"Yes," Brantley nodded. "We are having it after so many years that everyone is over-excited." He looked at his wife as if giving her a silent thank you. 

Dawn smiled. "True. If it was me, even I would have been very excited." She stopped and turned to look at Brantley and Bianca. "I hope that the two of you have a baby by the time I come here for the next Samobian!"

​​

Bianca became scarlet red and her toes curled as she lowered her head. Brantley's lips curled up. He gave her a fond look. 

For the rest of the time in the dining hall, Brantley kept the conversation limited to anything but Sedora. Every time Bianca would open her mouth to talk about her, he would start with another topic. He ignored every talk about Sedora. Bianca grew uneasy. She wanted answers and he was eluding them. At the end, when Dawn left for her room and they came to their bedchamber, Bianca couldn't hold it any longer. "Why aren't you talking about Sedora?" 

"I don't want to," he replied calmly as he took his shirt out. His voice was curt and clipped. 

"But I want to know more about her!" She said with her hands on her waist. 

"It isn't necessary." Another short reply. 

"But Brantley—"

"Bia!" he almost said menacingly. "I don't want to talk about that woman. Our life is going on smoothly. She is inactive and not doing anything. Probably she won't do anything."

"What if she does?" asked Bianca, totally bewildered at his disposition. 

He gritted his teeth and went to his clothes closet to change without answering her. When he emerged, he was wearing a dark blue silk night suit. He saw her standing in the same dress gaping at him. 

"Do I look so dashing, even in my nightwear?" he asked with a raised eyebrow.

She ignored his statement and said, "You are evading my question. You must tell me about Sedora. You know her better than my mom and she told me that you can teach me magic."

Fury rose in his chest. His voice was like a hot volcano coming out of a snow-capped mountain when he said, "I don't want to talk about her." 

She walked close to him and craned her neck to look at him. With flinty eyes she said, "I have the right to know. Those people tried to kill you. I saw an axe in your head when you tried to save me." Brantley could feel her anger increasing with every heartbeat. 

She said through clenched teeth, "I will not let that happen again! Upon my dead body!" 

"Bia!" he shouted and suddenly wrapped his arms tightly around her—so tight that she couldn't move, so tight that she felt crushed. He pressed her to his chest. "Why— why did you say that? Why?" His shoulders shuddered as he held her. "I don't want to lose you. The mere thought gives me chills. I feel like— like, I can't breathe… I'd rather die than letting you face any danger. I— I have got after waiting for two thousand years. Do you think I will let you face that woman again?" He shook his head. "My life is too beautiful to even think about it. I have just got you. Please let me live, please Bia…" The thought of losing her killed him.

The way he spoke, she melted in his arms. "Brantley…" she whispered. The man who said 'I will always be there for you,' was holding on to her like she was the last straw to hold on to his dear life in an ocean. "I didn't mean that. I just— I just want to know about her so that I am prepared."

Her statement made his body quiver. He picked her up and carried her to the bed. He turned her back to his chest and spooned her tightly. "You are my Bia… mine. No one can take you from me… I will kill them. I will murder them for you… My beautiful Bia… mine…"

His protectiveness was overwhelming. She kissed his arms, which were tucked beneath her neck. Her man was so gorgeous, so strong and yet so… emotionally stunted. 

They stayed in that position for what seemed like eternity. When she felt that he had calmed down, she said in a low voice, "I am not going anywhere…" 

He buried his face in her hair and inhaled her scent. "I am not letting you go anywhere. I don't want to talk about Sedora." His body shuddered against her. She had been with him for less than a month and the thought of her facing Sedora plagued him. He just wanted the situation to remain the way it was. He had waited for eternity to be with her so patiently, and now he wouldn't waste a minute of losing her, of having a day without her.

Bianca knew that this wasn't the right time to talk about Sedora. Maybe he was right. Maybe the woman was inactive. Maybe… just maybe she was dead… She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. But there was one thing—she would kill Kar'den. She would chop his hands and feed them to crows. In his protective hold, Bianca drifted off to sleep. And her dreams were filled with the faces of Og'drath and Gayle and his bloodied neck. When she woke up with a start, she found herself on him, clutching his chest like a baby. He was sleeping with his hands around her, snoring softly. Even though her body was drenched with sweat, she found herself smiling at her mate. 

By the time it was evening, Holly had entered with their tea. She dressed her up in a yellow gown that was in a straight line till her ankles. Embroidered with blood red silk thread with large roses, the dress looked perfect for Samobian. "All of them will be looking at you, Your Highness. You should be a vision of hope and love," she said as she made her wear another diamond tiara on her head. This time again her red hair was hanging loose in curls. 

Looking every bit regal, they walked out of their bedchamber, hand-in-hand. In the main hall, they met Dawn and Darius who were dressed formally. Brantley created the portal and they were about to step in it, when a servant walked in. He was panting and there was sweat on his face as if he had run. 

"Your Highness, queen's father, Daryn Silver and her uncle, Caleb Silver have just arrived at the gates of the castle through a portal. We have opened the portcullis for their group to enter." 

Dawn's eyes became wide and she couldn't hold herself. She hurried to the gates. 

"What do you mean 'their group'?" asked Brantley. 

"They have come with ten horsemen all of whom are scorers," the servant informed. 

It was already time to go to Samobian. Hardly fifteen minutes were left for them to attend the closing ceremony. He waited with Bianca to receive them. If Daryn had come from Ixoviya with Caleb, then it was surely urgent. The fact that ten sorcerers accompanied him—it was something that needed immediate attention. His jaws clenched in anticipation. 

Daryn walked in the main hall with Dawn on his side and Caleb behind them. 

"Uncle!" Bianca and Darius exclaimed and they rushed to hug their father and Caleb. 

From their looks, Brantley's dread heightened.