Mum squeezed my hand. When I looked at her, she beamed at me. “You traveled through time to save our people, sweetheart.” Her eyes grew misty. “Female dragons are beingborn again, Portia. Because of you. Because of what you, Tavish, and Albie sacrificed. Who better to lead them?”
“I agree,” Da said, smiling at her shoulder. Pride shone in his eyes, which looked suspiciously shiny. But that couldn’t be. Niall Balfour was a master of water. He didn’t cry.
I looked at my brother. “Are you sure?”
He rolled his eyes. “Dude, if you knew how relieved I feel right now, you’d never ask me that again.”
I wrinkled my nose. “Dude? You’ve spent way too long in America.”
Malcolm grinned, then yanked me into another hug. “You’re going to be amazing at it, Queen Portia.”
The words sank in, and panic followed swiftly on their heels. I pulled from his arms and looked at my dad. “I don’t know if this is a great idea.”
He chuckled. “Lucky for you, lass, I don’t plan on dying for a long time. I’ll show you the ropes for a millennium or two, then you can pass on my wisdom to your two wee lassies.”
The mention of the girls made me gasp. “The twins!” I swung toward the doors. “They’re running wild in the castle.”
“What’s new?” Malcolm asked, his raised brow an identical copy of our dad’s.
Mum laughed, already moving toward the doors. “I’ll fetch them.”
I started after her. “I can grab them, Mum!”
But she waved me off as she slipped out. “I don’t mind. You three take your time.”
I stared after her. Tavish and Albie appeared on my left. “Take my time with what?” I asked, looking up at them.
My husbands smiled. Confused, I turned back to my fathers and brother, but they’d disappeared. Probably, they’d left through the throne room’s side door when I wasn’t looking. Ormaybe Malcolm had finally perfected the transporter technology he’d been working on.
“Where did everyone go?” I asked.
Tavish swept me into his arms and strode toward the main doors. I yelped, and Albie chuckled, his mismatched eyes dancing with mischief.
“What about the girls?” I protested.
Albie huffed. “Those twoneedto run off some energy. They’ve been a menace all morning.”
Tavish shot him a look of mild reproach. “Aye, because you fed them fruit punch and donuts for breakfast.”
“Albie!” I scolded.
He raised his hands. “We were having a tea party!”
My heart melted. I’d known Tavish and Albie would be great fathers, but nothing had prepared me for justhowgreat. They were the ultimate girl dads, willing to have their hair braided, their nails painted, and their tea parties adorned with donuts even when I’d told them no sugar until lunch.
“Where are we going?” I asked as Tavish carried me through the castle corridors.
“To celebrate,” Albie said.
“Celebrate what? That I’m apparently the future queen?” My stomach flipped at the thought. “I’m not sure that’s cause for celebration. More like panic.”
Tavish nodded. “Your mum said you’d say that. She told us to be ready.” He waggled his eyebrows. “Good thing Albie and I are always ready.”
Understanding dawned at last. “You planned this with her,” I said.
“She knew about Malcolm before anyone,” Albie said. “She told us this morning.”
Tavish gave me a wolfish grin as we neared the staircase that led to our bedroom. “We volunteered to de-stress you.”
