Page 60 of Glass Hearts

It has already been too long since I saw my Vixen. I know she is in excellent hands with Gray, but that doesn’t mean I want to see her any less.

“The council is an important part of all of Velora and Eldor by extension. Your duty is not only to us, but to our people too. For so long, we have focused on ourselves. Once we make Arabella our Queen, I am sure she is going to have quite a bit to say.” Archer smiles, making me smile too about our outspoken woman.

“Especially when it comes to Eldor, it’s special to her.

Which makes it just as special to us. I speak for my brothers when I say we never saw this part of the continent as ours.

But it is; it’s all of ours, just as much as it is yours.

Now let’s protect it and ensure a peaceful and prosperous life for all citizens.

” Archer finishes his speech as the remaining council members clap.

We will have a long uphill battle not only to find suitable replacements for the deceased council members but also to ensure our people on all islands and continents are happy.

Councilwoman Beverly Jones must see my distress as she places her hand on my shoulder. “Go to your love, I think you all have had enough of seeing our old faces.” I nod in thanks as I make my leave out of the council room.

“We need to get those mercenaries packing and sent to look for Lo. I don’t think I can wait any longer in making the Duchess ours,” Grayer sends down the bond.

“Patience, brother. We need to get her best friend back before we can even ask. Lo is like a sister to our love. I would have punched you all in the balls if you had gotten married without me,” Koi replies. Archer and I chuckle and shake our heads as we leave the council room.

Koi had been spending time with the mercenaries, feeling them out to see if they would take on this mission. So far, they are more than happy to play guests and, based on Bri’s reports, sample the staff, booze and food. They have perhaps even made themselves a little too comfortable.

“I hope you fuckers are coming back. I need to go have a shower, but I don’t want to leave the duchess all alone.”

“I will be right there, Gray, go take a bath so you don’t stink away our girl,” I reply down the bond.

“I take it you want me to go check on Koi and his progress in becoming more acquainted with those assholes?” I nod at Archer as he hits me in the shoulder.

“I am going to bring the Vixen some food. Knowing the handsy bastard, has probably already had her a few more times while we were working, and she must be starving.”

He chuckles as he turns the opposite corner to head to the workshop. I don’t miss the “Lucky jerk, should have offered first.”

On my way to the kitchens, I see a raccoon in a mini-maid’s uniform pass me with a tiny broom, a rat carrying a dustpan behind it.

It is still going to take a few days to get used to all the animals roaming around the castle…

cleaning. They all moved in alarmingly fast. Turns out her animals from her old house missed her, including their cleaning jobs.

So we had set up a section of the castle just for her animal friends, much to Margie’s displeasure, as the little critters keep attempting to break into the kitchen.

Councilwoman Navora, a sorceress, is working on a spell to ensure they stay out.

Maxwell, her bear, is making his way back to his family to bring them back to the castle as well.

He forced his position onto Arabella as her royal guard, not that I mind.

We have been sending the bear plenty of fish, meat, and berries.

He had not only saved my love, but he had also made it so she never had to feel the darkness of blood on her hands.

For that, I will always be indebted to the bear.

After grabbing a few snacks from the kitchen, I head up to her room. Yet she isn’t there. I start to worry until I see Bert and Kip squeal and point to the door. I follow them… to my room?

That’s when I see my love on the balcony. “Thank you, Bert and Kip,” I whisper as they scurry away, probably back to ‘their room,’ a little curio cabinet converted to a mini mouse apartment in Arabella’s room.

She looks like a vision in the glow of the setting sun. So often, I dreamed of finding her there, waiting for me. And now here she is. She sits upon the bench; it breaks my heart as I see her subconsciously playing with the bracelet from Lo. She misses her best friend dearly.

“Hey, my love.” She turns with tears in her eyes. “What are you doing out here?” I come up behind her, holding her and kissing her cheek. Her sweet vanilla and cinnamon scent fills my nose. I instantly relax from all the stress I had been holding onto from today.

“Oh, hi, Sy. Sorry, just thinking.” She closes her eyes and shakes her head.

“No. I need to be honest with you, no matter how embarrassing.” She blows out a held breath.

“I… I just needed to see you. You always make me feel so… grounded. Plus, I get the best view of the city from here. I hope you don’t mind me breaking into your room. ”

“Of course not, Ella. You do not know how ridiculously happy I am that you are here and that you looked for me. I was actually on my way to your room.” I show her the tray of a variety of snacks I had set on the table.

“Always taking care of me.” She smiles.

“I hope to for the rest of my life.” I tuck a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “Tell me, darling, are you… happy?”

“Sy!” She sits up straighter, placing her hand on my thigh.

“Honestly, I truly am. Perhaps that’s why I feel so guilty.

I-” She looks over to the city, as if seeking her answer from the glittering array of houses.

“I feel so full of love and hope. For the first time, I don’t feel any fear, and I am actually quite excited for the future.

