Chapter 48

EIRWYN SQUEEZED KNOX"hand and leaned over to whisper. "Can I try something?"

He nodded, and she stood. She was used to telling stories for the tavern, but this was a much larger crowd. All eyes turned to her, and she took a deep breath.

"It might help to show you what the plans are of the– are you called a Council?"

One druid pushed up his glasses and said, "We prefer Confederation."

She nodded and threw a kaleidoscope of lights into the air, then twisted her hands to form shapes. "The Confederation is the law governing body and will be composed of the king, the druid judges, and the ranking members of the Robins. They have come together and created a plan for economic and political stability. Let me show you."

She showed Vidrland as it was now, then she led them through each step that was on the papers John had passed out.

"First, we will build shelters. This is the plan for the town of Vidrland. See the market district will be here and the houses here. All house lots will be the same size, so there will not be a ghetto or a noble district. You can build whatever house you want as long as it fits on your lot."

"Aye, but we ran into this god forsaken forest with only the clothes on our backs. How are we going to pay for these houses?" someone shouted.

Eirwyn shifted the dancing lights, shrinking the town to show a map of the forest and surrounding nations. "Excellent point. We have two primary options and a third, longer option. First, we can set up a trade agreement with Glathen. Once we get them to formally recognize us as a nation state, we will have access to their resources. We have a monopoly on the lumber industry, but did you know that the mountains to the north are full of gems? Gems that have been inaccessible for hundreds of years."

Excited chatter echoed through the room as Eirwyn showed them her vision of what she understood.

John pointed above their heads. "There used to be two mining operations by Glathen and Busparia, but when they killed off the dragons, they lost access to the mountains right there. See that valley? We could develop a mining town there on the shores of the river."

Knox pointed to another spot on her map of lights. "There are also technology items that the dwarves have invented. We can set up an assembly line factory to produce those technology items and sell them. There"s a way to put a spell on each item so that no other nation can duplicate the technology."

He summarized half a dozen items they"d used on their way to Hartsgrove, and Eirwyn threw a light burst at the ceiling for each one, showing the crowd what they looked like.

Then Knox pointed to another spot. "This is Hartsgrove manor. It"s the castle built by my ancestors and my birthright. Even if you do not elect me as king, I will keep what is mine."

He gave a hard stare across the crowd and some murmurs died to whispers.

Lailant slammed her cane on the floor twice and said, "To serve and protect is his birthright. To ask him to do neither is like telling a fish not to swim."

Eirwyn showed them the next steps to a treaty with the Growlers and a port in the treacherous northern border to export goods through the mountains.

"So there are plans in place to make money, and the opportunities are solid businesses. If you put in the work, you can absolutely afford a house."

"I just want to go home," a woman cried out.

Eirwyn frowned and nodded sadly. "I know, me too. But we might not have a home to go back to. We need to research so we don"t walk back into a death trap. There is also a proposal to send delegates into Busparia via the Southern Road to see how far the curse spreads. We–Knox and I–have books in Hartsgrove that might help us find a reversal spell. If not, then we intend to ask Glathen for access to their libraries."

"We can"t trust Glathen," someone shouted.

Eirwyn shrugged. "We don"t know yet if we can or not. But these plans are moot if we don"t have a leader. They won"t recognize a Confederation of citizens all united as one. The kingdom needs a face to represent us to the world, someone with a a strong hand and a brilliant mind, someone who will listen to concerns and take action to solve problems."

"That would be you, princess," another cried.

Eirwyn laughed and the lights on the ceiling danced in a rainbow of colors. "I"m more than willing, but I"ve never been a leader. Gastone kept me out of politics. The only way this is going to work is for Knox and I to rule together."

Ashur banged his hand on the table, and papers jumped. "Aye, on that note, I would like to make a motion for both Knox to be proclaimed king and Eirwyn be our Queen of the Feral Forest until either of them cannot perform their duties, at which time we will hold another election."

A brief pause, then John said, "Perhaps we will get more support if we put a limit on it and hold re-elections? Say every five years?"

