The Passionate Queen (Dark Queens Book 2) (30 page)

Heart trembling with emotions I could hardly put a name to, I pulled slowly away from her. I felt the heat of tears prickling at the back of my throat and had to swallow several times before trusting myself to speak.

“How can you say that to me? I’ve never been a good queen.”

A little green fairy flitted forward then. I vaguely recognized her as the fae of justice. Esmeralda, I believed her name to be. It really was a shame that I didn’t know my people better. I would fix that. Along with a multitude of other sins.

“I can see into your heart, Queen of Hearts, and I see the truth shining bright like a beacon. Change can come, though it will take time and will not be easy. But with enough grit and determination, it can happen.” She smiled at Danika, who nodded gracefully.

“True enough,” she said.

“You’ve the pulse of the people”—I looked at Alice—“you and Hatter. What should I do? How can I begin to fix the mess I’ve wrought?”

She smiled. “There’s a midnight ball in a fortnight. Most of all landians will come. It’s the one time a year we open our courtyard to everyone. There’ll be music, dancing, and food.”

Danika rubbed her belly. “I’ve told Jericho he’ll be responsible for the lighting. It will be lovely. You really should come, queen.”

I knew of the festival; the Hatters had sent me an invite every year. I’d never shown, which caused me a pang of guilt now, but the thought of a little frivolity sounded nice.

I nodded. “Perhaps I will.”

“Yes,” Alice said slyly, reaching for a butter knife with which to slather her scone in curd, “and bring Ragoth with you. In fact”—she sandwiched the curd and took a delicate nibble—“my advice, if you want it, is that perhaps this year should be even a tad bit more exciting. Like, say, hosting a royal wedding.”

My eyes widened. “Are you implying Ragoth and I should marry there?”

I’d never even considered that. I knew we’d marry, but I’d been thinking of something small and intimate. Quick and efficient, so we could get it out of the way.

“Yes, I do.” She nodded.

The blue fairy, who was covered in ice crystals and wearing a gown that sparkled like a glacier, nodded. “I would be honored to officiate.”

I sucked in a breath. Fairies only ever bonded those who belonged to them. That the leader of the fae, Galeta the Blue, would even suggest such a thing made me feel honored indeed.

“You would do that?”

“I would.” She nodded quickly.

Danika’s brows twitched. “My, you’ve changed, Blue.”

She sighed and said nothing, but unspoken words passed between their gazes. I wondered at their history; I’d heard rumor of there being one, but it was not my place to pry.

“I will speak with Ragoth about it, but I am truly flattered.”

“Change,” Danika said in an even-measured tone, “is a lot like dropping a pebble into a pond. At first the ripples are tight and small and seem to make no difference, but if you stand there long enough, you’ll find that ripple soon turns into a wave.”

I hadn’t heard the men return, but Ragoth boomed, “We’ll do it. We’ll be there. Now, let me take my future queen back home, so that I may see her safely to bed.”

“Safely to bed.” Danika snorted. “Oh yes, I’m quite sure that’s all you’ll be doing, dragonborne.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at that.

Tonight I’d made friends, and though I knew that this change wouldn’t happen easily or swiftly, it would happen.

For the first time in my life, I knew I’d be okay.

Ragoth

2
weeks later

The night was aglow from the light of a moon so full and bright, it seemed to me that if I reached up, I’d be able to pluck it right out. It was that close to us.

The forest was alive with sights, and smells, and sounds. The trees surrounding us were thick with a glowing fungus that grew from out its bark. The leaves glittered like they’d been sprinkled with emerald dust.

Above us, fairies twirled through the skies, sprinkling their golden dust through the air at random. I stood in the center of a ring composed of thousands of tree stumps being used as seats, with animals of all kinds sitting upon them.

Fawns and satyrs gathered to one side, munching on the sweet grass beneath their cloven feet. Beautiful and mysterious elven creatures draped in cloaks of living shadow had huddled in another section. To another side were the sprites and fae; their wings buzzed in excited agitation as they awaited the arrival of my future queen.

Another section hosted the humans, who laughed and waltzed together drunkenly, dizzy with joy at this celebration.

And beside me stood Icarus. My best man.

