Chapter 41

41

T he first snow of the year dusted across my shoulders as I exited Ryza Citadel, seeking out my mate. We were due to meet with Queen Viktoria this afternoon to discuss the refugees fleeing both the Night and Crystal Realms. The Crystal Fae we’d brought back with us to the Iron Realm had settled along the coast, but with fewer houses and less space to offer refugees, the Iron Realm was not a long-term replacement for their homes. The Day Realm was vast, but the majority was farmland and the crops they produced were essential to the war effort.

Not that we’d be marching anywhere soon with winter descending on the Iron Realm. Unless the Night Fae decided to go on the offensive again in the Day Realm, the army was staying put for the winter. I cracked my knuckles one by one as I made the trek to the stables. északi was divided in two, with the Night Realm’s hold over the Crystal Realm, and I was displeased with the current arrangement.

At the first sign of fresh green grass, we’d march again and reclaim what we had lost.

In the stables, I found Izidora brushing the long, gray mane of her favorite mare, Mistik. Fluffy white flakes landed on the horse’s mane and in Izidora’s dark chestnut hair. I paused for a moment and drank in the view, feeling like an intruder on the moment of solace my mate sought. Whenever she wasn’t training or with me, she was here, among her favorite animals.

“Once the war is over, I’ll build you a separate stable by Roc Palace where you can keep a hundred horses if you’d like,” I said loudly as I approached, not wanting to startle her.

She shot me an appreciative smile over her shoulder, then returned her attention to her horse. “You know I can feel you coming.”

“I know, but I still don’t want to scare you,” I murmured, wrapping my arms around her from behind and kissing the top of her head.

“Only everyone else,” she quipped, leaning into my embrace.

My hot breath fanned over her ear as I bent closer. “Exactly.”

Izidora shivered, but not from the cold. “Are we going all the way to the Day Realm?”

“Queen Viktoria is coming here, actually. Katrina just sent word,” I replied, giving her some space to work, but my hands lingered on her hips.

“When?” she asked, working the last knot out of Mistik’s mane.

“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, and once 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. Her colorful 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?”

“They complain about conscription. Lately, most have been fleeing it. Since Kazimir returned to Vaenor, he has sent out another wave of requests. Boys barely old enough to call themselves males have been drafted.” She shook her head all the way down to her chest, releasing a heavy sigh.

“Their army was enormous. Even with the dent the olyphants and Dragons made in it, we’re still outnumbered,” Izidora commented with a frown.

“We were also out-strategized,” I added, resting my hand over her palm and giving it a reassuring squeeze. “If it weren’t for the arrival of the Day Fae, we might have suffered another huge loss.”

Queen Viktoria sipped from her hot drink, giving a little dance of delight at the flavors. “It is too hot in the Day Realm for such treats, but for this, I could return to the Iron Realm again.”

We shared a laugh as her comment eased some of the tension we all felt about the current state of the continent.

“But in all seriousness, we were happy to have arrived in time to assist. Now, we must discuss how to handle these refugees, because there is not enough housing in the Day Realm for them.”

“Nor is there in the Iron Realm,” I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. “We need more miners, and I assume you need more farmers?”

“We had to pull many farmers to fight,” Queen Viktoria confirmed.

“As did we from the mines.” I mulled over our options, then continued. “We could set up an apprentice program with those who are left manning our industries. Their pay would be increased if they could also house their apprentices. And those who are stationed in barracks could have their pay increased if they opened their homes to the refugees as well. Their families will be able to join in the war effort from afar.”

Another sip of minty chocolate passed over the queen’s lips as she considered. “Can you provide this extra pay, My Emperor?”

“If you need it, I shall provide,” I said. This war needed to be won, no matter the cost. The Iron Realm had enough in reserves to spend at this pace for a few years more before reassessment would need to occur.

“I shall give my High Lords the task of coordinating with their local leaders.” Finishing the last of her drink, Queen Viktoria placed the mug on the polished wood table between us.

“Do you have anything else to add, mate?” I prodded, wanting Izidora to participate in the discussion. She often only spoke when she had a solid point to make. She was still hesitant about her future role as empress, since she’d grown up away from all of the politics and ruling, but I knew she had nothing to fear. Her kindness, her empathy, her compassion were more valuable than all the hours my father spent beating the rule of law into me.

That was yet another way in which we were better together.

The Fae of északi would be better for our union once the war was finished.

“Nothing that I can think of. Your solution seems fair and balanced,” she assured me with a soft smile.

With another snap of my fingers, a servant brought me paper, and I scribbled out instructions for the Royal Treasurer. “Send us the amount you need once you have an estimate, Queen Viktoria.”

The queen of the Day Realm rose from her chair, smoothing the vibrant fabric of her dress. “Thank you for the hot chocolate, and your time. We’ll be in contact.”