Vashana whined.
“I'm all right,” I said to her, then nodded at Rian.
The Dragon King nodded at the doormen in turn, then laid a hand over the one I had clutched around his upper arm. The doormen opened the two doors together and a low murmuring hit us. Seconds later, it went silent.
“All stand for the King of Sken!” one of the doormen, a Ricarri (that felt like a little grin from the Gods), shouted.
The Sken Dread surged to their feet as Rian walked me down a center aisle, over a runner of deep crimson, and up to the rose throne. The only throne I'd seen before this one had been fearsome, but Rian's ruling chair was beautiful. It looked as if it had been grown in a garden, a king of the forest, dug up and planted here. Its ebony base was adorned with stylized rose vines that wound up from the feet, going from thick roots to delicate stems. The roses had been painted with precision, looking so lifelike that if I hadn't known the whole thing was made of wood, I'd have assumed the throne had been decked out with roses especially for my presentation. It reminded me of the royal carriage and the first time I'd seen Rian.
And it felt like coming full circle.
The Dragons faded for me. There was only Rian and Vash, my new family. All of my pain had led me to them, and it was worth it. When I was young and a favored pet died, my mother would tell me that pain was the price we paid for love, but it was a bargain compared to all that love gave us. What she referred to was the loss of love. One day, I would lose my Vash, and I would mourn her greatly, knowing that the pain was worth every hour I'd spent with her. But, if the Gods were kind, I would never lose Rian. The pain I paid for his love came before our meeting. And yet, just like every other wound one suffered for love, it was a bargain. The greatest deal of my life. I would have paid a hundred times the amount for Rianvar.
And those thoughts were what sustained me during that journey up the hall. They kept me smiling as I climbed the dais steps and turned to face the fearsome Sken Dread. They even steadied me when I met the gaze of Lady Emmavane, who stood in the front row beside her husband, Rian's father, and Geris. Yes, Geris had been given an honored spot for his part in bringing me home.
As for Rian's mother, she was striding up to take her place on the step just below the dais. She'd been chosen—by the Sken Dread, not Rian—to play the role of Vas. She had the responsibility of keeping all the Dragons in line during their visit and also of overseeing my presentation.
Mila winked at me before she turned to face the room. “Sken Dread, we have come to meet and pass judgment upon my son's mate, Galin Savas. I will not speak on his behalf beyond saying that he has my absolute support and gratitude.” She held up her hands. “It's not my place to inform you of all he's done for our people, even before your King mated him.” She shook her head in lament. “I am just your Vas, here to direct the proceedings, not tell you how kind and intelligent Galin is. How he gave of his time and talent freely to help our enclave. No, that's not my place to speak on.”
I pressed my lips together to stifle my laugh as I glanced at Rian. He smirked back at me.
“But it is permitted for my son to speak on behalf of his mate.” Mila waved at Rian.
Rian stepped forward, my hand falling away from him, and addressed the dread, “My people, I don't believe it's necessary for me to speak on Galin's behalf. You all know by now what a treasure he is, how valuable he'd be as a member of ourdread. You know of his wisdom and generosity, how he saved an entire forest and asked for nothing in return. No, his worth is not in question here. It is mine you are truly judging today. I know it, and all of you do as well.”
The room went so silent that all I could hear was my harsh breaths.
“That is your right,” Rian went on. “I would be thinking of this as an opportunity to rid myself of a mad king too. But before you do, consider what you would have done to save your mate. Ask yourself how you would have reacted if forced to abandon your mate the very day that the bond was complete. And then you may judge me. Not him!” He sent a glare around the room. “Do not dare judge Galin on what he did. He had his reasons, and I played my part in them. But you may judge me on my actions, how I behaved, and how I recovered. Then make your decision.” He turned on his heel and stepped back over to me.
Even his mother gaped at him.
Mila finally cleared her throat and looked at me. “Galin, would you like to say something?”
“Yes, thank you.” I went forward, ignoring Rian's surprise. I had told him I wouldn't address the dread, that I'd done all the explaining I wanted to do during the days leading up to this. But after his speech, there was something I wanted to say. “Hello, everyone,” I said serenely.
That got them out of their shock. The Dragons shifted, many smiling at me. Emmavane was not one of those who smiled.
“I don't have a speech planned,” I went on. “Nor do I wish to address the reasons for my leaving after mating Rian. Theyare deeply personal and concern trauma in my past. I will not share them, nor will I apologize for my secrecy. Everyone has the right to privacy concerning such matters. I will, however, speak on my mate's behalf.”
This was not appropriate. I knew it not only because the presentation process had been explained to me but also because of the expressions on the faces before me. I was the one who was supposed to be lauded and presented, not Rian. But I knew that his worth was the true matter at hand.
“I know some of you found it reckless of King Rianvar to imprison himself,” I went on. “He abandoned the throne as I had abandoned him. But a Dragon's first loyalty is to their mate, especially in the first year following the mating. I left Rian on the third day of our mating.”
Many Dragons gasped. Rian had said that I left the day the bond settled, but he hadn't specified what day that was. And it was an important detail.
“I left a note, asking that he not follow me. I told him I'd be—” my voice broke.
“Galin, enough.” Rian took my hand. “I don't need you to defend me.”
Against my flank came the reassuring pressure of Vashana, and I reached down to stroke her back even as I smiled at him. “No, you don't need me to defend you, but I'm going to, Mate. I'm stronger than I thought, and that strength is now yours.” I squeezed his hand, my chest filling with pride when Rian's expression went awestruck. Then I faced the room again. “I wrote a letter to my mate, telling him that my life would be better without him.”
That got even more gasps.
“I had trauma in my past, as I've mentioned,” I went on. “And at the time, I thought I could never overcome it and that King Rianvar would only aggravate that emotional wound. I was wrong, of course. He was what I needed to heal. But I needed time to understand that, and my mate gave that to me knowing exactly what it would cost him.” I paused, looking around the room and meeting every horrified stare. Yeah, they knew how terrible that would be, how much a Dragon would suffer. “Your king is so strong, so steadfast and stalwart, so loyal that he sacrificed his health and wellbeing to ensure mine. He took care of what needed to be handled first, including seeing to the situation in Riscavik, and then he locked himself away to keep from hunting me. Did he go mad? No. It may have seemed that way. But ask yourselves how you would sound and look if your mate left you and you felt your only recourse was to remain in a cell for the rest of your life so they could be happy. How would you react? How would you feel? And how long would it take you to recover? Because my mate recovered within minutes of being reunited with me. So quickly, that I couldn't believe it at first. But here he is, look upon the proof for yourselves. King Rianvar is as sound in body and mind as the first day he was crowned. If you judge me as unworthy, fine. But let it be about me, not him. Because if you use this chance to get rid of your king, despite having no issue with me, you are both disgraceful and stupid. You have a great ruler here, one who will look after your kingdom with as much care as he looks after me. Don't be fools.”
With that, I turned around and went back to our spot before the throne, Rian and Vashana flanking me.
“Well.” Mila cleared her throat. “I think it's safe to say there has never been a presentation quite like this one.”
