Shalador's Lady

how those pears were found after being buried for centuries. Of course, a guest would listen to the story as a story —entertaining, but not important. But a Queen preparing to rule a Territory with a past like Dena Nehele’s needed to understand the significance of those seedlings.
    Just because Cassidy probably would have understood the significance didn’t make her a better Queen. She was older and liked to grub around in the dirt. Kermilla, being younger, just needed more guidance in some areas.
    “Kermilla, would you have breakfast with me in private?” He’d tell her about the honey pears again—and about Cassidy’s rude departure.
    “Oh, la. ” She gave him a delighted smile. “You are being so naughty. My Consort will be jealous.”
    “It’s not like that.”
    Her expression immediately turned woeful. “Oh. I thought . . .”
    Was she hinting that she’d like to have him as her lover? He was willing. More than willing. Even if he had to dance around the damn Consort’s presence.
    “There are some things I need to tell you,” he said. “And there are some possibilities we need to discuss.”
    No, he wouldn’t break Cassidy’s court and risk Talon going after Kermilla. But he would make the best use of the time to prepare the ground for the right Queen.

    A wet swipe across her cheek. A slurp across her closed eyes.
    “Aarhhh. Uuhhh.”
    *Cassie? Cassie! Gray says you must wake up so you can go to sleep.* A pause. *That is confusing, so it must be a human thing.* “Wha . . . ?”
    *Wake up!*
    “Vae?” Cassidy grunted. Groaned. “Gray?”
    “Here.”
    A warm hand covered hers.
    She smacked her lips—and made a face. “Hell’s fire. Did I swallow a cat? Vae. ” That because a Sceltie nose almost poked inside her mouth.
    *I do not smell cat.*
    “Why do you ask, Cassie?” Gray asked.
    Bastard sounded like he was laughing at her. “My tongue feels fuzzy.”
    “How many cups of that brew did you give her?”
    Ranon’s voice.
    “Enough to soothe a heart,” Yairen said.
    “How are you feeling?” Shira asked. “Do you want anything?”
    Since no one else answered, Cassidy decided the questions had been directed at her. “Toast. Scrambled eggs. Bath.” And something to scrape the fuzz off her tongue. “Who is here?” And where is here? Oh. Yes. Boardinghouse. She had meant to go to Dharo but had ended up here because Ranon took her trunks. The prick.
    “Almost the whole First Circle,” Gray answered, sounding tense.
    “Oh,” Cassidy said. Then her eyes popped open and she jackknifed to a sitting position. “The court is here?”
    “Mostly,” Gray said. “Talon hasn’t arrived yet.”
    “Your bedroom is ready,” Shira said. “What you need now is more sleep. After your bath, toast, and scrambled eggs.”
    “I can . . .” What? She was pretty sure she wasn’t hungover, but she wasn’t feeling smart either. “I can stay here.”
    *You are in the way,* Vae said. *But we are not supposed to tell you that because you are the Queen.*
    “Come on, darling,” Gray said, snorting in the effort not to laugh out loud. “Let’s get you up to bed.”
    “I can—”
    Gray hauled her to her feet. She felt a lot more tipsy now that she was standing up, so she didn’t protest when Gray wrapped an arm around her waist and steered her toward the hallway and the stairs.
    “Ranon, give me a hand,” Gray said when they reached the stairs.
    “If he puts his hands on my ass and pushes, I’ll punch him,” Cassidy said.
    “That’s not much of a threat when you can’t keep your eyes open long enough to see him,” Gray said.
    “I can . . .”
    “ Cassie. ”
    That tone of voice coming from Gray woke her up.
    Something in those green eyes. Something that warned her this was one of those times a smart woman yielded to male sensibilities.
    “Are you going to swear at me?” she asked.
    A slow smile, male and satisfied, because the question told him he had won. “I’m thinking about it.”
    So she had a bath. She had toast and scrambled eggs. And she asked one question.
    “Is there anything I need to know about today?”
    Shira pulled back the covers on the bed. “Not today.”
    She got into bed and let the world slip away for a few more hours.

    “I took the liberty of composing a note on the Queen’s behalf, and asked Spere to deliver it to the Keep,” Powell said.
    Ranon frowned. “Why alert them that there’s trouble?”
    “To avoid the potential for more