Koldis the Green (DRAGONWALL SERIES 4)

CHAPTER 46: FLYING

War Camp, Celenore

Claire circled the camp with her ladies, her Queen's Guard falling in behind. Gods, how the hell had she acquired such a ridiculously large entourage? Okay, she knew exactly how. Now she truly felt like a queen, not that she wanted to. But...there was no more avoiding it.

Desaree walked directly at her side, picking at her hands. "Stop that," she scolded. "Don't break the blisters until they're ready." Des dropped her hands. "I can put more bandages on, if it will help deter you," she added.

Des tutted. "You're a queen now. You don't need to be bandaging my hands."

"I'd be bandaging them as your friend, not your queen, and I wouldn't have to, had you not been so foolish."

Desaree's face fell. "I already said I was sorry," she mumbled.

Claire sighed. "Yes, I know. I'm just...in a mood."

"She wasn't the only one who broke the rules," Saffra said from just behind them, where she and Jocelyn walked. "She just happened to be the one who took the blame for it."

"Well isn't that noble?" Claire said, shooting a Saffra a harmless glare over her shoulder.

Saffra shrugged. "It was her idea."

"Will you lot just behave?" Jocelyn tisked. "Now, tell us, Claire, what has you so irritated?"

"It's her time of the month," Des answered for her, not loud enough for anyone beyond their immediate party to hear. Her Sprite handmaidens who walked just behind Saffra and Jocelyn had already given her plenty of cloth, having anticipated that her period was coming. "It started last night," Des continued, "so I imagine she's irritated about it because it means she and a certain king can't have any fun together."

"That's not why I'm irritated," she grumbled. Okay, it was just a bit, but it was the mild cramps, back pain, and simply the hormonal flux that accompanied. Mostly the last part, which left her moody. After all, she had things she could take for the pain, but it didn't feel awful enough to ingest anything.

She'd known it was coming—was several days late, as it was. What irritated her, was that it didn't wait a few days more. She'd only just returned to Talon, and now, this? Ugh.

The morning after she'd arrived, after she and Talon had shared their romantic night together, she woke refreshed, but to an empty bed. Talon had already been up before dawn. "Talon?" She'd opened her mind to him.

"I'm here, love," he'd said. "I didn't want to wake you. There's breakfast on the table, and a gaggle of females lurking outside the tent, waiting for you to wake."

That had been motivation enough to quickly dress and slip out to collect them. What transpired was a joyous reunion, filled with hugging and tears. Desaree, Jocelyn, Saffra, and Tamara had filled her in on everything she'd missed. They'd sat for hours, until breakfast stretched into the midday meal. It was then that her Spriten handmaidens had come looking for her. She'd introduced everyone, and much to her delight, they appeared to get along.

She'd worried that Desaree might feel...threatened? Like her job was at risk. But there was none of that.

After their reunion, a full day passed in a blur. There were plenty of preparations to keep them busy. And apparently, Desaree wasn't off the hook. She worked with Jocelyn in the cook's tent, helping prepare meals that were delivered to various tents.

During that time, Claire and Tamara stole bits of time together, or she and Saffra, depending on what their obligations were. Sometimes Tamara was busy with Byron, overseeing fort matters. Other times, Saffra was off utilizing her mage powers to assist with ailments, tent construction, and anything else that required a magical touch. The Dwargs would be returning with Bedelth soon and they'd need more sleeping arrangements.