It was only an hour before the masses started to arrive in droves, and the volume of the garden grew. It was a surprising number of people that had decided to turn up, and as they did so, music started from a band that had arrived with a mass of strange-looking wooden and gold-coloured instruments.
They watched her with just as much fascination as she had for them, greedily taking in each face of those who had become her people, and they were just as greedy to take her in. Few seemed to have the courage to actually approach her, however, and she was a little disappointed by that until Dirdos decided to take pity on her.
"You intimidate people with your perfection," he explained.
She looked up at him, frowning, but his face was perfectly serious. "I'm far from perfect," she said, and he grinned, a wicked little thing.
"Yes, you'd be perfect if you were naked. But to them you are perfect."
A blush crept up her cheeks, and she swatted at him at the thought he instilled in her of her lying on her back under the trees, his mouth moving against her between her legs, and then his hard kiss as he thrust into her, his pleasure at her cries of ecstasy.
"Stop that," she said.
He laughed mischievously. "Never," he growled, drawing the attention of Daemon, who had been standing at her other side, eyeing them curiously.
The crowd was large enough that they spilled out into the garden itself, but it seemed people were glad for the privacy to talk and be away from the dancing. She too was itching to get out there into the darkness, but she knew they wouldn't allow her to.
A very formal-looking Kai approached, and he grinned at her as he bowed. "Might I borrow the queen for a dance?" he asked.
She accepted his proffered hand eagerly, ignoring Dirdos, who growled in warning.
"Don't worry, Kai's not a threat," she heard Daemon say, as the tall vampire swept her into the small crowd of dancers.
Kai wrapped his arm around her and smiled warmly as he took her hand. And she was quick to learn that he was an excellent dancer. He pulled her easily into the steps, and she delighted at his smooth movements that felt like he was skating.
"I'm so proud of you," he breathed, and she lifted her brows in her confusion.
"For what?" she asked, unsure of what he could mean.
"For everything, for taking on so much and coming out on top. For going head-to-head with Gods and men, for refusing to back down or be a victim."
She swallowed hard as tears filled her eyes and he frowned, brushing gently against her cheek. "Don't cry, love; I didn't mean to make you sad."
"No one has ever been proud of me before," she whispered.
He laughed gently, drawing her closer so that her cheek rested against his chest. Resting his jaw against her head, they moved in slow, small steps and his fingers squeezed hers.
"I am so proud of you, for everything. For still being here and coming back to us time and time again." His voice broke, and she clenched her jaw to keep from sobbing.
"I would never leave you, Kai. Death itself couldn't keep me from finding my way back to you," she whispered, and his breath hitched, his arm tightening around her.
"This is a happy night, you should be happy," he said as he pulled in a breath and he looked down at her, smiling, though there were tears in his eyes as well. Smiling faintly, she met his eyes, and he bent his head to press a firm kiss against her forehead.
"I love you, Etani," he said, trying to fight down his pain.
"I love you too, Kai," she replied, resting her head back against his chest.
They remained silent until the end of the dance, simply enjoying each other's company and when the song ended, he bowed deeply to her, his lips a light brush on her knuckles.
"Might I have this dance, Your Majesty?" a voice behind her growled, and she turned as Kai smiled, placing her hand in Versalis'.
He was bolder, pulling her against him with a wicked grin, and she laughed gently.
"You looked sad. I needed to fix that. What has that boy been telling you?" Versalis asked, pleased to see her smiling.
"That he was proud of me," she whispered.
Versalis blinked, looking down at her. "We all are," he said gently. She looked up at him, her smile fading slightly. "You're a remarkable woman for everything you've been through," he added, and she bit her lip.
He grunted softly and shook his head, dipping her fast to make her squeak, and then he grinned. "No being sad, I forbid it," he said, making her laugh.
"Are you allowed to forbid anything of the queen?"
"I am, because I'm a King, and King outranks Queen," he said haughtily.
She narrowed her eyes at him. "Not in Faerie, my love. Matriarchal society."
He blinked, looking down at her, and then growled. "Savages," but she knew he was only teasing.
