Page 33 of The Shadowed Throne (Midlife Fairy Tale #4)

T he sun had been up for approximately an hour, breakfast was being served in Ro’s personal dining room, but she couldn’t bring herself to go inside just yet. Not even with the delicious aromas of coffee and spiced cocoa wafting out to her.

She hadn’t slept well.

She lifted the spyglass to her eye again and returned to studying the coast of Malveaux.

“You’re not going to find him, you know.”

Sighing, she brought the spyglass down and glanced at Gabriel. “I know. But I can’t help myself. I’m a little sick that he’s over there because of me.”

“He’s over there because he chose to go. Uldamar is no fool. He knows what he’s doing. And he’s a powerful wizard to boot. He will be fine. So long as he keeps his wits about him.”

She shook her head. “There are so many things that could happen. So much that might go wrong.”

“And he has a plan if it does.”

“I know that, too. I just can’t help but worry. And feel responsible.”

Gabriel inched closer, almost close enough to touch her, but he didn’t. “Ro, if you didn’t feel that way, I’d worry.”

“You would?”

He nodded. “You have those feelings because you care so deeply about this place and these people.”

She exhaled. He wasn’t wrong. “I kind of love Uldamar. I never had a dad, you know. And in a way, he’s become a bit of a father figure to me.”

“I can see that. I think he’d be incredibly flattered to know you feel that way toward him.”

“He’ll come home, won’t he?”

“He will. I have never known anything with as much certainty as I know that. He will come home.”

“Good. That makes me feel better.”

“Breakfast is ready. I’ve already dismissed the footmen.”

“Thanks.” She glanced toward the doors that led off the balcony. “I’m sure I can manage something.”

She went inside with him. Violet, JT, and Posey were at the table.

Raphaela and Vincent stood by the back wall.

Ro did her best to ignore the empty chair Uldamar most likely would have been in.

“Vincent, Raphaela, please join us. If you’re good enough to protect my family, you’re good enough to eat with us. ”

She wanted people around her. She took her seat at the head of the table, Gabriel at her right. Vincent and Raphaela joined them.

Posey spoke as Gabriel poured coffee and cocoa for Ro. “I took notes at the council meeting yesterday while they were working on the neph alliance contract.”

Ro sipped her drink, the hot beverage instantly giving her a boost. “Good. Tell me everything.”

“They made quick work of it. There’s a copy on your desk in your office awaiting your review.

Also, a team has been assembled to build two portals for the neph.

Both portals will take them into the mortal realm, but it was discussed as to whether or not you’d want to give them the settings for Summerton. ”

Ro pondered that. “I don’t think it would look good if I didn’t. They’re about to be our allies. If we can’t trust them to travel here, why are we allying with them? Yes, they’ll have settings for Summerton. I don’t think they’ll use them that often unless they’re coming after sundown.”

“Or in their changeling forms,” Gabriel added.

“Right,” Ro said.

Curiosity filled Violet’s eyes. “They can be in the sun if they aren’t themselves?”

“Yes,” Ro answered. “Isn’t that interesting? King Khamsin told us that not long before we left. It’s apparently why they take on animal forms so often.”

JT was eating a piece of bacon. “If I could be a wolf, I’d be a wolf all the time.”

“Good to know,” Ro said, laughing.

“Come on, it would be so cool. Not only that, you could spy on people so easily. Maybe not as a wolf but as a bird or a mouse or something. Think about how epic that would be.”

Gabriel picked up his coffee cup. “So long as you didn’t become a larger animal’s dinner.”

JT dipped his head in concession. “Valid point.”

Shaking her head, Ro looked at Posey again. “So I just need to read and sign?”

“Yes, your highness. Then the Professor of Diplomatic Relations will take the agreements through to the neph, along with the portal construction teams. Once he gets the king’s signature, the construction teams will start, and he’ll bring a copy of the agreement back here.”

“Sounds good to me. I’ll get that done immediately after breakfast.” It would at least momentarily distract her from Uldamar’s mission.

She had a small serving of yogurt with fruit and granola. Her worry had killed most of her appetite. If she got hungry later, she’d order something from the kitchen.

Everyone else was still eating when she set her napkin on the table. “Listen, you all stay and finish your meals. I want to get this agreement read through. The sooner we can sew that up, the better.”

Gabriel got to his feet as Ro stood. “I’ll walk you to your office.”

She wasn’t leaving the palace. There was very little chance of danger, but she nodded anyway. “All right.”

“Mom.”

She looked at her son.

“I know you’re worried about Uldamar. We all are. But he’s going to be okay.” JT gave her a nod.

Ro managed a smile. “Thanks.”

“Stay strong, sweetheart,” Violet said.

Ro reached out to squeeze her hand. “If anyone needs me, I’ll be in my office.” She picked up her cup and took it with her.

Gabriel grabbed a muffin and walked with her.

“You really can stay and finish your breakfast.”

“I’d rather be with you. Besides, you’re going to order coffee and spiced cocoa when you get to your office, which means the kitchen will inevitably send up a plate of pastries or something with it, so I’ll have one of those.”

She laughed. He knew her well. “Okay. Sounds like a plan.”

She did just that when she arrived, having one of the guards call for a footman to take the order to the kitchen.

Gabriel settled into one of the chairs in the sitting area while she went to her desk and found the alliance agreement. It was in a large envelope, the flap sealed with wax and the royal seal of a dragonfly.

