Page 31 of Enchanted Shadows (The Enchanted Kingdom #6)

T he day of our reception had finally arrived. It was our day of rest, the maze trial set for the following day. And here we were, in the middle of training and everything else, having a damn wedding reception.

Though most of the people present were clued into the real reason behind our sham marriage, because of the staff and guards present, we were to make it look believable.

Which meant Kessara and I would be inseparable and would spend the night at the castle before heading back over for the maze trial in the morning.

Krew and Jorah had demanded it. And when the king and queen made that call, the training rules had to bend.

I was annoyed. What was the point? We were already married.

Her ex would show his face soon enough. Hopefully after our training break arrived so I had more free time to prepare and understand who I was facing.

Based on all I already knew, maybe it was best to kill first, ask questions later.

But if he was part of a preferred family in Agria, a bit of diplomacy would be needed.

Diplomacy was overrated .

Kessara was looking lovely again in a silky white gown which hugged in all the right places.

“Are you done being angry with me for burnout?” she asked as we left the cabin. “I ate all my meals the last few days, and only used my Enchantments in small doses.”

I let out a sigh. “Yes and no. I’m still pissed neither of us thought to ease you back into things. I’m just spread a little thin right now with the end of training rapidly approaching. The final trial tomorrow.”

“Exactly. So why would you sign up for this?” she asked, as she tucked her hand around my bicep as we walked.

“Kessara,” I snapped. “Can you stop it with all the asking if I’m backing out or wanting an annulment and all of that talk? I’m not. I need to get to the end of training; I’ll have time enough then for some damn sleep, and things will ease up a bit.”

Her voice went quiet as she said, “I still just can’t wrap my head around why you would help me. I know you’d help Molly like this. Or Jessina. I know you’d run through a wall for Wren. I annoyed you often; I wasn’t ever one of your favorites.”

“You were my favorite from the moment you demanded I teach them how to punch.”

That seemed to surprise her, as she gave her head a little shake.

I continued, “If anyone else would have been caught going to The Dead Lake after I had specifically asked you to go in groups, they would’ve found their ass out.”

“But not me?”

“Not you,” I agreed. “I refuse to let you go anywhere until you see what I do. Realize what you are capable of. And while we are on that topic, I’ve seen what your dual Enchantments can do. Do you really think Calix stands a chance?”

She swallowed and took a moment before admitting, “I freeze up around him and Damek. They get in my head and my reaction time hurts because of it. Magic to magic? Maybe I could beat him, but it’s the mind games and word games that I falter under.

They toy with my emotions. And it works every damn time. ”

How did she not see how strong she was? How strong she’d been since she’d walked a step onto Wylan’s shores, joining a team and hiding her true identity in an effort to protect her little brother.

“Kessara, please don’t mistake my being short with you these past few days as my wanting to back out, or regret.

I am tired. I am stressed. And I am not at all used to the attention we are about to receive. ”

“I don’t like castle events either,” she admitted. “But I’m good at faking it through them.”

“Well, you are going to have to carry the team tonight,” I told her.

“The team? Like the Slay Sisters? Or just you and me?”

“You and me. Team Raikes.”

She thought for a moment. “We could always bail early. On account of marital bliss.”

I smirked.

“Are we going to have to kiss again?” she asked me.

I gave my head a shake and headed us intentionally away from the meadow. “I doubt it, but we will have to dance.”

My family was here, both my actual family and the one I found. Krew and Jorah. Keir and Esta. All the children. Miles. Emric. John. We were to eat what I hoped was an amazing meal together, but first we had a social hour.

Kessara was staying attached to my hip, with the exception of when Amos, and who I had to assume was her brother Artem, walked in .

She ran for him, hugging him tightly.

Artem looked to be about fifteen years old, in that thin and gangly stage of puberty.

Realizing that he was only beginning to figure out how to wield the shadows like Kessara, I was hit with anger all over again toward her brother Damek.

He wanted Artem removed from the line of succession before he could gain any real sort of power.

It reeked of desperation. It was a move Theon would’ve approved of, and for that reason alone, he could never be allowed near a throne.

But who were we to dictate who Agria could put on the throne?

Kessara pulled Artem over to me. “This is Owen. Owen, this is my youngest brother, Artem.”