Ashur nodded. "Same motion as before but changed. Knox will be king and Eirwyn will be Queen for five years, at which point we will hold new elections. All in favor say aye."

The crowd"s voice rose as one. Then Ashur grinned. "All those who oppose say nay."

Less than half a dozen said nay, and Ashur banged his fist on the table again.

"The ayes have it. Congratulations, your majesties."

Eirwyn released her magic with star bursts of colorful lights and the crowd clapped.

Eirwyn sat back down with a smile and reached for Knox" hand again. He grinned and leaned over to kiss her.

When they broke apart, John was sliding a bag across the table to Ashur. He flipped open the top of the bag and pulled out two crowns.

He walked to stand behind Knox and lifted the larger crown. "I have known Knox for a decade, and I doubt I"ll see this on his head much. He"s not one for putting on airs. He"s a good man, a good worker, and a protector to his core. I think you"re going to like having him as king."

Knox froze, sitting straight with wide eyes as he placed the crown on his head. "I decree in the presence of those here and by the authority granted to me by the Confederation of the Feral Forest and the gods themselves that you are Knoxious Clawson, King of the Feral Forest. All hail the king."

The crowd chanted, "All hail the king."

Then Ashur moved to stand behind Eirwyn. Apprehension made her sweat, but she wouldn"t let go of Knox" hand.

Ashur repeated himself, saying, "You are now Eirwyn Clawson, Queen of the Feral Forest. All hail the queen."

The crowd picked up the chant, alternating between calling them queen and king. Knox stood, tugging Eirwyn to her feet too. He lifted their hands in the air, and the crowd roared.

Eirwyn threw more light bursts into the ceiling, adding to the festivities as she grinned.

Knox then pulled her into his chest. She gasped and he swooped in to steal a kiss. The crowd"s roar threatened to deafen her.

You amaze me, Eirwyn. Where I am weak, you are strong. Thank the gods you"re my mate because there"s no way I could do any of this without you.

She felt a tingle and thought, I wouldn"t do this without you either, Knox. I wasn"t kidding earlier. I never wanted to be part of politics, but together–

He interrupted, Together, we can protect our people and reverse the curse on Busparia and Scarlet.

And save Bella.

His tongue dueled with hers, and her thoughts fractured. She wrapped her arms around his waist, and the kiss deepened. Wind swirled around them and magic flowed through her veins.

"Thank you all for coming to the meeting tonight. We are going to set the plans in motion tomorrow. If you have questions, come to the lodge. We"ll have the plan written out and posted on a bulletin board by the door, but you can always ask us anything." Ashur"s voice brought them back to reality, and they broke the kiss.

The crowd began filing out to find a place to sleep, and the Confederation was talking quietly. John was cleaning up the papers on the table.

But several dozen looked like they wanted to approach, so Eirwyn smiled at them. They began bobbing curtsies, and she reached out a hand to shake. Everyone was tired but most had a smile on their faces. Two nobles met with Knox, and he listened and nodded.

A tug on her skirts had her bending down, and a child handed her a wilting flower. She took it in her hand and gently fed it magic. The flower bloomed, perking up. Then she handed it back to the child who grinned and took off to his mother, handing her the flower.

Her entire world had changed in just a few short months. No more living in fear, no more being sick. She now had new magic, a new place to live, and a new fated mate. What would the next few months bring?

Her stomach twisted, and she frowned. For once, it wasn"t from nerves. She glanced down and bit her lip. Her eyes widened.

"Knox, the baby," she whispered, her hand going to her stomach. The bump had grown. It no longer fit in the palm of her hand. Knox put his hand over her bump, his eyebrows raising. It barely fit in the palm of his hand.

Lailant walked past them, leaning heavily on her cane. "Ah, I see you"ve fertilized the egg. Keep doing that until you deliver it."

Eirwyn looked at Knox, her mind racing back to their mating earlier today. She felt her cheeks heat, and Knox grinned wickedly. She giggled.

There should definitely be more of that in my future,she thought.

Knox swept her into his arms and strode for the door. "Happy to serve, my queen."