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“Soon. I came to fetch you.” A blast of flurries swept through the stables, and Mistik snorted steam into the frigid air, eliciting a laugh from Izidora. The sound was sweeter than any decadent dessert my chefs could bake, and when it slipped from her lips, it made me weak at the knees.
“It is getting cold,” she admitted, spinning to face me. Flakes coated her dark lashes as she tipped her head back, and I brushed a few stray hairs from her face.
“Then I’d better get you inside to warm you up,” I grinned.
“Let me put Mistik away, and then you can get me some hot chocolate,” she quipped, ducking under my arm and grabbing Mistik’s lead.
“Have you earned it?” I bantered, watching her hips sway as she walked away.
“Do I have to?” she retorted, stealing a smirk from me.
The mare’s stall was still open, and she didn’t need much coaxing to return to it, given a bundle of hay and a warm blanket awaited her there. Izidora settled the cover across her horse’s body, securing the straps under her belly and around her chest to ensure it remained in place. Then, she proffered Mistik a handful of treats. As the horse munched sugar cubes, Izidora planted a soft kiss on her velvety nose.
The encounter warmed my heart. I loved seeing Izidora happy, and after the stress of Princess Gizela’s kidnapping, the battle, and putting out the fires in the Day Realm, she was finally starting to relax again. She approached, then wrapped her small arms around my waist, sighing into my chest. I held her there, stroking her back, until she released me.
We didn’t always need words with how familiar we were with one another. We were one soul in two bodies, and nothing would ever change that. I draped an arm around her shoulders and kept her close to my side as we walked back to the citadel, protecting her from the bitter wind bringing fluffy white flakes to the Iron Realm.
My sprite was always cold, and I was her Dragon, here to offer my heat.
Down the hall from my office on the first floor of the citadel, the servants had readied a formal meeting area, complete with a roaring hearth and soft furs draped over iron-gray couches arranged in a semicircle. When we arrived, the last one was arranging a wintry centerpiece on the table in the center, andonce he had finished I sent him away with our refreshment requests.
Pulling Izidora into my lap, I caged her in with my body, giving her the warmth she needed. Her hands were like ice, and I kissed each finger in turn before tucking them around my backside. She relaxed into me, resting her head on my shoulder, and my own muscles unwound as we settled there, listening to the crackling fire.
When we were like this, nothing else in the world mattered.
The servant cleared his throat, breaking our silent comfort. I had half a mind to snarl at him, but Izidora shot me a teasing, warning look and sat up, graciously accepting a steaming mug. The scent of peppermint and chocolate wafted in my direction, and she moaned when she sipped the gooey liquid. “Cedomir has outdone himself yet again.”
My chef had taken it upon himself to concoct many new recipes for my mate to try once he learned of her affection for sweets – one that we shared, much to the dismay of my muscled physique. I plucked the drink from her small hands, earning a noise of protest, and allowed the hot liquid to wash over my tongue.
“It is decadent,” I commented, smirking as I handed the mug back to Izidora.
“And it’s all mine,” she teased, turning away from me and guarding the drink.
A chuckle rumbled in my chest at her playfulness, and I snuck my hands beneath her jacket and tunic to rub her low back while we waited for Queen Viktoria’s arrival.
It wasn’t long before a sentry heralded her entrance.
The queen of the Day Realm swept into the room with a shiver, her lips spreading into a wide grin when she saw us. “Emperor, future Empress, you look cozy,” she commented. Hercolorful attire fluttered behind her as she approached, the fabric much too thin for the blustering day in the Iron Realm.
“Queen Viktoria, you look lovely,” my mate said, rising from her perch on my lap to greet the female. They exchanged kisses on both cheeks before squeezing each other's hands and settling down. “Can I offer you something warm to drink?”
The queen sniffed the air, looking pointedly at Izidora’s discarded mug. “That smells delightful. I will have one of those. Emperor, I will not say that I have missed the Iron Realm’s cold in the past year.”
I snapped my fingers, and a servant rushed off to fetch more hot chocolate. “At least we won’t be bracing ourselves for the Night Realm’s bitter ocean winds during Béke this year.”
She snorted, shaking her head. “Béke is a relic of the past, it seems.”
Izidora chewed her lip, settling beside me and resting her palm on my thigh. “We must find a way to help those who are currently suffering.” My mate had the kindest of hearts. It was the suffering of others that concerned her more than anything, for she understood the depths of depravity Fae could inflict on one another.
“I quite agree,” Queen Viktoria started. “However, the refugees from the Crystal and Night Realms arrive at our border in droves. It appears the demand for ships and passage to the other continents outstrips the supply and availability of them.”
“You are receiving refugees from the Night Realm as well?” I asked, leaning forward and bracing my elbows on my knees.
“Indeed. From what Geza has told me, they all speak of the impossibility of getting on ships in Vaenor. Apparently there is a retinue at the docks blocking all passage from anyone new to the sailing profession. If you are not already on a list, you are not allowed to pass.”
The servant returned with more mugs, and the queen accepted one, wrapping her long fingers around it to warm them.
“Anything else?”
