Noc smiled down at me.
Then he kissed me.
Unfortunately, for the sake of politeness, he ceased doing this when Diandra"s husband, Seerim, and her daughter, Sheena, joined us, carrying resin cups filled to the brim with Korwahkian wine.
When I took mine from Sheena with a soft, "Shahsha," ("thank you" in Korwahkian) the pretty girl grinned at me.
"I can see Lahn has it going on," Noc said to Diandra, who looked confused for a moment but her lips still moved, uttering Korwahkian, translating for her husband and daughter. "Not many leaders, no matter they can tear a man"s head off with their bare hands, could pull that off by just saying it"s gonna be done."
Diandra kept talking, and when she was finished, Seerim started.
Diandra translated.
"There will be uprisings. This is only the beginning. The Horde has been warned and they are aware. It will not be this easy. What it will be, eventually, is the legacy of the Golden Dynasty."
"Don"t doubt that," Noc replied.
Diandra translated what Noc had said then shared her own words, "It helps matters, I"m certain, that all the rulers of the Northlands have declared their alliance with this new creed and will block trade with merchants from Korwahk who won"t follow it. Rulers who have also vowed they"re prepared to ride with the Horde for those who take up weapons in an effort to defy it."
In other words, Queen Aurora (with the support of Frey and Apollo, no doubt), Prince Noctorno, King Ludlum and whoever was ruling Fleuridia now (I was out of the loop, I"d heard there was a coup in the last conversation I"d had with Cora through my crystal ball, but it was no longer my world so I didn"t pay it much mind) were on board with Lahn"s decree.
"Not bad backup," Noc muttered.
Diandra nodded.
Sheena said something and Diandra looked toward the thrones before saying to us, "Our Dax and Dahksahna wish our presence."
I looked to the thrones too and saw now that the king and his queen had been reunited with their family.
Thus Circe was waving us her way even as she seemed to be attempting to control a very active Ashur in her arms (this effort failing as she was also holding her chalice of wine and the child very much wanted to launch itself at the white tiger, who was engaged in the activity of licking the baby"s leg).
This was happening while Lahn had his dark-haired toddler Tunahn riding his broad shoulders, the boy looking to the expanse before him like he already ruled the people milling about in it.
But his golden-haired daughter, Isis, had plastered her front to her father"s ma.s.sive chest, blurring his paint, which was now smudging her golden garments, and giggling while she pulled at his beard.
Lahn felt no need to appear kingly with his daughter pressed to him, pulling at his beard. He"d just wrapped his strapping forearm under her b.u.m, held her to him, and smiled wide into her beautiful little face.
"Time to attend the king and queen," Noc said in my ear, putting a hand to the small of my back and starting us that way.
He was right, of course.
In a way.
But really, it was time to be with our friends and celebrate a momentous occasion.
The first new creed as proclaimed by The Golden Dynasty.
I took a sip from my cup as I moved, and thought, May it be one of many.
Fleuridia I plucked a piece of lavender as I ambled down the lane beside Maddie.
I"d asked for this stroll.
Now I didn"t know how to go about the business of why I"d done that.
During our visit to my world, Noc wanted to see everyone, including Apollo and Maddie.
I"d said no words against it, even if I felt no small amount of concern that I knew Noc would be welcomed, but I likely wouldn"t.
This did not occur. Both Apollo and his Maddie were very cordial with me.
Cordial.
Not friendly.
It was clear they most enjoyed seeing Noc.
But they were very poor at hiding they were not the same with me.
Apollo was formal and terse, if not outwardly unwelcoming.
Maddie was hesitant and watchful.
We were only staying but days before being spirited to Bellebryn as arranged (and paid for) with Valentine, and I had thought to simply get through it and then move on with our holiday.
What I didn"t factor was the fact that Noc was as he was.
Highly perceptive.
At first, he seemed keen on the course of attempting, with his good humor and easy manner, to sweep away the awkwardness.
When this didn"t occur, and regardless that I tried to hide my discomfort, he started to get frustrated.
Then angry.
I feared he"d demand words with Apollo, and before he did something like that, altering a relationship I knew they both enjoyed in a way they would cease doing that, something had to be done.
