“You know that I would not let such a project go unchecked. You honestly believe that in a week I have not laid eyes on the crops myself?” Trik didn’t hide the contempt in his voice.

Lorsan stood, staring at Trik. After several moments of silence he let out a long breath.

“I don’t know what to think, Trik.”

“Lorsan, I have found my Chosen, not lost my mind.”

“They are one in the same if I remember correctly,” Lorsan chuckled nostalgically.

A slow smile spread on Trik’s face as his temper faded. “So you remember?”

Lorsan walked over to a chair that had been placed beneath the largest shade tree and sat. He motioned for Trik to take the seat beside him.

“I remember,” Lorsan agreed tiredly, truly remembering what it was like when he had first laid eyes on his Ilyrana. “I have been wrong to question you Trik. But in my defense, this is a very important and dangerous time.”

Trik nodded and said with a sly smile. “I can agree to all of that.”

“Why don’t you bring her here, let us meet her?” Lorsan offered.

Trik leaned back in his chair as he considered his King’s words and kept his face carefully blank. It wouldn’t do to let Lorsan know that the last thing he wanted to do was to taint Cassie, his pure Cassie, with the darkness of his realm.

“Ilyrana wishes to throw a ball in your honor,” Lorsan continued when Trik didn’t speak.

Trik groaned inwardly at this news. “She’s knows how I hate balls, besides humans don’t throw balls.”

“Sure they do,” Lorsan’s Chosen walked gracefully into the garden. “They call them parties.”

Trik smiled at his Queen and bowed his head.

“Really Trik, all this formality from you is going to begin to go to my head and I might actually think I am the Queen of an Elfin race.”

Trik laughed. He always had liked Lorsan’s Chosen.

“We wouldn’t want that.”

“So will you bring her?” Lorsan interrupted their banter.

Trik stared at his King boldly. He searched his eyes, looking for any ill intent. Though he could see that Lorsan had an agenda, he couldn’t seem to see that there was any threat to Cassie.

Trik nodded. “When shall I bring her?”

“Give me three days,” Ilyrana announced. “It is all planned. Now I just need to put it all together.”

“That quickly?” Lorsan asked his Chosen.

“It will be very small. There’s no need to frighten her.”

Trik stood and took Ilyrana’s hand. He bowed over it and brought it to his lips. He kissed her hand gently and then looked up into her eyes. “Thank you my Queen, you honor my Chosen.”

The formality of his actions caught both Lorsan andIlyrana by surprise. He was asking her blessing over his union.

Ilyrana nodded once and answered formally. “As all will honor her.”

Lorsan stood and echoed his Queen’s words. “As all will honor her.”

Trik cleared his throat. Emotion from their acknowledgement of his Chosen welled up in his chest.

“We shall see you in a few days then,” he told them.

Lorsan nodded and Ilyrana smiled. Trik turned and left quickly before his emotions overwhelmed him.

Lorsan looked to Ilyrana after Trik had gone. “He asked our blessing.” Surprise laced Lorsan’s voice. Trik never asked for anything, but in that moment when he had knelt before his Queen and spoke the formal words, he had been asking the blessing of his King and Queen on his union with his Chosen.

“I told you that his loyalty hadn’t wavered,” his Chosen chided him.

“I was wrong to have questioned him,” Lorsan admitted again.

“Triktapic is his own creature Lorsan, you can’t control him. But he has just proven again his loyalty to you, his fealty to you. You would do well not to forget it.”

Lorsan chuckled. “You would make a fine King my love.”

“Yes, yes I would.” Ilyrana teased.

~

“So where are we off to?” Cassie asked Elora as she climbed into her beat up Neon.

“On my way out the door Lisa asked if we could come up to the store and help with some inventory. She’s gotten behind.”

Cassie smiled “You know I’m all about hanging with your mom, she’s cool.”

Elora rolled her eyes, “You just think that because she isn’t your mom.”

“Your mom knows an Elf Queen, owns a new age shop, and dresses like she’s twenty,” Cassie stated as she raised her eyebrows at Elora.

Elora shrugged. “Okay so she’s kind of cool.”

Cassie laughed. “I am so going to tell her you said that.”

“I’ll deny every word.”

Cassie turned on the radio, thankful at least that it still worked. She clapped her hands when she heard her favorite song, Just Give Me a Reason by Pink, coming through the speakers. She turned up the volume and started to sing along at the top of her lungs. Elora laughed at her friend and, to Cassie’s delighted surprise, joined in.

“Lisa!” Elora yelled as they entered Enigma.

Lisa came out of the backroom carrying several boxes in her arms.

“Thank goodness. The cavalry has arrived. Thank you girls for helping me out.”

“It’s no big thing,” Cassie told her. “So, put us to work.”

“Go to the back room and grab some boxes,” Lisa motioned towards the door she had just emerged from.