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Then, one by one, the guards and servants and dignitaries around the room began to kneel.
And somehow, I became the queen of Far Shore.
Gulping, I heaved in a great breath before helplessly complying.
I bent down and took the crown from the floor before lifting it slowly to my head.
35
Farrow
The Donnellean army arrived two days later. In all actuality, it was fairly anticlimactic.
Far Shore soldiers waited at the city limits for them, lining the roadways to provide a royal escort for such honored guests that led their commander straight to the castle’s entrance.
Urban Bjorn, leader of the Donnelly troops, looked puzzled and suspicious as hell, glancing around him as if he expected an attack any moment even as he strode forward to meet me, where I stood awaiting his arrival at the door to the throne room. When he recognized who I was, his scowl grew.
“You!” he boomed as he grabbed the front of my tunic and yanked me against him so he could snarl directly into my face. “This whole mess is your fault?” He shook me harshly, rattling my teeth. “You fucking punk. I should’ve let Brentley execute you that night Nicolette begged me to save your miserable life.”
“Be that as it may,” I offered mildly. “What’s done is done, so…” I lifted a bored eyebrow. “If you’ll kindly release me, my lord…” I brushed off his hands. “I believe we can sort out this whole mess, as you call it, in very short order.”
He dropped me back to the ground even as he seethed. “I don’t want to hear any lies from you. Just give us back Princess Nicolette. If she’s been kept comfortable and unharmed, I might elect to show you mercy.”
“Oh, you seek the princess?” Placing a hand over my heart, I cringed and made myself look full of remorse as I answered, “I’m sorry, then, but I regret to inform you that the princess of Donnelly is no more.”
Face immediately draining of color, Urban tripped a step back. “What? She—” Shaking his head in a panic, he had trouble swallowing before he gritted his teeth, making the cords in his neck strain. Then he growled, “No. She’s not. The fuck you say! You people wouldn’t kill her without hearing our bargaining terms first. Nicolette can’t be dead.”
When he reached for me again, I knew he would legit attack until one of us was dead, so I slyly sidestepped him and decided to have mercy from the spot of fun I was having.
“No,” I said. “You’re absolutely right. She isn’t.”
Fumbling to a confused halt, he cocked his head curiously. “Huh?”
“Nicolette’s not dead,” I clarified. “We would never do that to our finest treasure.”
“Then, what the hell are you saying?” he finally demanded. “Where is she?”
A proud grin lit my face. Reaching behind me, I opened the door to the throne room and splayed out a hand, inviting him to enter as I backed into the hall. “Why, she’s in here, of course.” With a regal bow of my head, I announced, “It is my greatest honor to introduce to you the newest ruler of Far Shore, Queen Nicolette from House Donnelly. And princess no more.”
He jarred to a stunned stop, gaping baldly before he exploded, “Excuse me?”
From behind me, a familiar voice exclaimed joyfully from the back side of the room where she sat on the throne. “Urban!”
Recognizing her voice, Urban zapped his gaze to her, blinking as he took in the sight before him.
Nicolette waved an exuberant greeting from where she sat on the large throne. With Indigo standing to her right, just behind her chair, Roloff lingering at her left, a whole host of knights and dignitaries positioned against the walls on either side of the hall as they guarded her, and the royal crown of Far Shore topping her head, there was no doubt whatsoever that she was indeed the ruler here.
“Jesus, God, Nicolette,” Urban breathed in relief when she popped up from her seat, leaped off the dais, and started racing toward him. “Thank fuck you’re okay.” He rushed forward and caught her in his arms, squeezing her tight when she laughed in happy greeting. Then he picked her up and spun her in a circle. “We were all so worried about you. I was sure I’d get here too late and find you—”
When he cut himself off, appearing tormented by the mere idea of her distress, I realized the man truly did care about my mate.
“Yes, well…” She grinned bashfully and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. I frowned, watching her curiously, and wondered if she had some hero-worship going on when it came to this man. “For a while, it was a little touch and go,” she admitted, glancing impishly my way. “I wasn’t always sure we would make it, but—”
“Please, no.” Urban held up a hand, shaking his head and stopping her. “My heart can’t take hearing how close you might’ve come to harm. You’re like a sister—no, closer to a daughter—to me, for God’s sake. Stories of you in peril might send me to an early grave.”
Her return smile was affectionate. “They’re pretty crazy stories, too.”
“Yeah...” He shook his head in awe and glanced around the throne room. “I can tell.” Then he sniffed. “Fucking Queen of Far Shore, huh?” Lifting his eyebrows in part amusement, part pride, and part exasperation, he said, “Just what have you gotten yourself into this time, kiddo?”
