Total pages in book: 192
Estimated words: 192810 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 964(@200wpm)___ 771(@250wpm)___ 643(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 192810 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 964(@200wpm)___ 771(@250wpm)___ 643(@300wpm)
I read, and most of what I read was what I knew of their story.
Until I got to the part where it said:
According to various sources close to the True Heir, along with what was written in Princess Iphelia’s journals, Prince Aerin experienced critically debilitating lack of control due to his concern over his fated mate placing herself in danger.
This went far beyond the customary need to protect of a male mate.
It famously caused a rift between the lovers. One that tore them apart and shocked the realm.
Unfortunately, although it’s known they reconciled, and nine months later the next True Heir was born, as she often did—understanding her journals would be kept for historical purposes—Princess Iphelia did not detail this reconciliation as she rarely detailed the more private moments she shared with her husband.
It is simply known that they were never apart again, in living life or in fighting wars. And there were no further indications that the prince suffered this debilitation in regard to his mate.
In fact, they became famous at the time for their synchronicity on and off the battlefield and revered as formidable opponents to any enemy.
It is also known that, from their reconciliation onward, they reigned together as partners, this being unusual to this day for any monarch, king or queen, to share this power with their spouse.
“Well, that doesn’t help much,” I muttered to my tablet.
“Meow?” Comet asked.
“Nothing to worry about, baby,” I cooed to him.
There was a knock on the door.
“Yes?” I called.
Fannon opened it and walked in. “I’m to escort you to the prince now, Laura.”
I was being taken to him?
Interesting.
I nodded, quickly taking my feet and said, “I need to throw on some shoes.” And a bra, I didn’t say.
He returned my nod.
On my dash to the closet, I tossed my tablet on the sofa. I took the time to put on some flats, a bra, and the mane-mate in order for it to do my hair in a ponytail (my fabulous chignon was long gone). Then I was hustling back out to the sitting room.
Geleena stayed behind to guard the suite, and Fannon and I descended to the first floor and then down the hall toward the admin wing.
Once there, we hit a lift, took it down two floors and then out into a hall I’d never been in and didn’t know existed. It had none of the elegant trappings of the upper floors, but instead was cold and utilitarian.
There were two defense bots standing outside a door, their sight ring pulsing a lavender light, which was both creepy and cool, knowing they could use it to see three hundred sixty degrees.
Fannon was talking into his watch unit as we approached, so when we got there, the door opened.
“Mistress Laura,” a male I’d never met said.
He bowed then moved back so I could enter.
Fannon stayed outside.
I entered, eyes wide, taking it all in, because all of it was mega.
There were a good dozen beings in there, seated around a long table.
They all took their feet (aside from King Fillion, who was sitting next to the Prime Minister, a male I’d met in the receiving line that night and who was still wearing his tuxedo, though it was dirty and had a torn lapel, but he, too, got up when I entered).
Aleksei, sitting to one side, also took his feet.
I saw Bainon and Cormac at the long table. Tanyn was standing and appeared to have been pacing before I arrived. There was a female also standing at the foot of the table, and I knew I’d arrived in the middle of her giving a briefing. But around the seats were a variety of males and females, three in uniform (one male, two females).
And Germaine was there.
Every wall in the room was a screen, and on them a variety of live vids were displayed, including the activities in the west gardens, inside and outside of tents, and the trajectory of a lone craft that was speeding through the night.
The long table in the middle had displays built in at each seat, and hovering over it was a holo map of the entire Sceptred Isle. It glowed yellow, except for a tiny area to what would be the southwest edge of the island, which was red.
Clearly, this was the situation room.
And it was insanely cool.
“Laura, if you’d be seated by Aleksei,” the king invited.
I didn’t ask why I’d been invited to this session. I was just thrilled to be there.
So, without hesitation or that first sound, I moved around the head of the table to sit in the vacant chair next to Aleksei.
I caught his gaze and was pleased to see he didn’t look ticked at me, or anyone. There was no purple or pinprick of stars in his eyes, though the room was rather dim, so maybe I couldn’t see the latter.