Not only to explore all the lands and meet new people, but most importantly that I will experience it all with all my princes.

I still can’t believe I fell in love with four princes.

Lo is going to get a kick out of everything. ” She giggles as I pull her in closer.

“We are going to get her back, Ella. I promise.”

“I know we will, Sy.” She hugs me, and we sit there looking out at the city as I hold her, soaking up all her love. Hopefully, all her worries too.

“Sy, get down here with Arabella. The mercenaries want to talk to all of us,” Koi says down the bond. I sigh as I squeeze my girl tighter to me, kissing the top of her head.

“We have to go down to the workshop, Vixen. The mercenaries want to talk with us.”

Reluctantly, we make our way to the workshop. Arabella holds my hand the whole way down.

Laughing echoes throughout the room as we walk into the loud workshop. The mercenaries and my brothers all have a drink in their hands. Koi walks up to us and scoops Arabella in for a kiss. Gray is already there too, sitting on one of the workbenches.

“So that’s why we didn’t stand a chance, Blondie, you were looking for four princely dicks.” Jax bellows a laugh. Archer shoots a light blast of wind at him.

“I still don’t like this fucker,” Archer murmurs. Jax continues to laugh as Arabella giggles at their antics.

“Still an egotistical ass, I see? How has your stay been?” Arabella asks the men, joking with them.

“Quite great. Love the accommodations, especially the many pretty ladies around here.” Smith smirks as he leans back. Arabella shakes her head, laughing as she saunters to sit on Archer’s lap. His anger towards the mercenary softens as he embraces our girl.

“Now that everyone is present, let’s get along with things. I have a fun tumble lined up with the cute scribe before we leave,” Jax says as he sits on the worktop bench with the rest of his crew.

“You-You accept the job?!” Arabella asks with hope in her eyes.

“You bet, Blondie. Royal jobs are always much more pleasant to take than the others we seem to have acquired lately. Though we may need to call in a favor or two in the future… along with the payment, of course.”

There it is. We never work with mercenaries because of how sneaky those bastards can be.

“Done. But the favors come from me, not my princes,” Arabella interjects before we can say anything.

“One and the same, little thief,” Elliah says with a grin.

“Now, to retrieve this Elora woman, we need something of hers. We know she is on the wind isle, so we will head straight there. Once we are there, it will be easier for us to trace her if we have her scent for Smith. It’s not a guarantee, though.

It can take a while, knowing how vast and scattered the wind isles are. ”

“I will bring you to her room; you might find something of hers with a strong scent mark there. I-I also have this.” She shows them her bracelet.

“She gave me this to keep an eye on me; it has some of her magic intertwined in the silver. I wonder if it could help find her, since her magic is still attached to it?”

Elliah cups her hand to inspect the delicate band.

“Well, this is interesting. Permission to remove it? I may also be able to connect her magic to one of my magic readers, making it easier to find her.” Arabella nods hesitantly as Elliah gets out one of his tools to carefully remove it.

Placing his glasses back on, he grabs other materials and gets to work. Basically dismissing us.

“We can head to her room tomorrow before we leave. Enjoy the evening with the little thief, fellas.” Jax winks as he hops off the worktop, probably leaving to find that scribe he mentioned.

When we get back to my room, Arabella is the first to speak up, wringing her hands nervously.

“I know, I know. I shouldn’t have accepted their terms. But I need Lo back.” We all smile at our woman, who is gearing up for a fight.

“Darling, we would have agreed too, just to get your friend back. We will just have to address their requested favours, together, when the time comes.” Archer kisses her cheek. Her worried face turns to pure delight.

“Really?”

“Yes, really, duchess. Did you forget the part that you are your own woman who can make her own decisions? Anything you want, it’s yours.”

Her smile never falls as she looks lovingly at all of us.

“Marry me,” she blurts out. This has us all holding our breath in shock.

“That’s what I want. I want to be yours, and as soon as we get Lo back, I want to be fully yours.

I don’t want to live in fear anymore, and I want to follow my heart from now on.

And, my heart wants yours. All of you, as selfish as that is.

” She smiles with a few tears running down her pink-stained cheeks.

Grayer is the first to break out of the stunned shock as he scoops her up. “The proposal is supposed to be my job, duchess, but I speak for my brothers as I say, fuck yes!”

I am still standing off, dazed, to the side as I watch my brothers kiss and love up on her.

“What do you say, Sy?” she asks me, with a worried look on her face over Grayer’s shoulder.

Never had I thought I could marry for love. To find the perfect person, not only for me, but also for our kingdoms. Her boldness and passion are everything I could ever want.

“Of course, Arabella. In my head, you are already ours. I-I just didn’t want to scare you off.”

“It’s going to be pretty hard to get rid of me now, my prince.” She laughs as I push Grayer to the side and bundle her up in my arms, kissing her lush lips. I put all my feelings of love, gratitude, and devotion into the kiss.

She is mine. Ours.

And I can’t wait to live out our happily ever after—together.