"Perhaps it is you who is the savage for all your male leaders," she teased.
He lifted his chin. "No such thing. Men are the best."
There was a brief pause before they both started laughing and she hugged him tightly, his arms crushing her to him and he lifted her up, spinning her.
The end of their dance came with a courtier asking her to dance, and he was anxiously quiet, but she was amused as he moved. His name was Lelonis, and he was a High Lord, quiet and reserved; but he kept throwing curious glances at her, as though he wanted to ask her something.
"What is it, Lelonis?" she asked finally,
His pale cheeks went slightly red. "I'm terribly sorry. I didn't mean to stare. It's just that I knew your father, and you look remarkably like him," he said gently, forcing his eyes up above her head.
"You knew him?" she asked, and her interest had him looking down at her again, his eyes raking over her face.
"I did. We were in the military together, along with Uzo."
Her face fell at the name.
His eyes widened. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend. You were close to him."
"He was my uncle," she breathed, and he looked agonised. "Do not worry, it is just new to me still."
"It's been nearly four years, Your Majesty…"
Etani smiled faintly. "I was dead for most of that," she explained.
His brows vanished into his hair. "You were dead?" he asked, sounding puzzled.
"It's not a new trick for me. I've died plenty of times, but this time it was different. I suppose the rumours haven't really gotten around yet."
"Apparently not," he said thoughtfully. "That's a Celestrial thing, is it not? Lutheral told me about your mother mentioning it once."
She blinked, staring up at him with wide eyes. "He spoke about us?" she breathed, and he shook his head.
"Just your mother. I didn't know about you until recently. Your mother was one of the people studying the ability."
"She was?" Etani hadn't known that, and her eyes grew intense, wanting very badly to know everything this man had ever heard.
"I assumed you knew," he said, looking baffled as he pulled her into the steps of the dance.
"My mother died only a few years after my father," she breathed.
"I'm sorry, I didn't know. Should you not have been told by a guardian?"
Etani laughed harshly, shaking her head. "There were no guardians, Lelonis. We were street rats after that."
His brows pulled together, and he frowned down at her. "Your father mentioned allies who were supposed to be keeping your mother safe in case of an emergency."
"That never happened. Perhaps they did not know of her death."
"Perhaps not," he agreed, though he sounded uncertain.
"Have you seen your father's room?" he asked, and he jerked as she went still, trying to pull her into the next steps, but she had refused to move.
"My father's room?" she demanded.
He nodded, tilting his head back towards the palace. "Tatialia refused to give them out to others, and Megara followed those orders. I don't think Aurora ever knew they existed."
Her eyes went past him, and she looked up at the palace, wanting nothing more than to go there.
"I can show you," he said.
She nodded, stopping as she remembered the threat that was Alez. "Will you show me later?" she asked.
He smiled at her. "After the ball, I will take you," he said, and she smiled, his pupils contracting as did most who saw her smile.
He bowed deeply over her hand as the dance ended, and she turned to head back to her guards when Jaia stepped in front of her, his face hard.
Instantly, she wanted to run, or kick him, and the idea of his touching her was revolting, but she took his proffered hand anyway, and his hand was light on her hip as they moved into the dance.
They were silent for a moment, his eyes greedily taking her in, and she flushed, looking away from him nervously.
"You are stunning," he breathed.
"Thank you." She didn't know what to say, and her skin was itching where he was touching her. "How is your wife?" she asked, plucking at any shred of information she had on him, but it was apparently the wrong question to ask. His fingers tightened on hers, and she looked at him.
"She is fine, thank you," he said stiffly.
She nodded, unsure of his anger.
"You don't remember me at all, do you...?" he accused, and she shook her head. "How could you do that to me?" he demanded, pulling them to a stop.
"I don't know, Jaia. What is it you did that everyone is so scared of me finding out?"
Jaia went still, looking down at her with a clenched jaw. Lifting her brows in a challenge, he took her arm and pulled her out of the mass of people who had started to dance soon after she had gone to the floor.
"What is your problem?" she demanded, pulling her arm free of his grip.
"You are my problem. After everything we went through, you just decide to forget," he snarled.