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She was a little startled although Levi had warned her of the king’s reputation. Still, she wondered if he was in a particularly bad mood that day. She wasn’t sure if the king was talking to Levi or to both of them.
In any case, she didn’t have to think about it for too long. She’d never been in the presence of a king before and didn’t really know the protocol, but she figured kneeling was a safe bet.
King Vrondo, however, didn’t seem to appreciate the gesture.
“Not on the carpet!” he cried, gesturing for Cora to get up.
She did as she was told, a little bewildered, and she was glad her family had been taken to wait in another room. She didn’t want them to be subjected to the same harsh criticism nor to accidentally commit some kind of high crime by rushing to her aid.
Instead, Levi jumped to defend her.
“Father, this is Cora. She’s much of the reason we’re here with good news. Please treat her with the same respect you would show an honored guest because that is what she is,” he said, looking his father right in the eye. “She’s also the woman I love.”
Cora half-expected another outburst, but the king only grumbled.
“Well, what’s the good news then?” he asked, glancing at Cora for a moment before turning his attention back to his son.
Although she knew she probably shouldn’t, Cora stepped forward, looking the king in the eye.
“We’ve recovered the Desolation Stone, Your Majesty,” she said, keeping her voice respectful but firm. “And we destroyed the Motley factory. The Jorvlens have lost their greatest weapon, and now their biggest source of income and control has been reduced to rubble. I’m wearing the remnants of that destruction. In a sense, it’s a badge of honor.”
She gestured to the dust that still clung to her, which the king had found so offensive just a few moments earlier. “I hope these two victories will secure the safety of the great planet of Lorrs.”
She meant what she said, but she also wanted to win the king’s favor. She caught Levi grinning beside her.
“Like I said, Father,” Levi added, “Cora is much of the reason we’re in a better position now than we have ever been in the history of this war. And the reason we can present you with this.”
He unclipped the satchel from his belt and handed it to the king, whose look of disapproval had shifted ever so slightly into one of enthused curiosity.
King Vrondo took the satchel, opening it slightly to peer inside. The look on his face told Cora that beneath his harsh exterior he was clearly pleased. Impressed even.
“Very good,” he told them, handing the satchel off to a guard who stood nearby. “Now, I recommend you two go and clean up.”
It seemed about the best she was going to get, and from the stories Levi had told her, including ones of exile and shunning, it seemed like a warm reception from him. She only hoped the rest of the family wasn’t so severe.
It didn’t take long to find out the others hadn’t inherited their father’s surly nature. Over the next two weeks, as the literal and proverbial dust settled on their mission, each of Levi’s siblings came to visit from Noxxa to congratulate them on their success.
Her own family stayed, too, and soon the mingling of their families eclipsed the king’s sour reception. In fact, Cora was beginning to feel that her relationship with Levi was evolving in ways she had hoped for but hadn’t been bold enough to expect. At the end of that two weeks, they sat down to a family dinner, and Levi made an announcement.
“Dear family, honored nobles and guests, I have an important announcement to make, and I want all of you here with me while I make it. Only one person truly matters, however, regarding what I have to say. Cora, my love. Meeting you has been the honor of my life because almost as soon as I met you, I knew you were the love of my life. I love you, and I can’t imagine spending another day without you. If I had the choice, I’d never spend a minute without you. Will you do me the honor of becoming my mate and bond with me so we can be together for the rest of our lives?”
Cora barely let him finish the question before she blurted out her answer.
“Yes!” she cried to the wild applause of the family.
Even the king nodded to her from the head of the table. She thought she even detected a modest smile on his dignified face.
She was about to be bonded with the love of her life, and nothing would ever stop them.
Chapter 38
The familiar sights, sounds, and smells of Noxxa rushed in all at once as Levi opened the door on the ship they’d taken back from Lorrs. As much as Levi had enjoyed his time on his planet of birth, Noxxa was his home. Although now, he had only one concept of home—Cora, his mate.
“Welcome to Noxxa,” he told Cora, who looked around in awe.
“Wow, this is so similar to my hometown,” she told him. “Just with fewer humans, I guess.”
Levi looked around at the crowds of Noxxans, Lorr, Xogolians, and dozens of other species that commingled in the bustling streets.
