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would be Alcharr s job to escort his brother downstairs. From there,
Valderr would be on his own. Fuck. If something didn t happen soon,
all they d done would be for naught.
A fair amount of time had passed since he d left the wizard in the
royal quarters. With Kyllian taking so long to destroy the crystal,
they d feared someone would see the absence of the guards. So far, no
one seemed to have discovered a thing.
Truth be told, Alcharr couldn t say he didn t understand it. Most
of the guards now focused on the ceremony, especially with the
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unexpected guests who d arrived. Alcharr nearly had a heart attack
when he realized Hash s father had joined the party.
But the elder dragon s presence was the least of their problems
now. Alcharr wished he could go check up on Kyllian. He never
should have let the wizard go alone. Doubt assaulted him, and Alcharr
struggled to push it away. He had to believe Kyllian could handle it.
Until then, he needed to buy some time.
What do we do? Valderr asked, as if guessing his thoughts.
We need to delay things somehow. He gave his brother a
speculative glance. Valderr had been very brave. Alcharr hated
putting the spotlight on him, but at this point, only something related
to one of the people to be married could stop the wedding. Could
you feign illness?
Valderr nodded and actually smiled. It won t be very hard. I
think I m going to be sick anyway.
Indeed, Valderr s coloring rivaled the marble white of his
wedding garb. In fact, he seemed even paler, because the traditional
outfit boasted golden thread entwined through the material.
All right. Here we go.
Valderr sat on the bed, curled into a tight ball with his wings
around him and closed his eyes. Alcharr admitted he looked pretty
convincing. Just in time, too, because a knock sounded at the door.
Enter, Alcharr said.
It turned out to be Yane s mother, the queen. Is everything all
right? she asked. We re waiting for Valderr downstairs.
The fact that she had come herself instead of merely sending a
servant spoke volumes of their impatience.
He feels a bit sick, Alcharr said. He didn t even have to fake his
concern. It was quite genuine, given the current circumstances.
Sick? the queen repeated. Oh, no. Should we get the healer?
Alcharr gave his brother a look. Maybe just a cup of tea and a
few minutes. It s the nerves. He is very young and he doesn t even
know Yanentah.
Craving Owen 169
Completely understandable, the queen replied, although Alcharr
detected annoyance in her voice. I will send a remedy up and explain
the situation.
She departed in a wave of woodsy perfume. Alcharr sat next to his
brother on the bed and caressed Valderr s hair. So tell me, he
whispered, what about you and that Dorien character?
Dorien is nice, Valderr murmured back, but he s only a friend.
I& I don t think I would be ready for more, even if we weren t in this
situation.
Alcharr nodded and lay down next to his brother. He covered
Valderr with his wing, just like he used to when his sibling had been
only a nestling. They cuddled together, finding comfort in each
other s presence. So much had changed since then. He had failed
Valderr in so many ways. His young sibling should have never been
forced to face this evil, especially after the trauma he d been through.
Alcharr wondered if he d ever come up with the courage to tell his
brother it was their father who d orchestrated the kidnapping.
A few moments later, a servant knocked at the door and, upon
being bid to enter, brought them the required remedy. As soon as she
left, Alcharr sniffed the tea. It seemed to be harmless enough, but he
didn t risk it. He threw it out in nearby potted plant, just in case his
father had decided to begin his little plan early.
Unfortunately, they could not delay the wedding further. Half an
hour or so later, he and Valderr left the room and headed toward the
main hall. Yane and Valderr would come inside through two separate
entrances and meet at the center, where their parents would be
waiting. As there were two races involved, both kings would be
required to give their blessing. At the same time, Ciera and Dorien
would be joining the first pair. Basically, Ciera would be coming in
with Valderr and Dorien with Yane through the two opposite doors,
and they would stop in the middle, in front of their parents. It was
quite an irony, given the attraction existing between Valderr and
Dorien. Essentially, Valderr would be meeting the other man in the
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middle, as if to mock the fact that they could never be together.
Alcharr couldn t even imagine how his brother felt.
The entire setup made it very easy for their father or rather, the
crystal-controlling Amadeus to attack the two couples. Alcharr had
done his best to keep an eye on the man, but he had a feeling he knew
when Amadeus would strike. At the very moment when the binding
would be made, the two couples would drink from the goblet
symbolizing their joint union. Everything inside Alcharr screamed
that the goblet in question would be the weapon of choice.
When they reached the main hall, Alcharr hugged his brother and
went to join his father. He didn t meet Amadeus s eyes, afraid his
own gaze. If push came to shove, if Kyllian didn t come through for
them until the moment of the union, Alcharr fully intended to stop the
wedding. He and Yane had come up with a Plan B when they d
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