A River of Golden Bones (The Golden Court, #1)(120)
The laughter of children splashing in the lake carried uphill.
I closed my eyes. “Gods, I would give anything to protect that sound.”
“You have.” Grae’s voice dropped to a low rumble as his arms tightened around me. “And you will. We all will.”
I craned my neck back to look into his warm eyes, his cheeks dimpling even as he took in my worried expression.
“There is so much to do—towns to rebuild, fields to sow . . .” I released a slow breath. “The war with Damrienn hasn’t even begun.”
My mind flashed to the haggard-looking face of the Damrienn messenger who had arrived that morning. King Nero demanded we yield Olmdere to him or ready for war. I knew he’d do it and yet the actuality of it stole my breath away. I’d barely taken my place on my throne and already I needed to defend it.
“He has to get through Taigos to march his armies here and Ingrid hates him almost as much as we do. We have time.” Grae swept his calloused hand down my bare arm. “For now, your people are safe.”
I shook my head. “You will be at war with your own father.”
“You are my family.” He searched my face and reached into his pocket, his fist clenching around something. “You are my everything, little fox.”
He opened his palm to reveal a gold ring holding a large amber stone ringed with diamonds.
“Is this—”
“Your protection stone.” Grae smiled.
My eyebrows shot up. “You kept it all this time?”
“I gave it to Ora to turn into a ring.” He looked down at the ring, the diamonds casting spectrums of glittering light all around us. He chuckled. “Though in hindsight it would’ve been better to hang on to it, had I known how many monsters we’d encounter. I’d planned on giving it to you before the siege, but . . .”
“It’s beautiful,” I whispered. “Are you—are you proposing to me?”
“Poorly, it seems,” he huffed, flashing that charming grin. “I am already yours in every way. You are the merem of my heart. Be mine? Marry me?”
My heart cracked open at those words, a smile splitting across my face as I nodded. “Yes.”
Grae slid the ring onto my finger and pulled my face to his. We could barely contain our smiles long enough to kiss. Joy rushed through me like I’d never known. Here in this golden tree, with the river rushing below me, and the sounds of my kingdom finally at peace, I knew I didn’t have to dig any deeper to find who I was or where I wanted to be. Grae’s arm threaded around me and pulled me tighter against him.
My eyes fell to the rushing turquoise water—the same river that flowed down from the mountains of Taigos and over the gold mines of Sevelde, the life force of Olmdere, the history of war and prosperity carved through the land. The fight was only beginning, but I finally knew what I was fighting for—for all of us, those who struggled to be all the things they felt inside, those who didn’t yet know how to carve their own path. I knew then that my reign would be like this river, forging ahead, finding my own way until everything flowed into the stillness and beauty of the lake at my back. The Golden Court would rise like a river after a rainstorm and all our enemies will be washed away.
Dramatis Personae
People
Calla Marriel: Gold Wolf, twin to Briar, child of the late King and Queen of Olmdere Briar Marriel: Gold Wolf, twin to Calla, Crown Princess, child of the late King and Queen of Olmdere Grae Claudius: Silver Wolf, Crown Prince of Damrienn
Nero Claudius: Silver Wolf, King of Damrienn
Maez Claudius: Silver Wolf, cousin to Grae and niece to the king, one of Grae’s royal guard Sadie Rauxtide: Silver Wolf, sister to Hector, one of Grae’s royal guard Hector Rauxtide: Silver Wolf, brother to Sadie, one of Grae’s royal guard Ora: human, leader of Galen den’ Mora musical troupe
Navin: human, part of Galen den’ Mora
Mina: human, twin to Malou, part of Galen den’ Mora
Malou: human, twin to Mina, part of Galen den’ Mora Sawyn: sorceress who killed the king and queen of Olmdere and now controls the kingdom Rooks: soldiers of Sawyn’s army
Ingrid Engdahl: queen of the Ice Wolves
Luo Yassine: king of the Onyx Wolves, older brother to Taidei Taidei Yassine: prince of the Onyx Wolves, younger brother to Luo
Courts
Olmdere (capital: Olmdere City): home to humans and the Gold Wolf pack Damrienn (capital: Highwick): home to humans and the Silver Wolf pack Taigos (capital: Taigoska): home to humans and the Ice Wolf pack Valta (capital: Rikesh): home to humans and the Onyx Wolf pack
Acknowledgments
Thank you to all my amazing queer readers and our allies for embracing (and excitedly demanding?) more types of queer fantasy stories. I hope you feel seen and welcomed into the world of high fantasy!
Thank you to my Mountaineers for celebrating my books both online and out in the world. You are the most amazing group of readers, and I’m honored to share these stories with you! The best mountains to climb are fictional ones xx.
Thank you to all of my family for supporting and encouraging me to pursue the career of my dreams. To my husband and children: I adore the life we’ve built together and love you endlessly.