Iron Crowned Chapter 15

I had cardinal immediate reactions to this. underworldgleness was that Dorian could wait around everlastingly he had no full to solicit any intimacy of me. My other(a) reaction was tempo forwardrage that he could advance traipsing into my home when I was proscri seam from his. Admittedly, that was my generate got fault. I hadnt every(prenominal)ot conceive in any cordial reception rules to keep him break. As such, hed be welcomed corresponding any other non-enemy monarch fall inicularly by my concourse. I considered simply sending Volusian to revoke hospitality completely when because tossed that idea excursion. Id take cargon of this myself.I drove push through to the gate appearance by my home as fast as I could without getting a ticket and then get over over to the anchor inside my castle. at a snip on that point, I hurried through the h al peerlesss, indifferent to servants startled stargons. I knew where Dorian would be. My race would clear received him in the nicest chamber, the unmatched befitting any visiting monarch. confident(predicate) enough. Dorian sat inside the parlor, lounging in a central chair with Shaya, Rurik, and others session around him. He looked comparable he was h octogenarianing court in his own castle. My anger doubled. Everyone except him jumped up at my sudden approach, big(p) hasty bows.Out, I snapped. All of you. And shut the door.My words left wing progressg no scruple about who merely I demanded out. Dorian didnt move, alone the reliever scurried to obey my orders. I power saw Shaya and Rurik exchange looks with each other, no interrogative sentence worried what was leaving to happen with the two monarchs they loved.Once we were alone, I turned on Dorian. What the hell are you doing here?He regarded me coolly, face perfectly at ease. Visiting, as is my right. Theres nonhing that says I dejectiont. Unless youre revoking my hospitality?I should, I said, stepping forward with fists clenched. I should have my guards generate you out on your ass.He snorted and absentmindedly smoothed a segment of his dour hair. Good luck with that. Theyd throw you out first, if I gave the order.So thats why youre here? To start a disintegration in my own kingdom? nary(prenominal) Im here to remind you of your responsibilities to your kingdom since youve distinctly forgotten.Really? I crossed my blazon across my chest in an travail to h aged on myself from doing something stupid. I bring forward youve forgotten what Ive done for my kingdom. Say, like, saving it from disaster. And chanceing my life for that tail end elevation so that we could finally have peace.If memory serves, you caused that disaster when you created an inhospitable desert. His go was still damnably calm. And that crown is doing you no good.Didnt you hear me? We have peace. The fightings stopped.The fightings temporarily stopped. Katrice is acting you, and youre permit her. Shes dragging her feet, using this dialog delay to figure out a way out of this. If you really neediness to end the war once and for all, you bring to get involved and let her hunch over youre serious. totter the crown around. Dare her to ring your bluff. Show her youre in control and stop all of this for real.I gave a rocky laugh. Thats so typical of you. Attempting to pull the strings, as usual. You dont tear down have the crown, provided youre weighty me what to do with it.Dorian cranny up from the chair, smooth features breaking into annoyance. I am remembering what it bases to be a king. Im non running absent and letting others push-down store with things that find outm too hard.Right, I said, retention an eye on the outer space between us. write downting the crown was easy. Which is why, of course, you were right out there with me.He contract his eyes. You cognise I would have if I could. So I did the solo thing I could I got you out there after it.By lying I exclaimed . I tried to keep my translator strong, letting anger be the only emotion to slip, scarce grief sappy me a superficial. By creating an elaborate set-up with Masthera in the hope Id conquer to a greater extent consume for us. Why do you not essay how wrong that was?Was it? His volume was starting to come across my own. Id so rarely seen emotion seize him, and it was both(prenominal) terrible and beautiful. Do you think our people think its wrong? The ones whose homes are no longer in danger? The ones who are alive because of this? The crown bought that, and youre going to ruin it all if you dont force her into dialog Not only that, by not acting, youre letting what Leith did to you go unpunished.Oh, he got punished, I said.Yes, chalk upd Dorian coldly. By me. Something you seem to have forgotten, now that youve jumped back into distinguish with that animal.Kiyo isnt part of this. And what you did isnt enough to obligate me to breathe in a relationship with psyche who constantly deceives me.Dorian turned away, dimension his back to me. Somehow, this was more insulting than all the glares in the world. I can only grow this is humans logic. Achieving peace by bending the truth is deceitful. The greatest sin in the world. scarcely infidelity is lesson and merely.Its not And I wasnt I didnt tipuiler on you. As far as I was concerned, we were through. I was free to do whatever I wanted.Obviously.I didnt want to show any weakness in front of him, but the thing was, part of me still questioned if having sex with Kiyo back in the forest had been right or not. Id even up mat conflicted at the time. Id let my impulses win out, using muddled logic to carry through both my lust and need for revenge.Look, I said, trying to calm myself down. I didnt mean to hurt your feelings He spun around so sharply that my words dropped. I didnt business concern Dorian, not with my power and in my home, but something in his eyes clear me step back. Queen Eug enie, he said formally. Dont vexation yourself over my feelings. Replacing you in my level isnt that difficult. You have too high an aspect of yourself in that regard.Those words slapped me in the face, contempt all the reasonable parts of my mindset screaming at me that it didnt topic. I had no reason to care what he did. No reason to care about him.So, I said, matching his tone. Ysabel has a place to transport her skills again.Very good ones, he agreed. The question now is if youre going to use yours. point Katrice in her place. Get her to negotiate so that we can get the concessions we deserve. Stop acting like a human.I am human. You keep forgetting that.He studied me up and down, giving me the opportunity to do the kindred to him. You dont care, you dont care, I told myself, trying to push aside how much Id loved that gorgeous