaped the queen’s chest, and it rolled through her body onto Maris’s. “My offer still stands,”Valda whispered, close to the curve of her ear. “We can go back to the cabin.”

Maris shook her head, her hair brushing against Valda’s face. “I will get over it,” she whispered. “I will be fine.”

“I am here. Say the word and we are gone.”

A sudden jerk to her tunic made Maris snap her gaze down. A child, no older than seven, grinned at her. The child’s smile was missing a couple of teeth. His hair was unruly, wild, and deep blue.Maris smiled back awkwardly before greeting him with a confused, “Hi?”

“Are you a newcomer?”

Valda arched her eyebrow. “A child?”

Ignoring Valda’s question, Maris lowered herself to be at eye level with the kid. “Hi. What’s your name?”

“Coljar.” The boy smiled again.

“Coljar!” Maris yelped. “That’s a pretty name!”

“If you are a newcomer you have to come near the fire!” Coljar said, grabbing Maris’s hand and dragging her away from Valda.

“Wait!” Maris turned just in time to see the queen raise her hand searching for her. “I will be right back!”

Valda stood in her own darkness, surrounded by people and conversations she didn’t pay attention to. Maris’s scent was whisked away by the smell of food.

She was afraid to move an inch, afraid to bump into something or someone. She moved her hand to her back and pulled out her white cane. She unfolded it, and although she felt the ground underneath her, she stood motionless until a hand clenched her elbow. Valda tensed as she jerked and moved to the side. “Who—”

“Don’t just stand there. Come.”

Eyphah’s voice broke through the din. With a loud growl, she yanked her arm away from Eyphah’s grip, staggering as she took a couple of unsure steps. “Do not put your hands on me.”

Eyphah sighed. “I am sorry. I didn’t want the almighty Queen to look like a dumbass standing there.”

“Why do you care?”