Curse of Blades (Blades #1)

Chapter 40

The old ghosts haunted him until Wildas's dream presence chased them away. Strong, familiar arms held him closer and more tenderly than in any other dream before, and he finally slept without nightmares. When the first rays of light woke him at dawn he decided it was time to go home. This place had once been the semblance of home, but it wasn't anymore.

And it never would be again. Home was where Wildas was, and that wasn't going to change. Anil and Myri were also a part of that home, and now Teeya would be a part of it again, too.

It took seven days to return to Ryal, and they entered the city at the end of dusk. Teeya had spent the days asking question after question about life in Ryal and the people she would meet. Coulta answered all her questions, though he was vague when it came to talking about his intimate life. Thankfully, she left that topic mostly alone, aside from wanting to know more about power shares.

When they reached the castle at Ryal, Ralix went ahead to tell Wildas, Anil, and Myri of their arrival while Coulta showed Teeya the entry hall with the kings' statues, the the Great Hall, and the throne room, though those rooms weren't well-lit at that hour.

"Where is the late Grand King's statue?" Teeya asked.

"It hasn't been completed yet," Coulta answered as he led her up a flight of stairs. "It was only just commissioned the day after the coronation as Wildas's first official act as Grand King."

"There must be a lot of tradition here," she commented softly.

"There is."

Most of the passageways were shadowy and only dotted periodically with torches until they reached the hallway holding the two suites of rooms, two sets of attendants' quarters, and a nursery at the end of the hallway. Several more torches were lit and two Guardsmen stood at the entrance to the wing. Now that they were less likely to be facing Varin's assassins the normal, lower number of guard rotations had been reinstated. The Guardsmen saluted Coulta, who nodded to them. Even being Second King didn't seem to change the fact that he'd become an honorary member of the Guard by becoming Wildas's protector, so he was saluted to as a Guardsmen of greater rank, not bowed to like Shelton still was.

Coulta was sure it would take him his whole life to fully understand everything about being the Second King. To say there was tradition in Ryal was an understatement.

The door to Wildas's office was slightly ajar and Coulta heard voices from inside, but he paused to point out his own office door to Teeya. "If you ever need me, check there first. If it's not open at all, I'm not there."

She nodded. "I might get lost first, though."

"You'll learn your way fairly quickly. And there are always servants or Guardsmen willing to help you."

She nodded again and followed him to Wildas's office. Inside they found Coulta's spouses as well as Shelton and Yvona. The room fell quiet as soon as they entered and Coulta introduced Teeya to everyone.

"No, don't bow," Wildas said when she started to. He stepped up to her and smiled. "You're Coulta's family and you're more than welcome here."

"Thank you," she replied weakly, then blushed when Wildas took her hand and kissed it.

Then Myri and Anil each hugged her and told her how glad they were to finally meet her. They were followed by Yvona, then Shelton, who kissed her hand as Wildas had before welcoming her to Ryal.

Teeya was soon relaxed and comfortable in their presence, and stayed there for a couple of hours getting to know them all. Finally, when it grew late, Coulta hugged her and allowed Dala, Anil's lady-in-waiting, to take her to her new room downstairs. He promised to see her in the morning to take her to meet the castle's other seamstresses, and she seemed excited to start her new work.

Shelton and Yvona also left a few minutes later, leaving Coulta alone with his spouses. He had been surprised to see them all still bearing their marks from the magic he'd shared with them, though maybe slightly smaller; he could only see a small hint of Anil's above her dress, Myri's didn't quite reach as far around her wrist, and Wildas's no longer went all the way to his collarbone.

"I'd thought you would all have used up your magic by now," he observed.

"We've been using it a bit everyday," Wildas replied. "Shelton seems to think you've given us much more than any usual power share can transfer."

"But we wouldn't object to being given more," Myri said with a smile.

"I can't control it," he pointed out, "but I wouldn't object to trying."

Myri stepped up to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "I think Wildas needs you most at the moment."

"But I would like to say something first," Anil announced.

Coulta watched curiously as she moved closer to Wildas and took his hand. Myri was smiling at Coulta's side and he wondered what the announcement could be.

Anil looked Wildas in the eye and quietly said, "I'm pregnant."

Wildas's hazel eyes went wide and he practically gasped. "Really?"

She smiled as she nodded. "Myri was able to sense it."

Wildas pulled her into a hug, laughing. Then he kissed her and grasped her hands, seemingly at a loss for words.

Coulta leaned over and hugged her, smiling. He didn't know why he was so happy when it wasn't truly his child. But he found himself hoping to be the child's friend and mentor like Shelton was to Wildas.

She smiled and looked up at him. "It's as much your baby as Wildas's," she whispered, almost as if she read his mind.

Little did any of them know how true that statement would eventually prove.