A Queen of Gilded Horns (A River of Royal Blood #2) - Amanda Joy Page 0,124
to do away with his oaths to the Tribe. Ysai, ever a purist when it came to rules, insisted we wait until after the coronation.
Like me, Aketo was in gold. “Shall we?” he asked, fingers lacing through mine.
He noticed Isa standing in the doorway behind me. “Uh, I think Dthazi went to your rooms.”
Isa groaned. “I swore I told him I would be getting dressed here.”
She left my rooms with the promise to meet us in the ballroom.
“One last thing,” Mira called, a medium-size velvet box in her hands.
Just yesterday one of the palace’s archivists had found it. The gilded crown of the past khimaer Queens.
I peeked inside, spying the pronged edges of the crown curling like horns.
“Captain.” I handed it to Falun, a vision in soft dove gray that made his eyes a rich cerulean.
The only absence I regretted was Anali, who’d been reassigned as Lady Commander of the Queen’s Army. The role had been filled by the husbands of Queens for the last nine generations, but if . . . when Aketo and I married, I wanted him by my side to aid in the difficult transition to freedom. Already the human nobility showed signs of revolt at the return of lands to their original owners.
Baccha looped his arm through Falun’s, and dropped his head on Falun’s shoulder. Even though he was a couple inches taller than Fal, it did not seem awkward. “Ready, Princess?”
“As I’ll ever be,” I said, smiling.
Acknowledgments
Writing a second book demands so much more of an author than their first—or so I’d heard several times before beginning this journey. Even having seen friends struggle through that second-book slump, I remain shocked at just how difficult it was to write this book. There were many times—dozens, in fact—where I thought I couldn’t do it. Luckily, blessedly, it wasn’t all up to me. I can only begin to convey the vastness of my gratitude to everyone in my life, both professionally and personally, who made this book possible.
To Kiki Chatzopoulou: My first reader, writing partner, Sorceress of Plot, and best friend. Thank you for fielding my endless texts about plotlines and craft. Thank you for your faith in my writing. Most of all, thank you for your friendship and love.
To Laura Silverman and Anna Meriano: Thank you for the writing retreats, the Catan, and the group chat that keeps me going. You are the best of friends.
To my parents: Thank you for your endless support. I wrote this book between my home and yours, because there’s a special magic in the place where I first began writing. Mom, thank you for dealing with Deadline Amanda and all the mess that entails. Dad, thank you for teaching me to use my voice, even when you disagree with what I have to say. I love you both.
To my brother Jordan: No one has listened to me go on and on (and on) about this book more than you. Thank you for that, and thanks for your limitless creativity, because it drives mine.
To my Luna: Thank you for the puppy snuggles and sweetness when I thought this book was trying to kill me. Your wildness and wolf howls will forever remind me of Baccha, little moon.
To my agents, Taylor Haggerty and Holly Root: Thank you for being the best agent team one could possibly hope for. Thank you for your wisdom, constant enthusiasm, and faith in me!
To my editor, Stacey Barney: I feel so privileged to work with you and to learn from you. Thank you always for your patience and your incisive editing genius. It’s a joy to work together. Can’t wait to celebrate this book in person one day hopefully soon.
To the team at Putnam and Penguin Teen: Thank you for your boundless enthusiasm and all the work you do championing books! Thank you to Anne Heausler for caring about moon cycles as much as I do and for your kind words. My deepest gratitude to Alexxander Dovelin and Samira Iravani. I am still in awe of these stunning covers. They are such a gift to me.
And last, but the greatest of these: Thank you, dear reader, for taking this journey with Eva and me. I hope you will join me on many more.
About the Author
Amanda Joy has an MFA from The New School, and lives in Chicago with her dog Luna. You can find her on twitter and Instagram at @amandajoywrites.
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