“Hey,” I said on a big smile. “I like your house. The roof is freaking awesome. ”

“Dohno,” he muttered as he walked passed me to the door.

I instantly deflated and I didn’t even know I’d inflated.

Then I turned rather despondently to follow him with my eyes. I figured he had Horde and war things on his mind and was in king mode so he was away to do king things.

But okay, so sure, he only lived here two months out of the year so this probably wasn’t an important place to him and sure, he couldn’t know that in my world, a husband bringing his wife home for the first time was a big thing.

But still…

At the door, instead of walking through it, he grabbed it and threw it to.

Then he turned back to me.

Then I caught the look in his eye.

Then I gave him another big smile as he stalked toward me. Then I let out a laughing cry when he got to me and caught me up in his strong arms.

We tested out the bed first.

It was huge, it was soft and it was sturdy.

We tested out the bathing pool next.

It was divine.

* * * * *

Let’s just say Twinka didn’t like Ghost.

Like, at all.

And we’ll also say she didn’t like the familiarity, consideration, caring and casualness with which I treated my girls and flatly refused to respond positively to me doing the same with her.

But I didn’t care.

I was fucking queen.

I’d endured a Hunt. I’d witnessed a suicide-slash-execution. I’d watched a challenge for the Dax. I’d survived a bloody attack in my cham. I’d assisted in a minor medical procedure with only the most primitive of instruments at our disposal. I’d seen one of my girls beheaded. I had belatedly made one helluva match between a tiny, sweet, beautiful, timid Fleuridian girl and a dark, proud, taciturn Horde warrior.

I could create thunder, lightning, rain, flowers and rainbows.

And I’d made a savage brute fall in love with me in a month.

Hell, by his account, it was practically at first sight.

So she wasn’t going to fuck with me.

Therefore I ignored her and so did my girls.

It worked great.

* * * * *

Once settled in Korwahn, life went on as normal. I spent time with my posse (on my roof, their roofs, in my dining room, their dining rooms, in my courtyard, their courtyards, you get the picture). I wandered the city with my protectors. I met my people. I shopped in the marketplace.

Lahn came home for dinner twice and before I went to bed three times. Other than that, my man was busy.

This stunk.

But I was queen so I sucked it up.

* * * * *

When the morning sickness came, I gave up Korwahk wine. Lahn questioned this when I stopped him from pouring me a chalice at dinner and I explained in my world pregnant women didn’t drink alcoholic beverages as they’d noticed it affected growth in the womb.

His brows drew together at this but he didn’t question it further and he didn’t pour my wine.

By the by, the arrival of morning sickness, thus confirmation I was carrying his child was taken in stride by Lahn. I was freaked out but happy. He already knew in his pahnsahna I was carrying his child.

Still, I made him celebrate.

With the way I chose to celebrate, Lahn didn’t seem to mind.

* * * * *

We were in Korwahn because Suh Tunak was amassing there before they rode on Maroo.

We were also in Korwahn because Lahn had sent another message out to his brethren and that was that he was building an elite squad to be left behind in Korwahn to guard his golden queen (an elite squad, how cool was that?). Any warrior who wished to put himself forward for this squad would need to compete for it and they had to arrive by a certain date.

I was not allowed to go to the competition, it was warriors only.

This was, Seerim told Diandra, because it might turn my stomach and Lahn knew firstly, I’d had enough of my stomach being turned and secondly, my stomach was being turned every morning.

So I was glad I wasn’t allowed to go. Though I didn’t much like the word “allowed”, I didn’t share this with Lahn.

Lahn did tell me my guard would number five hundred.

And he also told me fifteen thousand competed for these positions.

Yes. Fifteen thousand.

I was amazed and touched by this.

Then again, who wouldn’t be?

* * * * *