I hadn’t realized that everyone was silent, watching me as I spoke to Abiageal. Others had moved away from her as if I’d been ready to accuse her of a crime. By the time I turned back to Ryder, Cailean was there watching me with a guarded look in his eyes.
“Cailean, you’ve been following me. I’d like to know why,” I said as I stood tall and watched him for any sign that something was off.
“I know Faolán and what he is capable of. I have tried to protect you as should be expected of those that guard the royal family. Although I was part of his guard, my primary duty is to the family. You know I shielded you when he found your guardians, and I have been trying to protect you from him for years. I could do nothing when you were given to the Horde King, but I could follow you to make sure you were safe. I was with you when you were in Faery as well, on the last outing. I was following you, of that I am guilty, Princess.”
“Why were you in the woods?” I asked, intrigued to know that he’d been like my own guardian angel.
“Faolán had sent many Mages to track and intercept you. Despite all of your precautions, I fear you still underestimate him,” he said and I stiffened as Ryder growled.
“I mean no disrespect, Horde King, only that I was afraid it would cost Sorcha—Synthia, her life. I meant to keep watch and only intervene if needed. I chose to protect her and appointed myself as her guardian,” he said solemnly.
“And would you die for me?” I asked him as I stepped down onto the floor at eye level with him.
“Yes,” he said without hesitation.
“And would you kill Faolán to protect me and my children?”
“Yes,” he repeated.
“Good,” I said. “As is my right, I choose you for guardian of my children,” I said and smiled.
“My Princess,” he whispered. “I’m honored.”
“Oh I wouldn’t be honored yet,” I said as I wrinkled my nose.
“It’s an honor to protect your children,” he said. “I’ll not let either of them out of my sight.”
“Three of them,” I said with a huge smile as the entire assembly started talking excitedly at once.
Chapter Fifteen
I was seated with Ryder at my side as the babies were brought down the aisle, each wrapped in silk blankets of the same black as the men who carried them wore. It was almost comical for the Elite Guard to be carrying something so tiny and yet so precious to their hearts.
Ristan carried my daughter. Sinjinn carried the dark haired boy, and Dristan carried the blonde haired boy. The entire assembly watched in awe as the first set of triplets in Fae history were brought out and presented to us. I’d been warned about what was coming, and it was tradition, but my heart still leapt to my throat.
In true Fae tradition, the children would be presented to the father, and if he so chose, he’d accept them. This was why Tatiana had hidden her daughter, because the child wasn’t Dresden’s. She’d known he would throw the child out to the elements. I knew her fear, but I also knew Ryder would never reject our precious children. Tatiana didn’t have that reassurance.
I watched as my hulking beast kissed the top of his daughters platinum curls, and then her cheek, which he followed by doing the same to her brothers. When he’d accepted them, he took his seat and one by one, they were handed to us.
I wasn’t sure how Ryder had brought this many Fae here on such short notice, nor did I know if he told them they were coming for an heir’s death, explaining a shift in power, or administering punishment of traitors to the presentation of newborns and potential heirs. The man was good at this; whatever he told them, and the way he’d reached for our daughter when Ristan had tried to move towards me had sent warmth through me that filled my heart.
She’d already tamed the wild beast with only looking into his golden eyes with a matching pair. I held the boys, who had done the same to me, and I watched with wonder as they lifted their hands to touch the multi-colored brands that pulsed on my arms.
They were alert and active, unlike their sister who was content to just wrinkle her brow line as she watched her father’s every move. I listened as Ristan called off the news of the triplets, and the assembly stood as they moved to form a reception line.
Apprehension filled me as they moved toward us. I wasn’t ready for them to be close to my children, and my power emitted from my entire body as I grew worried. It didn’t go unnoticed by those closest to us, but it was Ryder who calmed me.
“You have my best soldiers surrounding us, ready to kill to protect them. You have your own guard; now calm down. If I can feel your discomfort and powers, so too can everyone else in this room.” His mental voice rumbled reassuringly across my mind.
I turned to look at him and smiled softly, replying the same way. “Easier said than done; I have no idea how to stop it,” I warned. I felt Danu’s presence, and then her hand as she touched my shoulder.
“Breathe daughter, before you give everything away,” Danu said, and I knew I alone could see her.
One by one, the members of the Castes came forward to bless our children and then returned to their seats. It wasn’t until Madisyn reached us that I smiled and relaxed a bit. She had tears in her eyes as she touched the babes, and then stood before Ryder. I had been informed beforehand that customarily during this ceremony, she as my mother could hold them, but she only moved to my daughter and touched her hair.
“She’s so beautiful, and these boys, so active for being born early,” she whispered and kissed each babe’s head before she touched my cheek. Lasair stood behind her, watching me. I smiled at him and about fell off my chair when he smiled back. His eyes filled with pride, and then he shouted.
“My daughter birthed triplets! Long live the Horde King and soon to be Queen!” I jumped as his voice boomed through the room, and then smiled at his out of character reaction to my children. He was proud of me, and it felt foreign. I’d only known one father figure, and that had been Alden, since I’d been too young to really know my adopted father.