“I was hiding in the house the day he came to interrogate Amos,” Artem told her. “I saw him, but we didn’t exactly meet.” His attention switched to me. “Hi.”

The house hadn’t been that big, but we hadn’t really searched it either. “Good to finally meet you.” I reached out and shook his hand. The kid had a firm grip, but not too firm.

“Thank you. For being willing to help us.”

I turned toward Amos. “No news yet?” He’d been checking in often, and I had to say I liked the man.

He gave his head a shake. “No. Granted it’s not as easy to overhear gossip here as it was among the shadows of Nerede at the docks. But it could be any day now. I suspect even if he has already arrived, he will wait out the dragon queen’s departure before he stirs up any trouble.”

That somewhat surprised me.

“We all know they travel with an entourage. And Agrians are close enough to Dra Skor to have a healthy respect for dragons,” he explained.

“It’s hard not to when you can easily become snackified,” I agreed .

Amos and Artem laughed.

“Owen,” my mother said to my back. I had been so busy getting congratulations and being passed around, I had seen her from afar but not spoken with her yet. Amos and Artem moved to grab drinks, passing us off to the next clump of people.

I tugged my wife over to me. “Kessara, these are my parents.”

“Lovely to meet you finally,” she told them. “Though I feel as if I already know you. I am quite fond of two of your children."

"Kensie is somewhere here too,” I told her. “Then you will know all of us.”

My mother moved to hug her, but it was my father who stated quietly, “We do know the real reason for all of this.”

Had he thought she was being deceitful?

“I know that,” Kessara smiled, “but I can assure you the sentiment remains the same. I do not know King Krewan yet, but I knew I could ask for help because of the type of man your son is. His being willing to step up and help me, albeit under unconventional circumstances, is a testament to his character. I came to Wylan looking for a safe haven in my half-brothers. I found one in your son instead. I didn’t realize I’d be marrying him, but here we are. ”

He gave her a dip of his chin as if her answer was acceptable enough.

“A princess in the family,” my mother was gushing. She swatted at me. “And I guess a prince now, too.”

My father and I exchanged a glance, and I smiled. Walnut , he mouthed to me. We both knew I wasn’t built to be a prince or wear crowns. I was built for action, to fight.

We were passed along and stood with Krew and Jorah for a bit, and then we were called over to eat.

“One hour done,” I whispered to Kessara as we sat.

“Feeling any urges to flee yet?” she whispered back.

I laughed. “Yes. ”

“I suppose you’ll have to endure until after our dance. Also, I’m hungry. So please not yet.”

“Burnout will do that to you,” I reminded her.

She reached over and squeezed my hand. Hard. “Must you keep reminding me of this?”

I squeezed her hand back. “Yes. I know exactly how thick-headed you can be.”

“I really want to cover you in shadows right about now,” she told me as she took her hand back and moved to take a sip of water.

I took a sip of my whiskey as I repeated what I’d said to her weeks ago, “Make it count, honey.”

Krew and Jorah toasted to our happiness, and the meal was full of chatter and laughing.

No one asked us about how we met or about children.

Most knew what was going on here; it felt more like a family dinner than a wedding reception for the most part.

It was all the people I loved most in a single room.

So I wasn’t sure why I had been so nervous for this.

I suppose it was because I had been in this room dozens of times as a guard or for various training celebrations, but never like this.

Before the cake was brought out, we opted to do our dance together.

Just before we got into proper dancing position, Kessara blurted out, “Do you find it odd that I am used to you touching me—but in a far more aggressive manner?”

I knew she meant sparring and training, but the words themselves were suspect.

I moved her closer by her lower back, beginning to move us to the live music being played.

“And you say I’m the one with a way with words.

” I turned us around effortlessly as I added, “Would it help if I told you to move your ass every so often? Like we are running right now and not in the middle of being made a spectacle?”

“We’ve been a spectacle at training lately too,” she admitted. Her graceful footing on the balance beams did transfer over to dancing too, it seemed.

Wanting to keep her talking, I asked, “Give me something real. What’s your age?”

“I turned twenty-eight a few weeks ago.”

So she’d had her birthday and said nothing to us? “And what is your favorite color?”

She leaned back to look at me. “Why?”