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She looks at me, her dark eyes betraying her pain and anger.

“It's fine, my Queen. I am more concerned at the threat Greythorne made against you than I am of this man. I know my path shall cross with his someday and I shall have my revenge, but for now we need to concern ourselves with Greythorne’s demand for your hand in marriage and the consequences of your refusal.”

I smile. Kes knows me too well and knows I have no intention of marrying Lord Rufus Greythorne.

“Shall I lead an assassination team against him, my Queen?”

I admit, this is something I have considered, but as proficient as Kes and the Khaleeni are in the art of killing, I fear going up against Greythorne and his men, especially in his own domain, is unwise.

No, this situation calls for a more complex approach.

Just what that is at this present time, I don’t know.

Again, I squeeze the moonstone in my hand as if somehow the answer lies within its cool touch. Kes notices I have something in my hand and gives me an enquiring look. I open my fingers and reveal the white stone to her. Her eyes widen and fly to mine.

“Where did you get that, my Queen?’ she asks.

I tell her about the healer and how I found the moonstone on my bed when I woke up this morning. I leave out the part about the warrior from my dream and his erotic touch.

“May I take a look at it?” she asks and even though it’s Kes who is asking, I’m still reluctant to let it out of my grasp. As crazy as it sounds, I feel if I lose it I will lose the connection to the warrior in my dream.

Despite my reluctance I hand it over to Kes. She turns it over in her hands and holds it up to the candlelight.

“You act as if you’ve seen moonstone before,” I observe.

“Yes, I have,” she replies, not taking her eyes off it and looking at it even more closely than before. Then her eyes widen again and she looks questioningly at me. “You say you think the healer left it here?”

“Yes,” I reply, wondering at her questioning tone. “Why do you ask?”

“This stone has the mark of the eagle, which means it belonged to a member of the Ellerban royal family, and it can only be bequeathed to someone else by royal favour.”

“Ellerban, is that the name of the realm the moonstone comes from?” I ask.

“Yes, my Queen,” Kes replies, “even though realm might not exactly be the correct word to describe it, domain might be more accurate. The people there are unlike any others I have encountered.”

“So, you've been there? And you remember it?”

“Yes, I can’t recall exactly why I was there, but I clearly remember travelling through the lands and the White Mountain that dominates the landscape.”

“Tell me about the people. What do you mean when you say they are unlike any others you have encountered?”

“I remember them as being fierce and they don't observe boundaries as we do. They believe their domain stretches as far as they can go and still be able to see their beloved white mountain. The mountain and the white eagles that live there are sacred to them, and they believe as long as they can see both from wherever they are, then they are home.”

“How interesting,” I remark, “I can see how this might be a problem for neighbouring realms.”

Kes smiles. “I believe it has become something of a problem for Lord Greythorne, my Queen, as the white mountain can be seen from the northernmost tip of his province. This is where the wild red pigs are found, and they are a most prized delicacy in Ellerban. One of the Khaleeni is from Ellerban and she has told me of the many raiding parties she took part in to hunt the red pigs.”

I'm fascinated at the idea of a female raider hunting wild pigs and am eager to learn more about these people.

“Tell me more about these people,” I demand of Kes.

“As I said before, they are fierce and are known for their loyalty to each other. The women are equal to the men and may do as they please in most things, whether that’s being a wife, a whore or a warrior, the Ellerban men don’t seem to care.

Ailish, the girl who is now with the Khaleeni, was a hunter and this is how she came to be with us.

She was part of a raid to Greythorne’s lands when they were set upon by his men in a surprise ambush.

Many of them were killed and she was badly injured, but she managed to hide herself away for a few days and then proceeded to make her way south to cross back into Ellerban at The Black River.

This is where I discovered her and brought her back to the Khaleeni camp.

She has recovered well and is one of my finest soldiers. ”

“Does she not want to return to Ellerban?” I ask.

“She felt she would have a better life here with the Khaleeni, my Queen. There, she is a hunter and a raider, depending on the spoils of her kills to earn a living. Here, she is an elite member of The Khaleeni and earning good coin. Also, she is grateful to you and me for saving her and feels she owes us a debt of gratitude. Her people believe if someone saves your life, then you owe them a life debt, and it is not paid until such a time as you save their life.”

The more I hear, the more I am fascinated by Ellerban and its people.

“How are such people ruled? You mentioned a royal family?”

“Yes, my Queen,” Kes replies. “Ailish speaks very highly of the king, who ruled over the country for many years and was much loved. However, in the time she has been here the king died and he was supposed to be succeeded by his eldest son, but it is told that a great tragedy befell him and he became frail of mind, making him unfit to rule. Therefore, the younger prince now rules Ellerban.”

An idea is starting to germinate in my mind. “Tell me more of this prince. Is he married, and do the people of Ellerban face the same challenges as Ardvalla when it comes to procreation?”

Kes smiles. “The prince remains unmarried, my Queen, and the people of Ellerban don't face the same challenges as we do here when it comes to procreation. The Ellerban men are known for their virility and the strength of their seed. They have large families and not always with one woman. This is allowed as long as both families are provided for.”

Her voice drops and her smile widens. “And they have quite the reputation as expert lovers. As Ailish tells it, many women who were taken from other realms in raids by Ellerban men have refused to go back to their homelands when their kinfolk came looking for them.”

I think of my dream and the waves of pleasure visited on me by the warrior and I wonder if this is how Ellerban men mate with their women. If so, I wouldn’t be in any hurry to leave Ellerban either.

I take the moonstone back from Kes and the moment its cool surface touches my fingers it’s like it becomes a lightning rod, channeling a white hot bolt of inspiration to my brain.

Everything goes white and I suddenly know what I must do.

The Grand Council said the only way I could deny Lord Greythorne’s demand of marriage was if I had another proposal of marriage from a prince or a king.

An offer of marriage from a senior member of royalty is one of those rare situations where an Ardvallan is permitted to marry someone from outside the realm.

I fix my gaze on Kes, who is looking at me somewhat bemusedly.

“Ready the finest Khaleeni,” I order. “We ride at sundown tomorrow.”

“We, my Queen?”

“Yes, Kes, have Maneeha ready as I plan to ride with you on this mission.”

“Where do we ride to, my Queen?”

I smile. “We ride to Ellerban.”

Kes raises both eyebrows, a facial expression that is most unusual for her.

“My Queen, are you sure that is wise? If there is something you need from Ellerban, I and the Khaleeni can bring it back for you. There is no need to put yourself in peril.”

I stand up from the table and hold the moonstone in the palm of my hand.

“No, Kes, I’m afraid this is something I need to get for myself.”

“What exactly is it you seek there, my Queen?”

My answer is simple.

“A husband.”