I’d told my family about my pending nuptials, but there’d been a kingdom to run, and dragons weren’t known for being all that sentimental anyway. They’d gifted us with a giant death opal. A favored stone of dragons, as the only way to find one was to tunnel through a labyrinth of dark troll’s tunnels and kill off the inhabitants, so that then one could snatch up the beating heart of their home, the death opal.

Dragons were a bloodthirsty lot, what could I say.

Zelena had taken one look at the gift and said, “Dear, do something with that.”

I loved her all the more with each day that passed.

Meeting my Lena had ruined me. I wasn’t much of a dragon to my kind, not nearly devious or bloodthirsty enough, but I was enough for Zelena, and that was all that mattered to me.

We’d traveled through most of the villages, taking the time to talk with the people. And at each place I’d shifted, giving the people time to come to grips with the fact that their future king was a dragon.

On the whole, most of them were...reluctantly receptive. But I had every hope that someday they’d see me less as something to fear, and more as simply a king desperately in love with their queen.

The tinkling pipes of fae music suddenly stopped and the music shifted to that of woodland strings. The beautiful yet haunting strains of it had my heart beating thunderously in my chest.

“Relax,” Icarus whispered, gripping my shoulder and giving it a squeeze. “She is all yours now, lizard, so smile and be cheerful.”

I chuckled. “I’ll roast you over a fire yet, bird.”

He snorted, but my laughter died the moment I spied her walking down the long aisle toward me.

Her dress was a thing of breathtaking beauty.

Dressed in a gown of nothing but flowers that covered her from her rosy-tipped breasts all the way down to her dainty ankles, she practically seemed to float toward me.

All around, our guests gasped in awe, and I heard a sniffle or two. My own eyes burned as I recalled the last time I’d seen her walk down the aisle.

I’d wanted to drown in my own misery, wanted to kill anyone and anything that dared to smile at me. I’d lost my heart to Lena years ago, and now here she was, coming down the aisle to me. The disparity between then and now could not have been more different.

We were already bonded soul mates, so I didn’t expect this mere technicality to affect me much at all, but I couldn’t have been more wrong. My hands shook, and my knees felt suddenly weak.

I broke out in a sheen of sweat and had difficulty swallowing.

Alongside her trailed a train of fairies that sprinkled the path ahead of and behind her with golden dust, so that each step she took, a field of wildflowers bloomed beneath her bare feet.

And her flesh, which had always glowed for me, now shone like hottest flame. This woman was truly my greatest treasure. No matter what happened in our lives, the trials we’d have to face, as long as I had her by my side, we’d be all right; together we could face anything.

When she got to my side, she smiled and dragged both her thumbs down my cheeks. “Do not cry, dragon boy,” she whispered sweetly.

My lips twitched. “Was I?”

Galeta the Blue, just as she promised, stood before us. She’d grown to human proportions, and I smiled at her own fanged grin. She was dressed head to toe in shards of ice. Her lips and eyes were painted a deep blue and sparkled as though they’d been kissed by frost. Each flap of her wings brought a chilly blast of air with it.

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today,” she said slowly and deeply, “to witness the joining of Zelena Hart, Queen of Hearts, and Ragoth Nur of the royal house of Drakon.”

A soft sigh filtered through the crowd.

“Though there was pain, trials, and tribulations, in the end their love won. But not only have they won, but all of wonderland has too. We now have two royals who I know will fight for their people with honor, dignity, and respect. We cannot change the past, but the future is ours to mold.”

A smoky shape materialized beside Zelena, and the hazy outline of a contented cat beamed back at her proudly. The Cheshire’s ringed tail flicked lazily back and forth.

All of wonderland had come out to witness their queen’s joy.

And it made my heart proud. There were still past hurts to deal with, but already I could see the ripple effects beginning.

Icarus and all his harpies had come. The farmer’s children had come, scrubbed, cleaned, and smiling happily. Even Midas was here. Not smiling or beaming, but he was here.

I had no doubt that someday he’d go and start his own monarchy, but at least his threats of before now seemed like little more than wounded pride.

Together Zelena and I would restore this land and its people, make them proud of her the same way I was proud of her.

