And gave his attention to the other people in the room.
Two, he knew, and he did another quick bow to the blonde,but took the hand of the dark giant who stood at her side, and he shook it.
“Dax Lahn,” he greeted.“DahksanaCirce,” he said to the Dax’s queen.
“Good to see you again, Loren,” Circe said.
“You’re well?”Lahn asked.
He nodded.
“You’ve made a long journey,” he noted, and they had.Allthe way up from their kingdom ofKorwahkin theSouthlands.A journey that took at least three months.
“My Circe misses her friend,” Lahn explained, pulling hiswife close.
Lahn likely missed his friend too.
Loren smiled, finally understanding these matches that camein a variety of ways, and proved not only enduring, but unshakeable (Lahn andCirce’s the most unusual), and it wasn’t love that forged them.
Yet it absolutely was.
He turned to the last two people in the room.
“I’m not sure you’ve met,” Tor said, as Loren took in thetall, straight, handsome man who, at one glance, he knew was like Loren, asoldier, and the dark, striking beauty with him.“This is King True ofWodell, and his queen, Farah.”
Loren bowed.
“We know who you are,” the king from across the Green Seastated.“And what you’ve accomplished.I am a brother, sir,” he confirmed whatLoren had surmised.“Do not bow.”
Loren straightened, his gaze moving to Tor briefly, he got anod, then he looked back to True.
“It’s still an honor to meet”—he took in Farah with hisgaze—“two of the warriors who defeated the Beast.”
“Wish we knew all it would take was pushing the monster—”Lahn began.
He stopped when Circe turned and slapped his arm, hissing,“Lahn, there was no ‘all it would take’ in that heartbreaking situation.”
A string of words came from Lahn, calm, gentle, soundinglike song, and since Loren didn’t speakKorwahkian,he had no idea what the king was saying.
But it made his queen appear less cross.
Tor caught his attention, asking, “And where is your futurebride?We’re keen to meet her.”
“This is an excellent question,” Loren replied testily.
Tor’s eyebrows went up.
It was nearly a fortnight after her fit in his arms in hisrooms.
Not including the fit, obviously, it had been the finest twoweeks of his life, and this was quite a claim, considering his father gave hima wonderful childhood, regardless of what they two had lost.
Openness, honesty, sharing, outings with her family, mealstogether just them alone, andSatrinein his bed atnight suited them both.
Magnificently.
They were not inseparable.He had things to do.And she hada wedding to put the finishing touches on.
Also, she and her mother had to make plans for travel toDalwinfor said wedding, a wedding after whichSatrinewould be with him wherever they landed, so she hadto be prepared for it.
