Chain mail rattled with each step he took but it was hidden behind a black surcoat embroidered with a deep green dragon. It was tied at the waist by a heavy sword belt. He’d come to the throne room armed. That alone sucked the air from her lungs. He’d made sure both of them could protect themselves.
A fur-trimmed mantle of velvet sat lightly on his shoulders, puffing out at the sleeves. He shifted his hand to the hilt of his sword, drawing every eye in the room to the jeweled instrument they had no doubt he knew how to use now.
His dark hair stood out beneath his golden crown, but it was his eyes that had the nobles in the room staring in silence. They blazed with a fire Alex wasn’t known for. There was a purpose to every step. Etta had never seen Alex like this and she realized what she