“Long live the King and Queen!” someone else shouted and then a chorus of it sang out through the room.
Ryder’s hand caressed mine and I looked over at him. “You’re going to have marry me now, Pet,” he smiled roguishly. “The people have decreed it.”
“The people have decreed it?” I lifted a blonde brow and smiled.
“They have,” he assured me.
“I told you my answer, for now,” I whispered and narrowed my eyes on him.
“We’ll just have to see about that, for I plan to change your mind,” he growled and Lasair hooted as Madisyn smiled.
“I love weddings, especially royal ones,” she said, not bothering to hide her wide grin.
“I’ll let you know when he actually asks me and I accept,” I said.
Adam was behind them with his family. He smiled, and I smiled back. Our familiar bond had been broken, but our bond formed of love and loss would never be touched. He stepped up and placed his hand on my cheek and I smiled.
“You are so going to have your hands full,” he said softly.
“So is Uncle Adam,” I teased.
“Is that so?” Adrian’s voice sounded from not far behind Adam. I smiled and turned to look for him.
Vlad was with him; both smiled knowingly and, as Adam moved back to his seat, they stepped up.
“Pretty girl went and gave birth to another pretty girl,” Vlad said with a wink. “Go figure.”
“She’s as gorgeous as her mother is,” Adrian said as he looked down at my daughter.
“Is she now?” I asked as I looking lovingly at my daughter. “Good thing she’s got two brothers to protect her then.”
Adrian laughed, but Ryder wasn’t.
“Keep your hands off my wife and my daughter, kid,” he growled
, but as I turned to glare at him, it was to find him smiling with his eyes, which Adrian couldn’t see.
“Hey, I won’t touch your wife, because I don’t see one here,” Adrian teased. “But this little beauty? I can wait for her to get old enough to date.”
“The hell you say,” I sputtered. “You cannot date my daughter!” That was just wrong on so many levels that I couldn’t even begin to count them.
“And how about me?” Vlad asked. “Oh, not the baby; but I did tell you to go Vamp before you went Fairy, or after. You know, for comparison’s sake.” I smiled as his silver eyes took in my sons. “Who knew the beast planted an entire litter of little beasties in that belly?” he asked and turned to Ryder with a gentle nod.
“Indeed,” Ryder growled proudly.
I smiled at him before Vlad bent down to kiss my cheek. “We will be staying for a few days, and now that you’re not pregnant, I owe you a stiff…drink,” he whispered before he turned and bowed at his waist to the King.
Hundreds paid respect to Ryder and the babes. I could hear Ryder speaking to each one, asking them for their support when the time came to gather at the rowan Tree and many pledged to return and bring more support with them when the call went out to gather at the Tree.
Many of the women that came through the receiving line added subtle hints of his prowess in the bedroom, and his virility. It was downright embarrassing the way they behaved. As if they thought he’d give them the same boon, and they’d pop out triplets as well.
“Synthia,” Ryder whispered as his hand slipped over my smaller one and his fingers trailed softly, warmly over mine. “It’s time for the babies to go to the nursery to be fed,” he continued when I stared at where his fingers absently stroked mine.
The babies were taken by his men and soon after that the assembly of Fae gathered in the room where a sizable feast would be held in the honor for the birth of the new babes—or possible Heirs, as Danu had pointed out to me earlier.
I didn’t want to be away from my babies, but it was imperative that we win the Fae over, and that they all come with us for the blessing of the infants when it was time. We stood as one and moved through one of the small antechambers, before making our way to the head of the table where we both sat and gave praise to those who came by and offered gifts for our babes like it was some sort of Fae version of a baby shower—just without the games.
It took less than an hour of being polite and smiling until my face hurt, before Ryder pulled me to my feet and smiled wickedly at me. He bid the guests goodnight, but as I opened my mouth to tell him that I’d like to see the babies, he stopped me with one finger gently pressed against my lips.
“They’re fine. My men have secured the room, and your ladies and my sister tend to them and their every need. I have plans for you tonight, ones that won’t be waylaid. Tonight, you’re mine.”
“Is that so?” I whispered before I kissed his fingers still held to my lips.
“Come with me, Pet, and I promise to make you shiver,” he said silkily, as his eyes flashed from amber fire to obsidian.
Chapter Sixteen
Ryder had changed back to his Fae form, and he’d dressed down for whatever it was that he’d planned for me here. He sifted us to a forest, and it was beautiful. The huge wild oak trees shared limbs, as if it was one tree that filled the entire forest. Moss covered the forest floor, and I could feel its softness through the sandals I wore. He didn’t allow me to take the beauty of it in for more than a few second before he glamoured a length of powder blue silk and let it slip from his fingers.
“No peeking, Synthia,” he said lightly, his tone layered in lust.
“Bondage?” I joked, but he didn’t smile. Instead his heated gaze met and held mine and melted my bones.
I swallowed and stepped forward, closer to him. “Kiss me first, Fairy, and I’ll do anything you want me to.”
