Page 35 of The Forgotten Throne

“Ah guys... did anyone else just get branded?” Paxton asked, pulling at the collar of his tunic.

There right over his heart was angry pink raised skin in the shape of a heart with a crown around it. That had me looking at my own chest, but mine was in the center just under my throat and it was a crown that matched theirs and the crown I held in my hands. “Why is mine different?”

“Because you are queen and we are your consorts,” Zan said as he ran his fingers lightly over the raw skin. “You claimed us all...”

I shifted my gaze over to May and Becka whose eyes were wide watching us. Becka tossed up her hands and shook her head. “Cassarah, you know I love you but not like that. May and I didn’t get another mark. I think Zan is right about the consort theory. It’s the only thing that makes sense.”

Slowly I pushed myself up out of the throne, my whole body aching from the amount of power that just coursed through me, making me a little unsteady. Walking down a few steps, I stopped when I was eye level with all the men who I’d just marked. The certainty I’d had in the midst of all that had just happened was now gone and I felt vulnerable as I looked each one of them in the eyes. “Are you all accepting of that mark?”

Jade was the first to act, stepping up and grabbing my hips to twirl me around before setting me down and kissing me soundly on the mouth. “My little bird, there is nothing that I want more than I want to be by your side and in your bed for the rest of my life.”

Chapter Twenty-Two

What Secrets Does the Castle Hold

“Not so fast, grim reaper,” Dayson announced as he pulled me out of Jade’s arms. “You’re not the only one who has been waiting for this moment so share the love brother.”

Soon I was passed from one man to another, each of them showering me in kisses and hugs until it came to Zan and Paxton. Both of them obviously bore my claim to them as more than just my guardian but we hadn’t really gotten a chance to know each other in that way. Zan held out a hand in my direction with a soft smile on his face as his smoky unseeing eyes bore into my soul. He might not be able to see me in the traditional sense of the word but with Ezzu’s help and something else that was just him I knew he saw me better than any of the others. I placed my hand in his and let him pull me to his chest where he wrapped his arms around me and rested his head on the top of mine.

“I know we are new to each other and things might take some time but you are more than worth the wait and I will enjoy discovering who you are Cassarah,” he murmured into my hair then pulled back far enough to kiss me on the forehead and then the tip of my nose.

His words made me melt in his arms along with his kisses feeling the sincerity in them setting me at ease that he wasn’t unhappy being claimed by me. Zan released me as I turned to face Paxton who stood there looking extremely unsure of himself.

“Cassarah... look I know I’m an asshole and I always seem to say the wrong thing around you or pick a fight with the others, but I would like the chance to see what might happen between us. Clearly the gods seem to think we might be good for each other and I’m inclined to trust them on this matter. That and I’ve never met a woman who I respected more than I do you even in the short time I’ve watched you and how you carry yourself through all this shit going on. If there is a woman who could make something useful out of a man like me, it would be you and I’d really love to see what we can do together.”

Paxton’s words were so honest and probably the first time I’d seen him truly take something seriously. His gaze never wavered from mine as he spoke, trying to show me as much as tell me how he felt. I held out both hands to him which he took hope lighting up his face. “As I sat on the throne and magic was flying around me I was able to come to the point of perfect clarity. In that moment I came to understand that each of you hold something that I need and in the same regard I have something you need. I’ve been sheltered and controlled in how I act or express my emotions—you on the other hand let them fly freely never second guessing yourself as you speak your mind. Sometimes it needs to be toned down just as I need to show more, take risks, I think we can both learn from each other and if something more blossoms from it I don’t think I would mind at all.” I shared giving him a wide smile.

In his excitement he let out a whoop of joy pulling me in for a bone-crushing hug before he tossed me up and caught me again only to cup my face and press his lips to mine. A little startled I froze but then it just felt right so I returned his kiss but still keeping it chaste. “Spitfire you and I are going to make one hell of a team I just know it!” Paxton announced as he grinned looking down at me. “Now what do you say we find out what other trouble we can get into around this castle.” Intertwining his fingers with mine, he tugged me to follow as he took off across the throne room back out to the nave which was now bright with all the shutters open.

Off to the left was another set of double doors which revealed a set of stairs leading up to the second level of the castle. Once on the second floor we walked down a long hall with paintings of the previous kings and their dragons alone with other artwork depicting the battle that caused the first king to discover Sheca. Another painting showed the first king and his family and other various moments in history with brass plates on the bottom of the frame stating who or what the painting was. There were several rooms off the hall on either side that we peeked in on but most of them were sitting rooms, a game room, and then at the end of the hall was the ballroom. The polished hardwood floor shone in the light but what took my breath away was the mural on the ceiling of dragons flying and people in beautiful clothes dancing.

“I think I could lay on the floor and stare at that ceiling for hours and still not see everything,” I whispered, not wanting to disturb the peacefulness of the room.

