Chapter One

Q ueen Liana Ashwood didn’t notice the frown marring her face in the gold-framed mirror. Her mind focused on more important matters that didn't include how her lady’s maid was constructing her hair into an updo worthy of a queen. Liana could only think of the last few days, days in which she’d been resting and hiding out in the royal chambers after saving her father's life and meeting a goddess.

She was still reeling from that encounter.

The goddess, Juno. Liana actually met a goddess.

She'd been praying to Juno since she could speak. Prayed to the gods even as she wondered if they cared about them at all. If they were truly all-powerful beings watching over them from wherever they lingered, Liana always wondered why they would bother paying the citizens of Triaedian any mind. They may have power and abilities, but the gods were supposedly limitless, and they'd have no need of the mage's spells or potions.

Liana began to question everything with the appearance of the goddess. Questions that paled in comparison to the truth Juno revealed though. Finally, Liana had an answer to why she was different. To why her power responded differently. Why she could do things others could not.

It had been easy for her to accept the truth – that her powers came from the Goddess. There truly was no better explanation for the peculiarity and strength of her power. It had been quite a relief to hear that she was not at fault for her uniqueness but that it was gifted to her. It made using and dealing with it more sacred, special even, as opposed to frustrating and embarrassing. It still made her nervous though. To have so much power, a power that was so unique and special, all bestowed upon her caused much fear. If the male mage thought of her as a threat before, she couldn’t even imagine what they’d think of her now. Which is why they were going to keep it a secret as best they could.

What was not easy to accept was that, out of all the mage in Triaedian, Liana was the one that Juno chose. There were plenty of kind and just mage outside of high society. There were plenty of females that could have used this power for good, could have benefited from it far more. Perhaps they would have even had a better idea on how to save Triaedian from the rebels because Liana didn’t have a clue.

“What is wrong, my dear?” Phillipa questioned. The maid pinned the last of her chestnut curls to the mass atop her head before meeting her eyes in the mirror. “You are so quiet.”

Liana plastered a smile to her face. According to Evangeline, a good queen would persevere against all odds and never break. That became Liana’s goal, don’t break. Perhaps even do some good in the world.She was a strong and resilient queen, which is what she told herself multiple times daily. Perhaps one day she would actually believe it.

“Just daydreaming, Phillipa. Are we done?”It was time to act like a queen. To play her part well and ignore her troubled thoughts for a few hours.

The maid took a few steps toward the vanity and lifted her crown from the velvet lined box it rested in. “Just about. Which earrings would you like? I think the diamond studs would be pretty.”

Liana watched as the ornate crown was placed upon her head. She hadn’t worn it often and was still unused to it. Even if she felt silly wearing it, Liana appreciated how nicely it paired with the hair Phillipa prepared and the pale yellow and lace gown she chose to wear.

She stood from her chair and stepped into the expensive dress. The more traditional gown had been altered to not be so heavy, as she’d requested, yet still held the structure of proper court attire. The neckline had a ruffled edge that created the look of a collar and showed off her long neck and Damien’s claiming mark perfectly.

While Phillipa tied the endless strings at her back she admired the mark her husband gave her. He had been such a gentle lover with her their first time, aside from that bite. She had loved every second of it though, and loved every time he touched her, kissed her… even a simple smirk aimed her way had her going weak in the knees.

Smiling to herself, she instructed, “Gold earrings today, to go with my wedding necklace.”

Phillipa’s hands stilled on the ties. “Is that wise, my Queen? It is your brother’s wedding. The other mage…”

“I am the Queen of Triaedian and a vampire’s wife. I will wear the necklace my husband gave me, damn the rest.”

The doors to their quarters opened revealing a smirking Damien. Her heart flipped in her chest, her magic perking happily as well. Phillipa bowed her head and stepped aside as he approached.

His hands slid around her waist, resting his chin on her shoulder, both of them looking in the mirror at the other. “Always causing such a stir, my love.” She let her head fall back as he bent to place a kiss over her claiming mark. Everything that vampire did to her, even the slightest of touches sent her heart and body soaring. “I would love to see you wear my necklace again.”

Clearing her throat to compose herself, she tried to ignore the heat in her belly. “Yes, well, we won’t be going anywhere if you keep that up.” She stepped out of his hold and his hands fell away. “You’re late as it is. We must leave as quickly as possible before they start the ceremony without us.”

Chuckling, he walked slowly backward. “I am a vampire, Wife, and a male. I can be ready far quicker than you.” He sped away with vampiric speed, his servant following just as quickly.

It was no surprise when he spoke into her mind, “I could do a lot more to you just as quickly and still make it to your brother’s wedding on time.”

