Chapter 46: Chapter 46: Home

We disembark the ships two days later.

Helos has sent someone ahead, and I am finally back in a dress. Not that I minded the shirt and jeans combo, really, but the lingering smell of their old owner was unpleasant to me.

I don’t want to smell anyone but Helos.

Ahead of us is most of his army. His cavalry has brought his warhorse for him, and he takes my hand as we make our way down the pontoon.

There must be thousands of soldiers around us, thousands of his men, and yet, in this moment, I don’t feel fear. I don’t feel anything except the safety that his presence alone brings.

He lifts me up in the saddle and then he climbs up behind me. His massive body wraps around me and I smirk at him as he tucks his arm almost protectively around my waist.

“What?” he murmurs.

“Were there so few horses available that I am forced to share yours?” I ask and he chuckles.

“Do you think I would risk giving you your own horse and watch you run away from me?” he teases.

I laugh. “Why would I run from you, King Helos?”

His amber eyes glow at the teasing way I say his name. He catches my face in his hand, kissing me quickly. “That is the right answer,” he says against my lips.

“Your Highness, we are ready when you are,” a man says, riding up to us, taking Helos’s attention from me.

“Very good. Let’s get going,” he replies, and I can’t help but smile at how kinglike, how in control he is.

He kicks his horse on, and slowly, as a whole, the entire army around us starts moving. It’s incredible to watch, all the soldiers, all the weaponry and carts around us, like a giant city on wheels.

“How far are we from your castle?” I ask.

He shrugs. “A few hours at best.”

“So close?” I reply.

Somehow, I thought we’d be further away, that after all the time on the ship, we must have traveled really far.

As if he can read my mind, his lip curls almost mischievously. “You do realize we weren’t making any progress when we were on the ship?” he says.

I frown. “What do you mean?”

“I mean that once we got you back on board, I gave the order for us to drop anchor. We never went much further than the cove we found you in until after I was sure you were ready.”

“What do you mean by ready?” I ask, confused.

“You were so scared, Kera. I could see it in your eyes. I didn’t want to risk anything happening, but more than that, I didn’t want to make you feel like you were in any more danger.”

I sigh, leaning back against him. “Thank you,” I say.

He kisses the top of my head and we fall into a comfortable, easy silence.

***

Hours later, we can make out the outline of the great castle in the distance. I frown at it as we get steadily closer. It looks almost unrecognizable. The outline is all wrong, as if someone has chopped it in half.

Helos looks from it to my face. “Do you know what happened after he took you?” he asks quietly.

I grit my teeth, looking at him. “What?”

“He set his army to destroy part of the city. It meant our guards were too busy defending the castle to be able to mount any true attempt to get you back.”

“Oh,” I say because I don’t know how else to respond. “Wait, what do you mean ‘our guards’?”

“They’re your guards too, Kera. Yours and mine.”

I know my face reacts to his words, but I couldn’t say what it was. My heart is fluttering against my ribs; all I can feel is this overwhelming emotion rushing through me.

“I love you,” I say before I can stop myself.

“I love you too.”

As we get closer, I can see the damage.

Almost one entire side of the castle has been destroyed, and the rubble is still there, in a heap, as if some giant hand from the gods has swiped it away and left it to crumble.

“It’s…” My voice trails off because I don’t know how to put into words what it looks like.

“We’ll rebuild it,” he says. “We’ll rebuild it bigger and better than before.”

I sigh, knowing he’s right. It will be rebuilt. And now that Issar is dead, there’s no threat to me anymore, at least nothing as serious as him.

“Together, we will build a new home,” he says and I look up at him, seeing the love and desire and everything in between in his eyes.

“For us and Zan,” I state, and he nods, his eyes glowing so beautifully that I think I might melt. “And our other children too,” I say quietly, but he hears it, and his breath catches.

“Are you…,” he asks.

I shake my head. “No. But if you want to, then I’m ready,” I say.

He smiles. “There’s no rush. We have all the time in the world now.”