A body pressed up against my back wrapping their arms around my waist. “I think that every time I look at you, love,” Gavin said in a hushed voice, his lips brushing the shell of my ear making me shiver. “Just when I think I have you figured out you show us something new we hadn’t noticed before. Something tells me life with you isn’t ever going to be boring.”

I twisted in his arms so I was facing him and brushed some of his curls out of his face before I could think better of it. This seemed to please him immensely, and he caught my hand to press a kiss to my palm slowly holding my gaze. For an act that was so innocent and simple it made my whole body flair with heat and need like some wanton woman. “Now I just think you're spinning tales to butter me up, Gavin. There isn’t all that much to figure out about me, I’m a fairly simple person.”

“Now that is where you are wrong, little mouse,” Cole countered boxing me in from behind so I was trapped between them. “The prince is right, you are like a puzzle just when we think we have it all figured out we find out there is another piece we need to fit in somewhere. You are like a drug to us Cassarah, we want to have all of you but that isn’t something you hand out freely it has to be earned and the high we get—it’s addicting.”

“I wasn’t there the night of the ball for those who were accepted into court never getting the chance to see you all dressed up. This is something I would very much like to witness with my own eyes after getting a taste of it for dinner the other night in the castle,” Gavin shared, brushing the back of his finger along my cheek. “I think the sight of you would make this mural pale in comparison.”

“Just think, now that we bare her mark we get to monopolize her time at these events keeping her all to ourselves,” Cole added. “I quite like having that sort of place in your life,” he admitted, brushing my hair to the side so he could kiss the back of my neck causing me to inhale sharply at the touch.

The sound of someone clearing their throat had us all looking off to the side where Abbott stood with Izel. “As much as I hate to break up this moment for you three, we still have plenty more of the castle to go through.”

“You’re absolutely right,” I blurted, thankful for Abbott tossing me a life line to keep from getting swept away in these emotions. “We still haven’t found the living quarters yet. If we want to move in here sooner than later that should be our main focus today.”

Cole gave Abbott a dirty look and muttered something under his breath about being a cock block. Ignoring his frustrations, I joined Izel as we headed back out into the hall to look for stairs to the next level of the castle. They were hidden off a short side hall that I would assume would typically be guarded so not just anyone could wander up into the rest of the castle. This floor was absolutely for the people who lived here with a dining room that had a vaulted ceiling and a railing for the fourth floor to look down into the room which I was guessing where the bedrooms were. This level also had a beautiful library filled with books and scrolls that I had to be pulled away from by the guys.

“Little warrior, there will be plenty of time to come and hide away here, but we need to get a feel for the whole castle first,” Izel pointed out.

I pouted but followed them out of the room into the connecting one that was an office. A large wooden desk sat as the focal point to the whole room with more books on the shelves behind it but they seemed to be records and journals more than books for leisure. I trailed a finger over the volumes and they didn’t feel aged at all the paper that was still left on the desk wasn’t yellowed or dried out from the years it’s been left making me truly believe that this place was just as they left it. Would there be clothes in the rooms or personal things they couldn’t take with them on the journey into Norden? Seems there would only be one way to find out.

Past the living section of this floor, we did discover some bedrooms that gave more of a guest feel with each of them a replica of each other with a slightly different color scheme but no real personality intertwined. As we made it to the fourth floor, the rooms took on a completely different feel far more character and you knew that people lived in this space making it their own. The king’s suite took up the whole left side of the hall with a sitting room, study, dressing room, and then the bedroom and bath. Everything was in cream colors with blacks, grays, and gold intermixed giving it dimension. I loved everything about it and was pleased to find it so much to my liking that I wouldn’t have to change much. The others spread out checking out the rooms all arguing over who was going to get what space making me smile listening to them.

I ventured deeper into the bedroom, amazed at the massive bed that was in the room with its canopy only covering the head area more for decoration than utility. What drew me though was the plush window seat that looked out over the village below and gave you an amazing view of the mountains that protected us. Unable to fight back my curiosity any longer I moved to the closet and pulled open the doors of the dresser and found that there were indeed clothes left behind. It was a mixture of men’s and women’s mostly night clothes and undergarments made from silky fabric. Stepping further into the dark room since there were no windows I found trunks stacked along one wall and I opened only to have dresses come surging out spilling onto the floor. It appears they left everything they didn’t need behind, shoes, jewelry, and everything else a person could possess. This revelation had me moving to the study and the writing desk that was there taking a seat in the chair and pulling open drawers.

One of them was locked but on a hunch I took the key from around my neck and used that to open the drawer. Inside, I found a worn journal and a note tucked into an envelope with my name written on it. Carefully I pulled both items out and set them on the desk unsure if I wanted to see what was written in that letter. How could someone from four hundred years ago possibly know I would be the one to be here at this moment and discover this letter? Taking a deep breath I broke the seal on the letter and pulled out the paper inside and unfolded it.