Dangerous. “Rymar is beautiful, and its people are kind.”
She nodded her approval. “Walk with me.”
I gave Remy and Zane a desperate, pleading look, but they remained rooted in place, offering no help.
“Come, Haven. It’s not as if I’m a nian. I don’t bite.”
My cheeks flushed. Again. And I hurried to join the queen, brushing past the banners and braziers to catch up with her stride.
We walked twenty paces, and she stopped in front of a stained-glass window that depicted a verdant valley dotted with thatched cottages. Farmers worked their fields. Cattle grazed. And in the cerulean sky, a crimson dragon soared. “This one is my favorite. Do you like it?”
“It’s lovely.” What else could I say?
“Peace.” She pointed at the valley, then lifted her finger until it pointed at the dragon. “And the strength to maintain it. It’s what Rymar wants.”
Unsure of how to respond, I made a humming noise.
“What do you want, Haven?”
“I’m not sure that matters.” Fate had plans for me. Pain, suffering, and death.
“Oh, it matters. The road ahead of you is hard, and you have no hope of prevailing without a clear goal.” She resumed walking.
I fell into step beside her. “I want equality for women.”
“And?”
“Justice.”
“Whose justice? Yours? Mine? The gods’?”
“It seems there should be a scale that measures the good or evil a person does.”
The queen laughed softly. “Wouldn’t that be handy? Zane has shared his visions with me. He saw a warrior.”
I heard the unspoken question in her voice. How could I be that warrior when I wasn’t sure of what I fought for?
“According to Zane, my son is one of your bonded.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Do you have feelings for him?”
“I do.”
“And for Zane?”
“The same.”
“The other four?”
“That’s complicated.”
“Men are always complicated. The poor dears can’t help it.” She stopped at the base of the dais. “Will you accept all of them?”
Without waiting for my answer, she climbed the steps, settled herself on her throne, and gave a tiny nod.
A door opened, and Grayson, Pierce, Teal, and Flynn filed into the throne room, forming a neat line. Grayson’s expression was sour. Pierce looked pensive. Teal smirked. And Flynn bounced on the balls of his feet.
