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Chapter fifty-eight

T he day brought with it a plethora of earth weavers and servants. They greeted Astrid with murmurs of “Your Majesty,” or “my queen,” as they bowed. She regarded them as they moved her things and began deconstruction of the room.

They weren’t stricken or teary eyed. Did they hold any loyalty to Ambrose?

Would they show any to her?

A pair of earth weavers stepped into Dimitri’s closet and began collecting his garments.

“Don’t do that,” Astrid said, rushing toward them. They immediately stopped and she gawked at the negative space among her sword’s things. “Put everything back as it was. You’ll have to move the whole closet. Dimitri is very particular.”

She helped the females evenly space the hanging shirts before leaving them to their work. They closed the door and pressed their hands to the wall. Small vibrations ran beneath Astrid’s feet and the entire closet began to sink into the ground.

“They’ll raise the closet in your new room.”

Astrid turned toward Keres’s voice and beamed. “Can you make me a dozen birdcages? I want them to give the ambiance of a lantern. They’ll be hung on the pillars in my throne room, when I return to Clorea.”

“One kingdom isn’t enough for you?”

“Clorea is my birthright.”

“Just make sure you take Dimitri with you. He isn’t as hateful in your company, and I don’t want to see his temper without you.” She laughed with Astrid then motioned toward the door. “He’s selected a larger set of rooms with an adjoining green space.”

Astrid retrieved the glass containing Ambrose’s eyes and followed Keres through corridor after corridor.

They crossed the arena where the tree branches intertwined above the graves of Dimitri’s parents.

More than a dozen earth weavers sank the seating area into the ground and unraveled the woven tree branches.

“What are they doing?” Astrid asked.

Keres glanced over before they moved down another hall. “The space is being converted back into an orchard.”

They’d died in an orchard?

“There are several types of fruit trees there. Plums were Queen Vesta’s favorite. Dimitri didn’t allow any others to be planted after the arena was built.”

“Plums or fruits in general?” Astrid asked.

Keres grinned at her. “Guess.”

The court’s view of Dimitri troubled Astrid, but his secrets weren’t hers to tell. The nobles would be wise to align themselves with their new king. If they would not, she’d renovate the southern palace and keep them as furniture.

A pair of footmen stood before grand double doors—doors they opened as Keres and Astrid approached.

A wide hall stretched before them, lit by a series of beautiful chandeliers. End tables held fresh cut flowers and Astrid strolled past a hanging mirror that looked suspiciously familiar.

“Library and workroom,” Keres said, pointing to the rooms on the left and right.

Astrid leaned in the doorway of the library. A single table with two chairs were placed at the center of the room and empty bookshelves rowed the walls, dividing the space.

Dimitri was short tempered and demanding, but the male listened.

“The priests will bring you books to fill the shelves. Let the servants know what tools you want in your workroom.”

Astrid nodded, following Keres into her new, larger room. A pair of earth weavers were raising Dimitri’s closet out of the stone floor and maids pulled linens over a four-post bed made of light wood.

She made her way to the winged females at Dimitri’s closet.

“Can you recreate Dimitri’s room here. His desk.

The bed,” Astrid said pointing to their placement in the room.

“He has a wardrobe of cleaning supplies in it that will have to be brought in, and if you could add a second closet, I’d be grateful. ”

The earth weavers nodded and pulled the room together in minutes with a small addition to the bed at her request.

Dimitri entered a short time later and Astrid strolled to him. “Your Majesty,” she said sweetly at his side.

“I’ll start work on your lantern cages,” Keres said, exiting the room. The others bowed and immediately took their leave as well.

Tension riddled Dimitri’s muscles as he glanced over their new space.

Astrid leaned closer, taking his hand. The color scheme was the same, but there were small differences that distressed her Death Spirit.

He calmed by degrees as she explained. “Your cleaning supplies are there. Your desk. They moved your closet exactly as it was. You might have to straighten a few things, but everything is in its place,” she assured him.

“And this?” he asked, strolling to their bed.

A shelf had been built into the headboard, flush with the mattress. A metal framed, sealed aquarium was inlayed and trapped within the glass were a set of honey-colored eyes.

“Your brother’s new home,” Astrid answered. “Has the royal council recognized us as King and Queen of Ledivion?”

Dimitri took a seat on their bed and drew her into his arms. “You’ll wear Ledivion’s crown.”

Astrid crawled onto his lap, straddling his thighs. She ran her fingertips over the point of his ear and caressed the hoops and dangling gold he wore. “The King and Queen don’t have matching crowns?” she asked.

“The Ascension belongs to the one who inherits the throne, which you did when you killed the current ruler,” Dimitri purred, palming her ass though the silk of her paneled skirt.

Astrid’s temper iced her veins. One crown, like Clorea.

“But we’ll rule together?” she asked, daring him to say otherwise.

Dimitri pulled back to meet her gaze as he squeezed her ass, pulling her closer. The length of his hard cock was unmistakable.

“I told them you killed Ambrose. The Crimson Ascension they’re arranging is for you.”

He didn’t claim her kill. Didn’t expect her to submit and be biddable. Her tension left her, replaced by her wanton need only he could sate.

“We shared the kill. We’ll share the throne as well,” Astrid whispered at his lips. She leaned in, touching her lips to his. Tasting him.

His callused hands rasped up her sides and Astrid moaned. His touch banished the ghost of Ambrose’s hands. They branded her as his.

Astrid wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned away, breaking their kiss. “Tell me about the coronation. What other customs are we to perform?”

“The Crimson Ascension is the coronation,” Dimitri said, nipping her bottom lip and holding her against the unyielding planes of his body. “Once the sword is broken and thrown on his grave, we are King and Queen of Ledivion. There is a custom… where the new Queen runs and her King captures her.”

“You want to hunt me?” Like a common hind.

“It’s not a hunt,” Dimitri explained. “It’s a claim. A promise. A public display showing the kingdom you are mine and nothing can take you from me.”

“Why am I running?” Astrid asked, rocking her hips over the length of his cock. “What if I want to chase you ?”

Dimitri groaned. “You’d never catch me without wings.”

“I could cut yours off. Then, we’ll be on an even playing field.”

His hand wrapped beneath her jaw and his fingers pressed into her cheeks.

“After you’ve laid your broken sword on my brother’s grave, you’ll run from me.

Then, I’ll catch you, neva, and take you to our spring.

Our toys will be waiting and you’re going to take them into your cunt, your ass, and this pretty, pretty mouth. ”

Heat pooled between her thighs at the heated promise of his words.

“Ledivion will bow to her Queen, and you, my love, will bow to me.”