And I had to do it.
Thus I"d asked Maddie on this stroll.
And I couldn"t begin to know how to sort through the matter at hand.
I just knew I must.
For Noc.
And, to be quite truthful, for Maddie.
I stopped, twirling the stem of lavender in my fingers, and called quietly, "Lady Madeleine."
She stopped too, having walked on several strides, and turned back to me.
I decided to face it head on.
"When I said what I said to you at Brunskar, I know my words harmed you," I declared.
"Franka," she said my name uneasily.
"This has been made very clear to me," I shared.
She seemed at a loss before she replied, "Things were very...emotional at the time."
"They were indeed," I agreed. "This does not erase the harm that I"d done."
She took a step toward me, saying again, "Franka."
"Those I care about, who care about me, call me Frannie."
She stopped and stared.
"Even if I would never speak it aloud, until now, I"ve always admired Apollo for many reasons. His service to my country is one. Another is the love he has for his family."
She looked to be fighting turning her gaze away and she won, holding mine steady but saying nothing.
"This man I"ve long respected, it"s good to see him again happy," I declared.
A startled warmth moved through her gaze as she took the last step toward me, reaching out to wrap her fingers around mine.
"That"s kind of you to say," she replied quietly.
"Perhaps, but mostly it"s true," I returned.
Her lips curved.
"It may be the damage my words caused make it so we cannot have what I have with the others who"ve found love across worlds," I carried on. "But my Noc has grown to care about you both. So although it is not mine to ask anything of you, for him I do so regardless. And what I ask is that we endeavor to get past the awkwardness between us so that Noc can enjoy his time, time that"s rather brief, with the two of you."
"I know what happened to you," she whispered.
I fought lifting my chin and replied, "I know you do."
"My ex, the other Apollo, Pol, beat the absolute c.r.a.p out of me, doing it repeatedly. Once doing it and I lost the son I carried."
I blinked in shock and distress.
"When I went to my parents for help," she continued, "my father closed the door in my face."
"By the G.o.ds," I breathed.
She nodded and went on to tell her startling tale of woe.
"I went on the run and I didn"t let anyone close to me. Not for ages. Not until Apollo."
I said nothing.
"In other words, Frannie. I get you." She looked beyond me, back up to the grand manse in the countryside of Fleuridia she shared with her husband, his children by Ilsa, and their little Valentine, and again to me. "The awkwardness was because, well, even having changed, you"re kind of intimidating and I didn"t know how to broach it with you." She gave me a grin. "I"m glad you knew what to do."
"Well, I"m..." I cleared my throat, "glad too."
Her grin became a smile, she moved into me, coming to my side and hooking her arm through my own.
Thus, she moved us again forward. "So now, tell me. I"m dying to know. How did you react to my old world? I have to admit, I"d love to take Lo there. See how he feels about airplanes and Jacuzzis. You have to tell me everything. What did you think the weirdest thing was? And the most wonderful?"
I shared this with her and she threw her head back and laughed when I told her both were my introduction to the glory of toilets.
And from there, Lady Madeleine Ulfr and I wandered a lane lined in lavender.
And as we did, we became friends.
Noc "She"s much changed."
Noc didn"t take his eyes from the window as he watched Frannie and Maddie wandering down the lane, arm in arm, heads bent together even when he felt Apollo come to stand beside him or when Apollo said those words.
"No, she"s not," Noc replied "I knew her well before you, my brother," Lo stated carefully.
Only then did Noc give the man his eyes.
"No you did not."
Apollo Ulfr held his gaze.
Then he lifted his chin.
Both men turned their attention back out the window.
And they stood there watching the women they loved wandering a lane, their skirts and the fields of lavender waving about them in a gentle breeze, their bodies bathed in sunshine.
Lunwyn Franka I was riding Noc"s c.o.c.k, both of us sitting up, our eyes locked, when his arm clamped about my hips and he held me down, full of him, and shifted to his knees.
He then dropped me to my back, covering me and again moving inside.
Through this, my gaze on his never wavered, nor did it when his hand found mine, linking our fingers and pressing them into the bed as his other hand moved, pushing deep, up my spine, the back of my neck, to curl against my scalp.