“Let’s go get you into some fresh clothes, wife,” he said, then added, “And checked out byChess.Don’tthink Ididn’tnotice.”
He looked pointedly at my left wing then, letting me know he, indeed, somehow was aware.
“Who snitched?” I asked as Ezra and Quinn slowly got to their feet, too, with Ezra leaning into Quinn’s side.
“Rayven,” Byn said easily.
We all laughed—mostly from the hysterics—as we made our way back to The Haven.
And with my hand in Byn’s, finally, I was home.
Chapter Fourteen
Calling to one of the softest of my zirilium, I brushed my fingertips up the stem of a nearby flower, causing the drooping plant to straighten and puff out its petals.
“There you go,” I murmured to the sprouting flower. “Looking better already.”
I looked around at the dozens of other flowers I had already nurtured back from the brink of death, all surrounding theThorntierthrones.
The Haven throne room stood in the very center of the giant structure. There was no solid roof overhead, and portions of the sky could be seen between the gaps of the trees.
Yes,trees.
The throne room was more of a giant courtyard—the same courtyard Byn and I were wed in—with grass and earth underfoot and exposed to the elements above. There were many Southern wildflowers, trees, shrubs, and other greens spread aboutthe space.
Though the thrones themselves were the highlight of it all.
Having been shaped from the growing trunk of giant trees, each throne was breath-taking. I could only imagine they were crafted with plantzirilium, having the two trees grow and bend into the perfect shape for their king and queen. They sat towards the back of the open space, but I could feel their roots running in every directioninthe earth below. Their backings werenearly astall as Atlas—Byn’s Titan Wolf and one of his closest companions—making me feel tiny as I sat on the ground in front of them.
Reaching out a hand again, I breathed life back into another flower, this one a soft yellow.
Apparently, thefaethat usuallymaintainedthe plants of the throne room had fallen ill.I’doverheard Giles, Byn’s assistant innearly everythingcourt-wise, mention it, and had offered to lend a hand today. Giles had been beside himself and tried to softly talk me out of it, but I thoughtit’dbe good for me.
Ever sincefacing Dimi recently—and seeing the lengths he was willing to go to get what he wanted—I’dspiraled into my own dark thoughts again. The day after we returned, Ihadn’tleftmine andByn’s chambers even once. The following day had been a bit better, but there were still shadows lurking within the depths of my mind.
Today, though, Iwantedto be in this courtyard. Not only did it keep me occupied, but because we’d been so busy since I’darrived in the South, I’d only taken my place on the throne once—when we appointed Laurence into theValwainand he’d vowed to serve theThorntierline with all he was.I’dalso been appointed that day, but I had simply stood and made my vows to Byn, instead of kneeling before the thrones, as Laurence had.
Besides that, I hadn’tneededto be in the throne room—other than the day Byn and I had gotten married.
It made me feel… appreciation. That was where Byn’s parents had sat and ruled from, wherethey’dled not only their people but their family. Their children.
And Stars, did it seem like they did a fantasticjob.
I knew theThorntiersiblings grievedstill, andlikely felt differently about seeing the thrones without their parents sitting inthem, but it also mademefeel blue, oddly enough. I wished I had been able to meet them, under different circumstances.
And thank them for raising the male Icouldn’tlive without so incredibly well.
“Your Majesty?” I heard Laurence say, his voicegentleand soft as always.
Tilting my head to look away from the lively flowers now surrounding me, I caught sight of my guard and friend heading towards me from the main throne room entrance.
Looking back towards the thrones, Icouldn’thelp but say, “I feel like I can see them in Byn and Teagan and Margo.”
“See who, Your Majesty?” Laurence asked as he neared.
“ThepreviousKing and Queen of the South.I’veseen their portraits on the walls, and heard the siblings talk about them briefly, but here I feel likeI’mable to appreciate them more. To connect.”
I ran my hand through the soft soil below mindlessly, bright green grass sprouting from under my palm upon contact.
