A Queen This Fierce and Deadly (Kingdom of Lies, #4)

by Stacia Stark

“I’m not sorry that you care, Madinia. Because when someone like you takes an interest…worlds change.” Madinia sighed. Then she pushed a curl away from Prisca’s face and fussed with her hair. “You look breathtaking,” she declared. “Now, go marry that possessive fae before he comes in here and drags you out.”

But I was still watching Lorian as he glanced past me and his gaze landed on the love of his life. Words failed to capture the essence of that look. My heart seemed too small to contain the joy that surged through me at the sight. It was a look of bewildered adoration and tenderness, as if Lorian couldn’t quite believe Prisca was his. The love was tempered with a healthy dose of possessive lust that made it clear he would do whatever it took to keep her. Prisca beamed back at him. And in that moment, I could briefly forget about death and war.

“Like the ancient trees surrounding us, your love will endure times of storm and serenity, weathering the fiercest winds of adversity, and enjoying the gentle breezes of peace,” Galon said. “Your love will prevail through times of sun and frost, basking in our warmest, brightest days, and enduring the icy touches of our hardest nights.

“And your love will stand strong through drought and abundance, through parched summers and bountiful springs, growing deeper with each passing year.”

“I vow to be the roots that ground you, the branches that help you reach for your dreams, and the shelter that forever keeps you safe. I will love you in every life.

Spare me from these powerful men and their ancient grudges.

“That is the difference between weakness and mercy, wildcat. Even after everything you have seen, and everything that has been done to you, your heart is still so big. You’re still kind. You still see the good in people, no matter how little of it there is.”

“Bravery is a choice. However, you can’t wait until the moment you need to be brave to reach for that bravery. Because if you haven’t been purposefully tending to it, building it up, you may find that it is not there when you need it. You must stoke the fires of courage little by little, day by day, so they are burning bright long before you ever need them. And you fuel or douse those fires—fanning the flames or snuffing them out—with the words you say to yourself. And with the words you allow others to say about you in your presence.”

When peace comes, you must embrace it. When love is within reach, you must grab it with both hands. It is time to lay down your sword and live. You are more than just that sword. You are also a man. And Asinia won’t wait forever.

While we both hope for healthy children, Emara wishes for a boy and a girl. Me? I am hoping for two boys. Brothers who will love each other and grow together and live their lives as best friends.