Then she walked to the pyre and around it, standing on the dragons’ side. We watched as she looked down at Alyssa, her head tilted, her mouth went soft then she lifted her hands in prayer position to her lips for only a moment before she opened them so her pinkies were pressed together and then she dropped both slightly forward.
And when she dropped them, a flash of ice blue covered Alyssa’s body and at once a shock of bright, white sparks rose clear to the sky and Alyssa’s body disappeared.
Frey raised his fist and lowered it, the dragons straightened their long necks, aiming their mouths to the heavens and there they sent a stream of fire.
I turned and pressed my face in my husband’s chest as my fingers curled into his wool.
His arms moved around me and went tight.
* * * * *
Two days later…
In the State Dining Room, Rimée Keep, Snowdon.
“Are you mad?” Eirik Drakkar spat at his son from his seat mid-table flanked by his two other sons, the ones who were not married to me.
Before Frey could reply, Olwen Lazarus did. “I see the wisdom of this.”
Eirik’s furious gaze shot to the man and he hissed, “You would, she’s your bloody sister.”
“This is highly unusual,” Walter Sinclair muttered.
“It isn’t unusual,” Eirik snapped. “It’s absurd!”
“I find nothing absurd about it,” Apollo Ulfr drawled. He was leaned casually back in his chair and his green eyes were leveled on Eirik Drakkar. “Frey’s suggestion is clearly sound.”
“Clearly… clear… clear…” Eirik spluttered then pounded a fist on the table. “Clearly sound?” he shouted. “A woman has never ruled Lunwyn!”
“If any woman could, it would be Aurora,” Norfolk Ravenscroft pointed out.
“And you would say that,” Eirik returned hotly. “She’s your cousin, you are close. You’d have her ear.”
“You’d have her ear too, Eirik, if you weren’t a horse’s ass,” Apollo put in smoothly and, seated to Frey’s right where he sat at the head of the table, Mother to his left, I pressed my lips together to stifle my laugh.
Eirik glared at Apollo then stated sharply, “May I remind you that Lunwyn is just reunited, we have just been at war, half the heads of half the Houses from both sides of Lunwyn were gods damned incinerated by my son,” he jerked a finger at Frey, “the other half are imprisoned waiting trial for treason and, if you lot have anything to say about it, which you unfortunately do, they will hang. Now is not the time to audition womanly rule.”
“It’s hardly an audition considering I asked you all here in hopes of receiving your assent but I will state at this point that I don’t actually require it,” Frey put in. “Until my princess births a son and he is of age to accept his responsibilities to his crown, Aurora of the House of Wilde will rule this land and she does it with my backing which I’m certain I don’t need to remind you includes my dragons and the elves. If, in the meantime, she were to be unable to command her throne, we will reconvene.”
“Then, my son, I’m afraid you court further action like we saw while you slept with the elves,” Eirik threatened with narrowed, flashing eyes and I lost my humor and glared at the odious man who saw no action at all but had no problem hanging around in his tent while he ordered men to battle, some of them meeting their deaths while his grievously injured son was healed by the elves.
Jerk.
“Then, my sire, I’m afraid, if you threaten treason, I will be forced to remove you as the head of the House of Drakkar, transfer that privilege to my brother Calder, your second born, and wish you well with your retirement,” Frey returned.
And just like that, my flare of temper disintegrated and I was pressing my lips together again as I watched Eirik actually bounce in fury in his seat then he crashed both his fists on the table and stammered an incensed, “I… you… you cannot… you can’t do that!”
“I’m afraid I can. I am the true head of the House of Drakkar and, as is well known, if I do not wish to assume this role then it is my due to transfer it to who I see fit. As I didn’t give a gods damn who ran our House, I didn’t take my due. Now, I give a damn so I’ll take my due.” Eirik opened and closed his mouth like a fish as Frey’s eyes moved to Calder. “Do you wish this responsibility, brother?”
“By all means,” Calder muttered to Frey then he turned his head to his father. “If you would, I will ask you and Mother to make haste in your move to the dower house. Melba has long been telling me she thought new curtains would be lovely in the drawing room.” Eirik blinked at his son while Calder finished, “And the study.”