Cheeks flushed, she turned away from the mirror and walked into their wardrobe to fetch the jewelry. “Save it for the carriage ride.”

The mind speaking was still so new to them as well, as were most things in her life at the moment. It had barely been four months since she met Damien at that first courtship ball. Now she was queen and madly in love with a vampire. Life seemed to be rushing at her with no signs of slowing. All she could do was cling to the familiar things around her, which was really only Phillipa, and do the best she could.

“My Queen, the carriage? How scandalous.”

Trying to stifle her laughter and desire, she put the earrings in while Phillipa fastened the necklace.

“And I am still ready before you,” he boasted suddenly, leaning against the doorway to the wardrobe with his arms crossed.

Nearly drooling at the sight of her delicious husband in his usual court attire of a gold trimmed black coat and trousers, Liana sauntered over to him.

Looking up into his eyes, even with her heeled slippers on she teased, “If you weren’t so handsome, I wouldn’t tolerate you nearly as much as I do.”

Towering over her, Damien smiled. “I knew you only married me for my looks.”

“Precisely.” Leaning up on her toes, he met her halfway for a chaste kiss. “Now, let us go before you put us any further behind schedule.”

“I do believe I just proved that you are the one that takes so long to get ready.”

Accepting a pair of lace gloves from Phillipa, Liana pulled them on while giving Damien a droll look. "Didn't we agree that I am never in the wrong?"

"I must have missed that conversation," he teased, taking her hand in his then leading her toward the door. Sasha and Owen fell into step behind them while Asher took the lead as their personal guards. It didn't matter that she had a guard on her at every moment of the day, Liana still kept up an invisible protective shield at all times as well. She'd fought Damien on it in the beginning but eventually compromised for his sanity and peace of mind.

Damien increased the guards around the castle, his beastly instincts still pushing him to protect her at all costs. Eva said it would fade in time, once their bond had settled. The former queen laughed when Liana asked how many weeks that would take and corrected her with years. That's what she got for marrying a vampire and not fully understanding them. The mage kept themselves so separated, at least those in high society, and didn't bother to learn about the other breeds' cultures and ways of life. They were all pretty similar and lived in the same city, but their rituals, beliefs and instincts were all slightly different.

Liana made her own vampire and shifter friends throughout the years. Felix and Cassia among her most trusted. They didn't speak much regarding vampire instincts when it came to their mates though. She wished now that she asked, not that it would have changed her fate. There was no stopping the love between her and Damien.

Descending the front steps into a sunny, crisp day, Liana and Damien were shut into their private enclosed carriage while Phillipa and the others took a separate one. The moment they lurched forward, she erected a privacy shield. Damien pounced on her, his hand collaring her throat, his thumb caressing her necklace.

His voice was husky and low when he asked, "You just had to play with me today, didn't you?"

Head tilted back, she turned just slightly so that their lips almost touched. "I will never stop playing." He closed the space between them, his lips consuming every thought. Except she truly did want to speak with him. Pulling away, he mistook the move and kissed down her neck.

"Damien," she called breathlessly. "I put up the privacy shield so we could talk."

He growled, his teeth nipping at her skin which had her melting into the cushions and found herself nearly flat out on the bench with Damien's fingers sneaking up beneath her skirts. "Then talk. My mouth is otherwise occupied," he declared.

As much as she would love to let him continue, she did need to talk. "Damien, please. What are we going to tell my family about my father?"

Damien stilled. Sitting back, he lowered her skirts and let her readjust, his passion thoroughly banked. "Are you referring to the Goddess's warning?"

Tears sprung to her eyes just thinking about it. "How am I supposed to tell him that he has limited time?"

Sighing, he scrubbed a hand over his stubbled jaw. "I doubt telling him today, on the day of his firstborn son's wedding, would be the appropriate time."

"I know. Don't you think I should warn them though? If I don't tell them and they found out I knew…" She shivered at the thought of what terror her mother would bring down upon her. "It's just so unfair. Why does he have to die?"

Damien pulled her into his arms. "People die and babies are born, it is the way of the world. You brought your father back from death, an impossible task for anyone else. But you can't cheat death, my love. It was his time."

"If it weren't for those damned rebels, he never would have been injured in the first place."

His hand smoothed up and down her arm, wanting nothing more than to take away all her pain and grief. "Perhaps. Perhaps that was always his moment, and instead he would have been struck with an ill heart or struck down by a wayward carriage, or…"

She interjected before he could give her more horrific ideas on how her father would die. "Is there a point to your morbid depictions?"

"My point is that the gods have a plan for us all. You saved your father for a few more moments in this life, but the next time the gods call him, you will not be able to stop it."