The only person I’d not seen was Zerelda, but I’d never expected the hag to show up. I wished the ghost of her didn’t still haunt my Lena, but some wounds were harder to heal than others.

“If any man, woman, or beast can show that they have just cause that these two shall not be joined together, let them speak now or forever hold their peace...”

~*~

Aphrodite

“L
et someone try to say something; I’ll slit their throat and feed them to Bruce,” Calypso growled, staring at the see-orb as though she meant to do it bodily harm if it even so much as twitched.

I thinned my lips with suppressed laughter.

The vows went off without a hitch, bride and groom kissed, and finally I was able to turn the screen dark.

“Well, what do you think? Did we kick booty, or what, crazy wench?”

Calypso’s smile was dreamy. Hades was so gonna score tonight.

“Tartarus yeah, we did!” She fist pumped. “And you know what, I think it’s time to put operation matchmaker into effect, don’t you, Lust?”

“Okay, yes, but”—I held up a finger—“I seriously think we might want to reconsider Baba’s involvement in—”

“Oh shush.” She mimed with her hands. “You leave that old crone up to me. I’m giving that toad her own happily ever after or so help me.”

“And if you don’t? She’s a tough nut to crack.”

“Pft. I’ve cracked harder.” Tossing a peanut into her mouth, she chomped down on it a few times. “Hm. I like this. But I think I prefer Hades’ nuts more. Anywho”—she adjusted her octopus crown—“you ready to do this thing?”

My eyebrows were still up somewhere along my hairline after the whole Hades’s nuts thing, but I smiled and nodded. “Yeah, I’m ready. So who’s first?”

She winked. “Wouldn’t you just like to know.”

“Fine.” I crossed my arms, but I wasn’t letting her off the hook just yet. “But now that the dragon and the queen are one, will you finally tell me why they were so important to you?”

Caly narrowed her eyes, and I could see the stubborn tilt of her jaw go up. I knew she wouldn’t tell me, but she surprised me.

“Because they need to mate.”

I frowned. “They need a child?”

Lips thinning, she sighed. “Yes. I called in a favor through the fates a few years ago, and she told me of a dragon and a queen whose child would set my plans into action.”

I knew all about romance and love, but I’d never been much of a seer. “Why didn’t you tell me this before?”

“Because they said if you knew, the outcome could be changed. We need that child to succeed. And now all my players are in place. Are you not proud of me, Dite?”

For all her wisdom and age, sometimes Calypso could act so young. Proud of her, I hugged her tight in my arms. “You did well, my friend. Very well indeed.”

Smiling broadly, she nodded. “We did, didn’t we? You just wait till you see what I have in store for us next.”

I laughed. Life with Calypso was nothing if not an adventure.

~*~

Ragoth

“W
e did it.” She curled her fingers into my collar and grinned. “We’re a bonafide husband and wife now. Does that thought terrify you? One woman, for the rest of your life?”

“Well, when you put it that way,” I said.

I laughed when she slapped my shoulder. “Watch it, beast. Don’t forget I know just where a dragon’s most sensitive parts—”

Covering her mouth with my hand, I gave her wide eyes, shook my head, and then laughed as I kissed her cheek. “You’ve the devil in you, woman.”

We twirled to the evocative strains of panpipes. The fawns had taken over the music for the night, and the mood was lush and filled with the promise of heat and lust. I couldn’t wait to get my queen somewhere private so I could do all sorts of naughty things to her.

“I said I was trying to be better. I never said I was completely reformed.” She winked.

“Good. Because I like a woman who’s a little villainous.”

Her eyes gleamed. “Guess what.”

I narrowed my own eyes. “What?”

Lifting her hand in front of my face, she twirled her fingers, and I grinned from the snap and glow of fire that danced upon them.

“You can make fire,” I whispered.

She nodded. “Mmhhmm. I’ve been practicing. And do you know that I’d love very much to dance inside those flames with you, heat things up a little bit.”

“Heat things—”

It took half a minute for my brain to register the fact that she was talking about sex. We’d not yet opened the presents; the proper thing to do was to stay. We were king and queen after all; formality must be exemplified in all things.

“To hell with it,” I growled, snatching her up into my arms. I turned and walked off the dance floor to the surprise and shock of all those around us.