She broke it and pulled both copies of the agreement out. She took out a notebook and pen, too, in case she wanted to make changes or ask questions.

She was barely to the end of the second page when one of the guards opened the door and let the footman in. Just as Gabriel had predicted, there were two carafes and a covered plate. On that plate were ham and cheese turnovers, jam tarts, and a selection of fruit muffins.

As the footman left, Gabriel gave her a sly look. “Told you so.”

“Yes, you did.”

He fixed her a cup of coffee and brought it to her desk. “Can I interest you in anything else?”

For a moment, she wondered if he was suggesting something that would require the door to be locked, then she realized he meant the pastries. “I’ll have a jam tart.”

“Good choice. They look great.”

“Then have one with me.”

“I’d rather leave the other one for you.”

“The kitchen can make more.”

“I’ll eat it on one condition.” He brought her a jam tart on a small plate and placed it beside her cup.

She looked up at him. “What’s that?”

“Kiss me. Your highness.”

She grinned and lifted out of her seat to meet him halfway. The kiss was sweet and slow and made parts of her tingle. “Thanks,” she whispered against his mouth.

“For what?” he asked as she sat back down.

“I know you’re trying to distract me from Uldamar.”

“How’s it working?” he asked as he went back to his chair.

“Pretty well.”

He picked up the newspaper that had been delivered with the tray and opened it. She watched him for a few moments, marveling at how things had changed between them since she’d first grabbed hold of Merediem.

“Anything interesting in there?”

He answered without moving the paper. “Rivervale Founders Festival is coming up.”

“That sounds like fun.”

He bent one side of the paper down. “We can discuss it after you finish reading that agreement.”

“Wow, bossing your queen around.” She made a funny face with big eyes at him.

He snort-laughed. “Please don’t have me hanged.”

“We’ll see how the day goes.”

“Fair enough.” He continued smiling at her. “I really do love you.”

“I really do love you, too.” She took a deep breath. “If something happens to Uldamar, I’m not going to be okay.”

He nodded, his expression earnest. “Neither will I.”

With a sigh, she went back to her reading. It took her another hour to get through the rest of the agreement, which was somewhat more complicated than the agreement with the Wyvern, as it dealt with the conditions of the portals being installed.

She had no notes but had found one typo. Pretty good, considering everything was handwritten. She wrote that up, put everything back into the envelope, resealed it with wax, and sent it off with a guard to return to Posey for fixing.

After that, she moved on to some of the other paperwork on her desk.

Requests from various professors, requests from citizens, letters from both offering ideas, suggestions, and the occasional criticism.

There were marriage licenses to grant, something she’d only recently found out required her signature.

So long as the couple had filled out the proper paperwork, she signed and sealed each one. Who was she to stand in the way of two people in love?

On any other day, the paperwork would have not been her favorite thing, but today she was glad for it. She almost wished there was more. It was the distraction she needed. She was about halfway through the stack on her desk when her stomach rumbled.

The newspaper, which Gabriel was somehow still reading, rustled. “I heard that.” He set the paper down. “Lunch?”

She glanced at the time. How the hours had flown by, she had no idea. She set her pen down. “Sure. Let’s just go down to the kitchen and see what they can make us. We can eat out in the garden.”

“Sounds good.”

They headed out. As they passed the first bank of windows, Ro couldn’t help but look toward Malveaux and wonder.

As they approached the kitchen, a guard came rushing toward them. “Your highness, there’s a man from Malveaux here. He claims he’s the Minister of Magic, a man named Nazyr.”

Ro gasped and looked at Gabriel before answering the guard. “Where is he? Right now?”

“He’s being held at the barracks. He was intercepted just inside the border, my lady.”

“Take us to him, now.” Even as she said that, she realized they knew the way to the barracks, but they followed the guard all the same.

He took them to a small room that might have been an office at one point. Nazyr and another guard were inside.

“Leave us,” Gabriel said. “The queen wants to speak to him alone.”

“Yes, sir.” Both guards left.

Gabriel closed the door. Ro held her breath for a moment, but in that instant, Nazyr disappeared and Uldamar stood before them.

She exhaled. “You’re back!” She hugged him, aware that was not the most royal behavior but not caring one bit. “I’m so glad you’re back. I was so worried about you.”

“Thank you, your highness.”

Even Gabriel clapped him gently on the shoulder. “Good to see you.”

“Good to be seen, I must say.” Uldamar smiled, but only briefly, his eyes darkening. “I will have to return.”

“What?” Ro didn’t like that. “Why?”

“There is much afoot, my lady. And we have a great deal of planning to do.”

“Explain.”

“Hold,” Gabriel said. “Let’s go back to the palace and get somewhere we can be assured we aren’t overheard.”

Uldamar nodded. “I agree. This is sensitive information.” His image wavered, and once again he became Nazyr.

As they left the barracks, Gabriel took hold of Uldamar’s arm, all for show, Ro understood. That way it looked like he was escorting a potentially dangerous person.

Once they were back in the palace, they made sure no one was around, and Uldamar returned to being himself.

They went straight to Ro’s quarters, and as soon as the door was closed, Ro looked at Uldamar. “Tell me what’s going on. What is this sensitive information?”

“My lady, Queen Anyka wants Nazyr to gain an audience with you so that he can convince you to meet with her to discuss peace.”

Ro shook her head. “That doesn’t seem sensitive to me. I’d happily do that.”

Uldamar took a breath. “Except, your highness, when you arrive at the meeting, Anyka plans to have you assassinated.”