"Absolutely," he whispered back.

"Hold tight to that, baby." I kept whispering, and his arms went super-tight around me.

And against his skin, I smiled.

Chapter Thirty.

The Plan Is in Place "Oh my goodness," elan breathed. "Is that the Black Prince?"

I didn't answer at first. I was too busy staring at the man and woman standing at the top of the steps of an a-freaking-mazing palace that was in an a-freaking-amazing city at the base of some, you guessed it, a-freaking-mazing mountains.

I knew the woman was Cora, the Gracious.

I also knew the man was Prince Noctorno of Hawkvale, ruler of Bellebryn, known as the Black Prince. I'd seen his pen and ink pictures in the papers from the Vale too.

They just did not do him justice.

In any way.

And staring at him as I drove our sleigh closer to the steps (or, more to the point, the horses moved there without much direction from me seeing as I wasn't paying attention), I was wondering if all this craziness wasn't about Frey commanding dragons and such, Lahn being mighty and such, Tor sharing his soul with his wife (and such), and Apollo commanding the wolves.

I was thinking those witch b.i.t.c.hes were jealous because our men were hot.

Seriously.

I fought to find my voice and said, "I think he is, honey bunch."

"Wow," she replied.

She could say that again.

I pulled her closer as I started paying attention and guided our sleigh to a stop. This I was able to do after I tore my eyes off the tall drink of hot water that was the Black Prince. I then looked to the other person on the steps with Tor and Cora.

She was a woman with very straight posture, her eyes aimed down the length of her nose, wearing a cloak made of dark brown pelts so l.u.s.trous, they were almost (almost) as fabulous as elan's hair.

A woman who took regal to extremes.

A woman who had to be Finnie's mother (kind of, she was the other Sjofn's mother, but she'd claimed Finnie).

Queen Aurora.

I no sooner stopped the sleigh when Finnie dumped Viktor right in my lap, put a hand to the side of the sleigh and threw her legs over it.

She then raced up the steps and even as the Queen of Lunwyn stared down her nose at her and didn't move a muscle, Finnie didn't hesitate to throw herself in the woman's arms.

I watched the queen roll her eyes to the chilly blue skies.

I also watched her arms close tight around her adopted daughter.

How sweet.

I could watch no more because Apollo filled my vision and he did this to reach in the sleigh and lift elan over the side.

She giggled when he did this for no apparent reason other than it afforded her the opportunity to giggle.

So I smiled when she did for no reason except I thought she was cute.

I moved Viktor to my hip as I stood and the fur blankets dropped away from my lap.

Apollo opened the door to the sleigh and Frey was there.

He reached for his son and I handed him over.

He took hold with a murmured, "My grat.i.tude, Maddie," then turned and sauntered up the steps.

I exited the sleigh at the same time Apollo called, "Chris!"

Chris had dismounted and was moving our way. I felt Apollo's hand clasp mine and bring it up. He smoothed it around the inside of his elbow and I moved closer to him as he took elan's hand.

To my utter delight, delight that meant my head whipped around and tipped back so I could aim my beam of happiness to Apollo, Chris took his place beside me.

Taking in my smile, Apollo's lips twitched and he turned his attention to the palace.

Thus, we all moved to the steps.

And when we did, Apollo murmured, "This pleases me."

It pleased me too.

Big time.

"What, Papa?" Chris asked.

"That Maddie will be meeting Prince Noctorno in a normal fashion, not in the throes of a needed rescue."

I wasn't beaming at that. I turned a glare in his direction.

He grinned down at me.

Chris burst out laughing.

I instantly quit glaring.

Apollo tucked me closer to his side and turned his attention to the steps, leading us up.

I wished they had cameras in this world so I could have a picture of our progression. I really, really did.

Alas, they didn't.

So I committed the moment to memory.

"Aurora is our queen, Maddie," Apollo said quietly. "You curtsy."

"Okeydokey," I mumbled in reply and that got my hand tucked deeper into his side.

"Remember, my precious girl, you curtsy too," Apollo instructed his daughter.

