Iron Crowned Page 0,39

to leave came, Dorian couldn't hide his conflicted feelings. The part of him always striving for advantage and control wanted that crown. The part of him that loved me worried about what I was walking into.

"It'll be okay," I said, wrapping my arms around him. "I'm Storm King's daughter, remember? This'll be cake. And hey, if that ghost's lying, I'll be back tonight."

"I don't know if I'd prefer that or not," he mused. He rested his hand behind my neck and gave me a long, lingering kiss. "Be careful, Eugenie. Fight hard, but be careful. And take this." From a hidden pocket in his cloak, he produced something glittering and handed it to me.

I held it up. It was a ring, hanging on a fine chain. Both were made of gold. A diamond flanked by sapphires sat prominently on the ring, which was fashioned to look like a circle of leaves.

"Is this magic?" I asked.

He shook his head. "Just something to remember me by. Just something to think about."

I eyed him carefully. Marriage happened among the gentry, though not as often as among humans. Considering our divorce rate, maybe that was smart. They didn't give engagement rings like humans did, but he'd know my world's custom. This ring suddenly made me uneasy.

"It's a thing of beauty," he said, seeing my reaction. "For someone beautiful. I knew you wouldn't wear it on your finger, so keep it on the chain."

I nodded. Sometimes a gift was just a gift - particularly when someone was afraid his beloved might get killed soon. I kissed him again. "Thank you."

I'd come alone via the human world, so he sent an escort back to the Thorn Land with me. No one except Dorian and Masthera knew what I was going to do, but the group could sense something big was about to go down. Tension crackled around us as we traveled. Like so many, these soldiers considered Dorian and me a powerhouse. They could hardly wait to see what would happen next.

Kiyo wasn't waiting for me in the Thorn Land, not that I'd expected results that quickly. No refusal had come from Maiwenn either, which I took as a good sign.

"What are you and my lord planning?" asked Rurik when he saw me. "You've got that look."

"What look is that?" I asked curiously. He reminded me of Tim.

"The look that says you're planning something."

I rolled my eyes. "Eloquent as ever, Rurik."

"Should I assemble fighters?" he asked, shrugging off my comment. Shaya joined us then, scrolls in her arms.

"No. I do this alone. Well, not exactly. Kiyo's coming with me. I hope. He should be showing up here today." I spoke more confidently than I felt. Despite Dorian's certainties, I still wasn't sure whether Kiyo would help or not. Rurik and Shaya exchanged glances. "Stop that," I told them. "It's perfectly platonic. Dorian suggested it."

Rurik looked like he still had a few things to say about it, but Shaya interrupted. "The Linden King wrote back. He won't join with us - but he also won't fight against us."

"Not the best news, not the worst. We'll see if he comes crawling when his power's in dispute." The words came out with more venom than I expected. Rurik seemed to approve. Shaya leafed through more papers.

"Caria, the Laurel Queen, would like to meet with you and discuss the war, however."

I knew nothing about that land. "Have we even contacted her?"

"No," said Shaya, giving me a meaningful look. "But her kingdom borders the Linden Land."

"Ah." I smiled. My comment to Ranelle that others would be eyeing her king's land as his power faded was true. In refusing my offer to defend against that, they'd allowed someone else to solicit me for the other side of that future dispute. "He'll regret his neutrality later. See if Caria'll meet with Dorian while I'm gone." Dorian would understand the situation perfectly.

I figured this was it and started to leave. "There's one more thing," added Shaya, twisting a black braid in that nervous habit of hers. "Girard would like to see you."

Her unease had made me think something bad was coming, but Girard was one of the few people who rarely delivered bad news. If anything, he usually delivered gifts, always coming up with some marvelous new piece of craftsmanship. Some pieces - like Dorian's sword and Jasmine's chains - I'd commissioned specifically. Sometimes, however, inspiration struck the artist, and he'd present some intricately worked necklace or diadem that I felt certain was beyond