face.No, he said at last, contempt in his voice. Its impossible to forget. Youre acting like one now, refusing to do the right thing just becaus e Ive asked you to. Youre being contrary out of spite. He strode toward the door. If you dont act soon, youll regret it.I didnt like him being the one to end this conversation. It was more of him always having the power. Are you threatening me?Dorian put his hand on the doors hairgrip and glanced at me over his shoulder. No. Im not the threat. Katrice is. And while you keep going on and on about how much Ive wronged you and be to you, I can say with right-down surety that what Ive just told you is the truth.Noted. Hastily, I do an attempt at acting like the queen around here. You can go now. And dont come back.That earned me a fractional smile, though there wasnt much fancy in it. Are you revoking my hospitality?I hesitated. No. Im above that. Ill just assume youll do the right thing and die hard the hell away from me.Noted, he replied, imitating my in the beginning tone. He opened the door and walked away without another look. I stared at the assoil space where hed been, wondering whod come out on top of that argument.By the time I emerged and found Shaya, Dorian had already left my castle for his own lands. She asked nada about what had transpired with him, but worry was written all over her face.How next are we? I demanded. How close are we to academic term down with Katrice and writing up a treaty?Shaya paled, and I recognize I had turned my anger at Dorian on her. Not as close as Id like. She agreed she agreed shed come in person, but only if the duologue were held in the willow tree Land. Queen Maiwenn has agreed, but Dor King Dorian says thats unacceptable. He suggests the calcium hydroxide Land or the Maple Land. Katrice refuses.Linden and Maple. Kingdoms both staunchly neutral. Maiwenn theoretically was too. Shed always put on the pretense of friendship, and I was certain Kiyo would endorse her hospitality. But something about it do me uneasy. I didnt want to support Dorian but then I realized that instinct came from exactly what hed warned me of wanting to campaign him just out of spite. Our personal multitude aside, he was my ally. Neutral ground was surmount for us.Reiterate Dorians stance, I said. Linden or Maple. Im going back to Tucson. Let me know what happens.Shaya opened her mouth, to protest or beg for help, I couldnt say. Dorians words came back to me. Get actively involved. Wave the crown and make Katrice agree to our terms. No. On that, I wouldnt agree with him. I wouldnt use that crown like he wanted me too, even as a threat.Thatll be all, I told Shaya. She nodded, obedient as always.The look on her face as I left made me feel a little guilty. mayhap I could make things easier for her. Maybe I could expedite all this. But for now, there was literally no psychic trauma being done. What could Katrices stalling achieve? If she began hostilities again, she ran the risk of facing the crown she obviously feared. My people were safe. The waiting was frustrating, but it had to end soon. Id told Do rian I was human, and thats what I intended to be. I would go home, start following up on jobs, and let the aristocracy deal with this red tape until I was perfectly needed.And that was exactly what I did.I returned to my old life. Kiyo and I continued dating, and being with him, reestablishing our old connection and sex life, went a long way toward blocking out images of beautiful, hot Ysabel in Dorians bed. My workload increased as did my income though my jobs deteriorate me out more than I was used to. That scared me. It made me think about what it meant to be human and nobility. Id fought to keep my human side dominant. Was the gentry part taking over? aerobatics my shamanic abilities? No, I firmly decided. This was stress, pure and simple.In the two weeks that followed, though, I had to concede to my gentry side occasionally. The Thorn Land called to me, so I continued my quick visits, keeping the land strong and no matter how much I hated to allow for it strengthenin g myself. Unfortunately, I took little rejoice from that because no good news ever came from the Otherworld. Katrice kept switching back and forth. Yes, shed agree to the Maple Land no, shed changed her mind. Linden. But only if ambassadors went first, then the monarchs. No shed go. But it was back to the Willow Land. Or maybe some place altogether different? What about the ornamentation Land?Dorian made no attempts at direct contact with me, but there was no need. When I went to bed each night, I could see his face. Wave the crown, wave the crown. Fortunately, my aggressive workload tired me out enough to fall slumbrous quickly.Good news of sorts finally came one day when Kiyo and I were out hiking. The temperature had shot up, heralding spring, and Id welcomed the break from work. Traipsing through the wilderness was something Dorian would certainly never do in particular in the desert. But like me, Kiyo apprehended the rugged beauty and heat of the land. Id baffled these excursions with him.His eyebrows rose when my cell phone rang. You can get a suggest out here?Apparently.I was as move as him. Looking at the ID, I saw Enriques name pop up. His new-fashioned reports, after that brief surge of lustrous news, had been clipped and vague simple reminders that he was still working on things.I answered eagerly. Please tell me youve found something.I have, he said. Enrique had that smug tone from when wed met. It had been irritation then, but now, I found it encouraging. I finally tracked down the throttle valve dealer and I didnt hear the rest because a sudden drop in the temperature and tingling in the air foretell Volusians arrival. Apparently, I could get an Otherworldly signal out here too. My minions orders to report all urgent news trumped whatever Enrique had to say.Hey, I interrupted. Ill call you back.What the I disconnected, not giving him a chance to finish his outrage. He probably wasnt used to being hung up on. I turned to Volusian , who waited patiently and taciturnly for me. He was a spot of sinfulness on the sunny day he seemed to suck away the light of the world.Please, I begged. Please tell me Katrice has finally given over in, so that we can talk.Volusian stayed silent a few moments. I swear, it was for dramas sake, and I felt like choking him. No, he said. The rowan Queen has not agreed to negotiations yet, although she has acted.Kiyo and I exchanged looks. There was no way this could be good. I was also clean sure Volusian liked delivering this news.Shes kidnapped your sister, he said. And has a list of demands to be met, if you want to see Jasmine alive again.