"All right!" she chirped.

He stopped us two steps down from Queen Aurora and I could feel Lahn and Circe trailing us. We waited while she leaned in and touched her lips to her grandson's cheek then Frey moved his family from Aurora toward Cora and Tor and Apollo guided us up the last steps.

He let myself and his daughter go and swept into a deep bow.

I did my best to drop into a curtsy.

"Rise," she murmured practically the instant we all got into position, something I thought was nice considering a curtsy wasn't the most comfortable position I'd ever held.

We all straightened and I felt Chris get closer to me.

My heart swelled.

"You are well, my general?" Aurora asked Apollo.

"I am, your grace," he replied and tipped his chin down to one side then the other. "You know my children, Christophe and elan."

She looked to the kids, murmuring, "Of course." Then louder, "I'm pleased to see you both."

"Same here!" elan squeaked.

Aurora dipped her head to her then to Chris, who said nothing, and finally her eyes came to me.

"This is Madeleine, Lady Ulfr," Apollo stated, his hand in mine pulling both of them up to press tight to the side of his chest.

"Madeleine, Lady Ulfr," she said softly, eyeing me. Then she looked to Apollo. "Heartfelt congratulations, Apollo."

He inclined his head.

She turned to me and I took it as good that her lips curled up slightly at the ends.

I didn't know what to say, so I winged it. "It's a pleasure to meet you, your highness."

"Knowing Apollo since his youth,"-her gaze swept him, me, Christophe and elan, before settling back on me and it could not be missed her eyes were exceptionally astute-"I can a.s.sure you the pleasure is mine."

Okay, she was a little aloof, but she was definitely nice.

I smiled at her.

The ends of her lips tipped up another millimeter.

Apollo moved us away and Circe and Lahn moved in behind us.

I wanted to watch how they met the queen since I didn't suspect Lahn bowed to anybody, but seeing as Apollo was guiding us to Tor and Cora, I focused on that instead.

When we stopped, as they, too, were royalty, I dipped down into another curtsy.

"Oh, we don't get into that kind of thing," Cora said the instant I did.

"She doesn't," Tor muttered and it sounded exasperated.

I straightened out of my curtsy to see Tor and Apollo shaking hands. But I only caught a glimpse because Cora was yanking me into her arms.

She swayed me a bit side-to-side, saying in my ear, "So cool to finally meet you. The people here are awesome, but it's good to have friends from home."

Okay, being duped by the other Cora?

Total idiot.

I knew the real Cora approximately a nanosecond and this chick was the bomb.

I hugged her back. We let each other go. Apollo presented me and his children to Tor. Tor did not give me a hug but he did give a gallant bow to elan (which, unsurprisingly, made her giggle). Then Apollo guided us to where Frey, Finnie and Viktor were standing so Lahn and Circe could say h.e.l.lo to Cora and Tor.

Queen Aurora didn't allow them much time before she called, "Let us get out of the cold. I have refreshments and something special prepared for the children."

She said this as she swept majestically to the front doors where two servants in weird uniforms of leather shorts, wool tights, boots, sweaters and slanted cloaks jumped to open them before she even had to hesitate a moment to await entry.

We were barely in when three women swooped down on Finnie. As other servants moved amongst the rest of us divesting us of our cloaks and gloves, they hugged, exclaimed and gabbled like girls.

Aurora allowed this for all of thirty seconds before she ordered, "Sjofn. The girls are here to take care of the children. Adult refreshments are awaiting us in the drawing room."

It was Finnie's turn to roll her eyes but Frey handed off Viktor, Circe and Lahn gave over Isis and Tunahn and Apollo bent to Chris and elan.

"Go, make sure those maids take good care of our wee princes and princess," he urged.

Chris nodded formally, his chest puffing out, clearly feeling this was an important a.s.signment.

elan jumped forward to give her father a loud kiss on the cheek before she skipped off toward the waiting women.

Apollo turned me Queen Aurora's way and I saw she had her arm extended to something. I found that something was a someone when Finnie came forward, latched onto it and leaned heavily into her mother.

They led.