As difficult as it was to hear, Damien was right. Liana barely believed she'd brought her father back from the dead even if Juno herself confirmed it, the whole thing still didn't feel real. Yet she knew there would be no avoiding her father's death again. It was an inevitability; one she'd never thought too much about. It was a faraway event that she knew would happen one day, although she thought it would be well after her own children were grown.

Liana vowed to herself that she'd make the rest of her father's life as joyful as possible. "We should invite him and Mother to stay at the castle for a few days this week. You could take him on one of your royal hunts. Maybe we could take him to your vineyard in the north."

"Whatever you'd like, my love."

She knew Damien would agree. He was such a selfless male, one of the things she loved most about him.

When they made it to the temple, she was surprised to find that the streets were lined with people. They cheered as their carriage passed, people waving and smiling at them.

"What is this?" Liana questioned.

Damien leaned into the window with her and gave a wave before sitting back. "Our people have come to greet us."

Mouth agape, she stared at him. "Truly? Why would they do that?"

Damien laughed and pulled her back from the window. "You are their queen now. People love to worship us like gods."

"But I am still me. I am still the same person they all ignored and shunned when I passed them on the street."

He frowned, not liking the reminder of how she'd been treated. "That was before you wore that crown. Now they love you."

Huffing, Liana crossed her arms. "Am I to expect such a greeting any time I leave the castle now? I don't remember a gaggle of worshippers following you around."

A cocky smirk tilted his lips. "I make it a point to keep my itinerary extremely private. No one ever knows where I will be so they cannot wait for me there. Too many people knew of your brother's wedding, and they knew we would attend, so here we are."

"So, this marriage between us is unbreakable, correct?" she teased which earned a droll look from her husband. Laughing, she gave his pursed lips a quick kiss. "Note to self, keep all my outings private."

Stopped in front of the temple, Damien waited until Asher and Owen waited beyond before allowing the servant to open the carriage door. Liana drew her shield tightly around them in fear of anyone throwing a spell or aiming an arrow their way. People lined the path into the church, royal guards already there to hold them back beyond familiar wooden barriers.

"You knew they'd be here?" she questioned under her breath, while keeping a smile plastered on her face and waving. He squeezed her other hand, leading her forward while he also smiled and waved.

"I assumed and my guards confirmed. They set it up early this morning after people were already lined up."

She marveled at how prepared and knowledgeable he was about all of this and wondered if she would one day get to his level as well.

Liana waved, forcing herself not to cower under all the attention. They were at the base of the stairs when her eyes caught on a woman holding out her baby with tears in her eyes. Fat tears rolling down its chubby cheeks and her magic alerted beneath her skin, rising to the surface. Damien's hold on her hand tightened as he felt the change in her. She let him go as she hurried to the woman.

"What is wrong with him?" she questioned. The woman passed the baby off, her arms sagging with relief. Liana's magic surged into the boy unbidden, her own nerves flying out of control as she feared what this new magic would do. Her breath eased though as she sensed a simple toothache from the boy. He was teething. A simple fix, thankfully. Her magic soothed the ache, his tears stopping instantly.

Liana passed the boy back. "Just a bit of teething," she said with a smile.

The mother bowed, walking backwards out of the crowd. Damien placed a hand against her back and nudged her forward. The crowd went wild, people asking for spells and magic too. Regret hit her hard as the calls turned demanding and jealous. Something hit her shield which had her flinching. Damien growled, his hold on her tightening before rushing her into the temple.

"I shouldn't have healed the boy," she complained as soon as the doors were closed. Damien made sure there was no threat inside the temple, his eyes darting every which way while Asher and Owen kept close.

Phillipa was the one to reassure her. "You did that mother and her son a kindness, sweetie. Don't sound so regretful."

"You should not interact with the crowd," Damien countered. "There is no telling what is a trap and what isn't."

Liana couldn't see how a baby could be a trap. "Damien, be serious, a baby is no threat."

The scowl on his face didn't bode well for her. "Anything is a potential threat, Liana. Anything. Now that you are my wife, you must understand that and protect yourself. That is why you must keep your shield up at all times."

"There you are!" Lady Monroe shouted from the antechamber to their left. Liana quickly replaced her fear with a mask of happiness.

"Hello, Mother."

"Move, Liana, we are waiting on you." She waved frantically, gesturing her into the room beyond.

Glancing at her husband, she whispered with a sneer, "Is my mother a threat as well? Perhaps you could have your guards protect me from her."

Damien caught her arm before she could walk off. "Don't be angry with me, I am only trying to protect you."

She wrenched her arm free. "We shall talk about this later."