Page 29 of Into the Dawn (The Arcadians #4)
By the time they made it back to the palace, word had spread throughout the kingdom that Ronan and Dominic had found their true mate. That was confirmed as their three large dragons soared through the sky, circling over the palace before they landed.
After they had finished making love in the grotto, they had moved into the top pool to cool their heated skin. While they had relaxed, they discussed how to capture the traitors back at the palace. Their plan wasn’t perfect, but it was good enough to make those who betrayed them reveal themselves.
At least, they hoped it would.
If not, there were other, more violent ways to weed them out.
While Kylie hoped it didn’t come to that, she was ready to do whatever it took to eradicate the threat for good.
The Palace of the Western Forest had been constructed using a strong black metal forged from ore found deep in the mountain and white stones that had been polished until they gleamed silver in the moonlight shining down from the two purple moons overhead.
The palace was a blend of strength and elegance, with towering spires that reached towards the sky and intricate carvings that adorned its walls. The black metal gave it a formidable appearance, while the polished white stones added a touch of ethereal beauty.
While the palace wasn’t as large as some of the other kingdoms, it was more than adequate to house the royal family and a selection of the guards and staff.
Surrounding the palace were lush gardens filled with exotic plants and flowers that bloomed in vibrant colors.
Beyond the gardens was the sacred purple lake and the grove of glowing fruit trees.
While it looked spectacular from above, Kylie couldn’t wait to see it from the ground.
They’d flown over the city hidden within the forest on the way to the palace, and Kylie was impressed by the sheer size of it. People gasped in shock as they watched the three dragons soar through the sky.
The bright red dragon was flanked by two larger dragons with glowing gold eyes and scales that ranged from dark brown to a shimmering bronze. Kylie thought her mates’ dragon forms were beautiful, but they loved the bright red color of her scales and glowing green eyes even more.
When they landed in front of the palace, they immediately shifted back into their regular forms. The crowd of people who had gathered there gasped in delight at their display of power.
Kylie was glad she had chosen to create a green dress like the one she had worn when she had met the Goddess of the Moons in the Isle of Dreams. The beautiful gown gave her an added boost of confidence that helped her deal with meeting so many new people.
As a famous singer, being surrounded by large crowds was second nature to her.
However, the citizens of the Western Forest were completely unaware of her fame, and she knew that first impressions were crucial.
She was their new princess, a title that carried weight but did not guarantee respect or acceptance.
Ronan and Dominic disagreed with her, but nothing was going to change her mind on the subject. Earning the trust and admiration of the Western Forest's inhabitants would be a challenge, but she was determined to prove herself worthy of her new role.
And showing up as a fire-breathing dragon was certainly a good start.
When they entered the palace, Kylie was struck by the sheer splendor of it.
The main entrance led into a great hall that had chandeliers made of light crystals that sparkled like stars, casting a warm glow over the polished stone floor.
Images depicting the kingdom’s long history were carved into the walls, and there were large windows that would allow natural light to flood into the massive room during the day.
Caldrons of fire were placed around the outskirts of the room, adding warmth and light. What seemed like hundreds of people had gathered there, filling the long tables that were set up for the mating celebration that had been hastily thrown together to welcome her to the kingdom.
While most of the people were smiling at them, Kylie could feel an underlying current of tension in the air.
An ominous feeling suddenly swept through her.
The setting had a decidedly Red Wedding-esque vibe that she wasn’t too pleased with.
She just hoped that this scenario wouldn’t end up as tragic as the popular TV show scene had.
But if it did, she and her mates would damn well end up the victors.
“A more formal mating celebration will be held later, where you will be able to meet our friends from other kingdoms,” Dominic told her. “But for tonight, we just need to gather the majority of our warriors in one place for the reckoning.”
“Don’t worry. I understand,” Kylie assured him for what seemed like the millionth time.
Her mates kept apologizing to her for using their mating celebration as a means to catch the traitors, as if it were some kind of insult to her. She had told them honestly that it didn’t matter to her.
As long as they caught the bad guys, that was all she cared about.