“Remember those words,” he replied.
“I remember everything I’ve ever said to you, and everything you’ve said to me,” I answered him and lifted my mouth to his as my hands caressed the hard muscles of his chest. His mouth lowered to mine, and I closed my eyes as the heat of his mouth swept away everything from my mind.
His mouth was hungry and demanding at first as his tongue pushed past the seal of my lips and met, warring with mine. I gasped hungrily as my body responded to his touch instantly, as if his tongue was pressing some magical button that turned every part of me on.
His hands captured and cupped my face as if he was afraid I’d escape his kiss. That wasn’t likely. I was right where I wanted to be; with him. His hand that held the silk left my face, and then I felt it as it covered my eyes, and then was tightened behind my head.
His teeth captured the plumpness of my bottom lip and bit softly until I cried out as pain lingered with pleasure. “I planned to bring you here a month ago, but then the Mages grew bolder, and I couldn’t chance the babes or you being hurt by them,” he said softly as he turned me around in his arms until my back was pressed against his chest, and my ass against his hard erection. “Do you trust me, Pet?”
“Yes,” I said without hesitation.
“Good,” he growled as he trailed his fingers down the inside of my arms, creating a whirlwind of sensations that made my nipples harden with need.
I’d felt the world change beneath my sandals. Gone was the soft moss and in its place was rougher terrain that crunched beneath my feet, along with warm winds that sent my hair flying. My heart pounded, and I smiled as I knew it was only because I thought it’s what it should do and not really because it was beating that hard.
I wasn’t ready when Ryder removed the blindfold, and beautiful ruins were revealed. I gasped in delight as I took in the thousands of candles which were lit around them. An entire rock face stood before us, with huge rock pillars that went into the earth.
“Wow,” I said in a breathless whisper.
“This place was built by the ancient race of these lands. The ones Danu first created. Now all that is left is where they came to worship their mates.”
“Danu made another race before the Fae?” I asked curiously.
He grunted. “Bilé and Danu made them together, but he created a rift in them that ripped them apart, because he thought they should be made in his image, but the scrolls say she was torn by them and unhappy with the outcome, so much so that she left Bilé soon after they’d created them, and then one by one, she destroyed the entire race. Centuries would pass before she would try again, and that’s when she made our race.”
I could feel the power radiating from inside the gigantic earthen dwelling. There were huge horned statues, which I could have sworn moved as I watched them. They looked like gargoyles, only more dangerous with their long talons and needle teeth.
“They are dead,” he said as if he was reading my mind.
I continued to peer up into the pieces of history Dristan and Ristan had seemed to have left out of our lessons, or hadn’t gotten to yet. Around us was night, dark and eerie, but thousands of candles lit up the area so that it looked like day, but only if you stayed close to the stones.
I moved closer without thinking, my hands itched to touch the history of the place. I paused at a massive staircase, and then turned to find Ryder gazing at me impishly.
“You coming?” I asked as I planted my hands on my hips.
“I didn’t say it was safe, yet,” he added the last word wickedly.
“Did I ask?” I smiled as he sifted to me and took my extended hand.
“You never do, always going off on your own and getting in trouble,” he whispered as he waved the hand I wasn’t holding, and the wide doors moved apart.
“Oh, wow,” I whispered excitedly.
Inside were balloons, filled with what looked to be fireflies, but I knew it wasn?
??t. Tiny fairies lit the balloons as they danced in them. I smiled and tossed a curious look to Ryder. “You put Fairies in them all?”
“They offered when Ristan told them I planned to seduce you,” he replied casually.
“Is that so?”
“Fairies like to entertain,” he started to explain.
“I meant the seducing part,” I replied impishly.
“You doubted it?” he grinned widely, his perfect teeth catching the light from one of the Fairies giving them a feral look.
I stepped closer and watched as the balloons bounced and spun as the show continued. Eventually Ryder moved us forward, and thanked them in the language of the Horde for the entertainment. I could hear them now, laughing and cheering on the King as he escorted me further into the ruins.
I wasn’t sure ruins were the right word to call the place, as it was truly beautiful even if it had been abandoned. When we reached the end of the long hallway, a door presented itself, and I lifted my hand instinctively and allowed my fingers to trail over the etched dragons that covered both sides of it. In the center sat a moon, and above it a sun. It was crafted of antique wood, sculpted by a master of his trade, judging by the details.
“As I child I came here, intrigued by the history of the race the Goddess had wiped out. This door would keep me entranced for days on end; each detail was woven into the wood masterfully. As if the carver had become enamored with the wood and caressed it as he would his lover with each stroke.”
He flicked his wrist and the beautiful doors opened for him. I smiled as we walked into an expansive, beautiful room that looked like the baths similar to what the Romans or Greeks once used, possibly something Danu could have used herself.
Inside, lanterns had been lit and floated in the air. There were squares of tranquil pools of water that called to me. More etchings of dragons covered the walls, and I turned to look at Ryder’s chest; his brands looked exactly as these ones inside the room did.