ASMSG Scifi Fantasy Paranormal Emagazine August 2014 | Page 26

SFP Indie Issue 3
Clear blue eyes held his and her smile radiated joy.
“Yes. It will be our fourth.” She pushed up on the arms of
her chair and shifted to another hip. “And she cannot
come soon enough. I find the waiting a
little…burdensome.”
“My wife complained of the same. Four children?
You are truly blessed, Ma’am. I wish you a trouble-free
birth and a healthy babe.” He softened his gruff tone and
finished with a respectful bow. He had issues with the
Constante ruler on the Verdantian throne, but the utmost
respect for motherhood.
“Thank you.” She studied him for a long moment.
“House DeHelios—the first kings and queens of
Verdantia. The First Tetriarch. Hmm. Your House and the
mountain city, Nyth Uchel, are so revered by the common
people you are almost fable. All Verdantia grieved the loss
of Nyth Uchel and the radiant Torre Bianca. We thought
your line dead and Nyth Uchel razed in the Haarb
massacres. I give heartfelt thanks to know we are in error.
What brings you down from your mountain, Sir?”
“Ma’am, it is a dire and complicated story. I suggest
my tale is best discussed somewhere more comfortable for
you.”
The queen moved her gaze to her consorts who
stood protectively at either side of her. “Ari? Doral?”
High Lord DeTano nodded. “The children will be
running riot in our apartments but my office should be
comfortable enough. I would like DeKieran and Steffania
to join us—and Medica Corvus—attend the queen,
please.” His eyes caught the tall woman who stood behind
the queen’s chair and the brunette nodded.
“All right.” Queen Constante wrestled her ungainly
body to a stand. “Shall we?”
Hel stepped back and held out his arm to assist her
down the steps but the beautiful blond man moved
forward and swept the slight figure of the queen into his
arms. The two exchanged a look of such love that Hel felt

he intruded on an intimacy and he immediately turned
away. The young queen must have seen his discomfort.
She reached out and touched his arm and Hel turned back
to her.
“Prince DeHelios, my Segundo dislikes seeing me
‘waddle like a duck’ and finds it too painful to watch my
slow, ponderous steps. He says it is necessary to carry me
and I must confess—I rather like it.” Her playful grin
pulled an answering quirk of lips from Hel and an arched
brow from Doral.
“My preference, my Queen, is that you forgo walking
at all and stay in bed these last two weeks, but I am just a
poor male whose wishes you blithely disregard.” Doral
descended the steps and carried his queen out of the
audience hall followed by High Lord DeTano, Lord
Ramsey and his wife, Steffania, and the woman called
Adonia. Hel trailed all of them but clearly heard the
queen’s gentle gurgle of laughter.
“I just like the feel of your arms around me, my
love.”
Hel found it difficult to continue his dismissal of this
sweet-natured, loving young queen as “that upstart
Constante woman.” Perhaps he should have come down
from his isolated mountain sooner. He acknowledged with
bitter honesty that he envied Ari DeTano and Doral
DeLorion. They possessed what he yearned for—a warm,
passionate woman to