“Is everyone ready?” she asked.
“Rest easy, mate. Our fathers, mother, and brothers know what is going on, and Layla has been informed as well,” Ronan assured. “She has already bonded with our mother, and they are eagerly awaiting your return.”
As they reached the dais where the royal family was seated at the head table, the entire family stood up to greet them.
Ronan and Dominic bowed their heads respectfully, and Kylie belatedly followed their gesture after she realized what they were doing.
She felt a little awkward, but that couldn’t be helped.
She was a stranger in a strange land doing some really strange shit.
Dominic chuckled softly. “You do not have to do anything you do not feel comfortable doing.”
“This royalty stuff needs to come with an instruction manual,” she complained.
“Mother, fathers, we would like to introduce our mate, Kylie,” Ronan announced.
“Welcome, daughter,” King Teje said in a deep voice.
She recognized Kings Teje, Sonin, and Auro from her mates’ memories, and was able to tell them apart by the slight differences Ronan and Dominic had pointed out.
Queen Anya beamed a smile at her as she hurried over and took hold of her hands.
Ronan and Dominic’s mother was beautiful, with rich brown hair, glowing gold eyes, and a youthful appearance that made it seem impossible for her to have adult sons.
“Welcome to our family,” Queen Anya gushed, pulling her in for a warm hug.
“Thank you,” Kylie said, returning her embrace.
The kings surprised her when they also took turns hugging her while Ronan and Dominic watched with narrowed eyes.
“They are your fathers,” she pointed out.
“I am well aware of that,” Ronan grumbled. “I still do not like it when anyone else touches you.”
While she was amused by their jealousy, she understood the sentiment. She was pretty damn possessive of her mates as well. She was just a little more reasonable about it.
After she was hugged by all three kings, Axis, Bastion, and Keo waved at her in greeting.
She waved back at Ronan and Dominic’s younger brothers, then she braced herself as Layla flung herself into her arms. Her friend was wearing a dress made of a bronze material that looked like glittering silk.
The way it was draped over her friend’s voluptuous body made it easy to understand why most of the males in the room had been staring at her.
“I swear, the trio has not stopped bombarding me with questions about Earth since you left me with them,” her friend whispered. “I wouldn’t be surprised if those three try to sneak off to visit our home world the first chance they get.”
Kylie chuckled. “If they figure out how, maybe they can bring a message to your family for us.”
Layla grinned. “That’s not a bad idea.”
“Do not tempt them,” Ronan grumbled. “They would do it.”
Kylie secretly wished they would.
“Are you ready?” Dominic asked. When she nodded, he said, “Let us begin.”
Taking her hands, Ronan and Dominic turned her toward the crowd.
“We would like to introduce you to Kylie Bell, our beloved mate. She is originally from Earth but is now our new princess. We have been blessed with love twice in our lifetime, but now with our true love, we have finally been able to bring magic back to the Western Forest,” Ronan proclaimed.
“Honor to your mating!”
A roar of approval filled the great hall, but Kylie also felt a blast of animosity coming from somewhere close by. She couldn’t pinpoint who it was coming from, only that it was directed at her.
“Do you feel that?”
“Feel what ?” Dominic asked.
She tried to share what she’d sensed through their bond, and both of her mates glanced down at her.
“We did not feel it,” Ronan growled.
“Stop glaring at me, or you are going to ruin all of our plans,” Kylie insisted.
Ronan and Dominic immediately grimaced at her, making her want to roll her eyes at them.
Clearly, she should have given them a crash course lesson in acting before they had shown up tonight.
Every A-list entertainer knew how to mask their emotions in public.
It was how they survived the media storm that came with fame.
While it was a good thing her mates were honest males, they weren’t exactly great at spy missions.
“You wound us,” Dominic accused, this time gifting her with a real smile.
Shaking her head, she laughed lightly as they escorted her back over to the table. As soon as she was seated between them, a group of servers rushed over and began setting platters of food on the table along with goblets filled with glowing wine.
“Everyone, raise a glass in toast to our new princess,” a male called out.