Page 68 of Season Warriors & Wolves

For the thousandth time today alone, I wrapped her up in my chest again, sinking my face in her hair. “Tell me you love me again.”

“I love you, Kil. Just at this particular moment, you’re suffocating me and it is honestly making me reconsider things.”

She all but almost ran toward the stables where the dragon had been sleeping for the past few months.

The clementine-coloured creature rose its head and sniffed the air, pushing to its claws and rushing towards Snow like they were old friends.

Memphis huffed by my side and curled on the grassy floor of the gardens, licking her leg while looking toward her bonded and her new pet with annoyance.

I bent down and scratched her head and ears how she liked it. “Can you turn into that?”

The large cat’s nose scrunched, and she gave me a pointed look.

“Hm. Thought so.”

Snow turned to us and shouted, “Memphis, come here.”

Her bonded quickly ran and hid behind her blue skirts, peeking her head out just a little to look up at the dragon.

“He is from Aita, like you. From long before you were born,” Snow explained to her bonded, who looked nowhere near convinced until she took a few careful steps forward to sniff the dragon. Then all three suddenly became old friends.

There was so much enamour in Snow’s eyes for both creatures. She had the giddiest smile while she began animatedly talking to both creatures who could for sure not talk back to her.

Oh, to be a black fur feline and an oversized lizard with wings.

“It really was her dragon,” Larg called, laughing as he crossed the stable distance to us. He sniffled a little and bowed his head to Snow, overtaken with all sorts of emotion. The old man was the most sensitive person I knew. “My queen. It is good to have you back.”

“Is it?” Snow teased, patting Jayre’s snout one last time and reaching my side again.

“Of course, it is. Everything had been bleak with you. Your presence has brought back my king’s smile, too. I hope it can bring back his sleep schedule while you’re at it.”

“Busybody,” I mumbled between my teeth and my godfather chuckled under his breath, trying to hide it with a cough.

Like a flash of lightning, Atlas shot through guards, bushes and horses in our direction. Tripping, heaving and coughing while he bowed to Snow a whole one hundred eighty degrees, folding like a neat napkin. “You…you’ve returned.”

My wife opened her arms wide. “Come to mother.”

Atlas sighed, his shoulders going slack with relief. “Well, you’re in a teasing mood.” He smiled at her, but it looked more like a wince. “That is good. Right, Kil? It has to be good. Did you have a hard time, my queen?”

She slid an arm around my waist and I pulled her closer to me. “Not as hard as them.”

“We heard he made you heir,” Larg said. “We thought it odd, but Kilian had an inkling that it was a call made by you.”

“It was,” she agreed. “I reminded my father of what would happen if the throne remained empty for long. Bringing forgotten fear is what I do best.”

“What will he do now? He cannot crown a new-born. Not without causing all kinds of ruckus.”

“Given how quiet Isjord has been,” I said, “I doubt word has gone out that Snow is no longer in Isjord. He will probably make excuses for not showing her to the public until he is ready to reign war.”

The gruff man cleared his throat and flashed her one of his charming smiles. “Contrary to us. We’ve organised a little get together in Lyra for you.”

Snow blinked once. “A beheading?”

Larg laughed hard enough to make all birds fly off into the horizon. “I’ve missed your jests, my queen.”

My wife looked up at me, confused. “Do you burn at the stake? That is such a time consuming choice. But I respect it.”

Everyone was already at the makeshift war room in the Myrdur ruins where both our kingdoms had met these past few months—and it had somehow become a common ground. Adriatians had grown comfortable around Olympians, but it couldn’t be said the same the other way round. There was still caution towards my people. And I couldn’t blame anyone. Olympians adored Snow, they would never let go of what was done to and thought of her even if she did.