Heart of a Kingdom Read online

  “Listen Libby, I’m not going to give you advice here. Goddess, only knows how messed up my love life is, but I will say it’s a good thing. You’re young and healthy, heart–regrowing aside, it’s normal. Just remember to be safe.”

  “Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Libby snapped back, blushing. “I don’t need a safe sex lecture. And what’s up with your love life? What’s going on with you and Geoffrey?”

  “Nice deflection. I’m not going to talk about it with you. But as your wizard I need to hear every dirty little detail about yours so I can best take care of you.”

  They both burst into laughter at Awen’s naughty grin and her eyebrows bouncing up and down like a drunk letch at the local pub. When Libby started blushing the laughter got even louder and uncontrolled. At least laughter was good medicine.

  The rest of the day was pretty typical for Libby. Morning Yoga. Lessons with Kurtis and Dyanna. Physical training, usually a run with whomever was around. Meditation. Magic practice with Awen. Weapons training with Will. It was a grueling regimen for someone with a full heart, but Libby never complained. She always reminded herself that there was music to enjoy at the end of the day, and she could put her feet up and relax and let someone else do the work for a change.

  That night Libby headed back to the pub for more music. There was nothing out of the ordinary about that, but her sharp-eyed friends noticed she took a little more care with her appearance. Even the knights noticed she had a spring in her step she hadn’t had in a long time. Is she wearing lipstick? John wondered. Something was up, and they wanted to know what it was. So instead of her normal pair of escorts, this time, everyone went. If Libby was annoyed, she didn’t let it show. They all deserved a night of fun.

  When they arrived at the pub, she nodded at the owner and headed to her normal booth. The handsome muscle man from the night before was already on stage singing. When he saw her come in, he gave her a dazzling smile and she smiled back. She got up to order a round of drinks for her team, sending one up to Galen McIntyre and his band. From her booth, she could study him under the guise of appreciating his music. His music magic was an unusual color, a deep brown like melted chocolate, and for a moment she wished she could taste his music. Damn, he was a sexy, brawny, bear of a man. If you put a buffalo plaid flannel shirt on him and an axe in his hand he’d be on the cover of a Men of Lumberjacking calendar or a roll of paper towels. Surprising body type for a musician. She was blushing now, and it didn’t go unnoticed.

  Leia frowned and began her own study of the musician. Anyone they didn’t know was a threat, and they knew nothing about this man Libby was making googly eyes at.

  On his break, Galen came over to inquire if she was feeling better.

  “Good evening, m’lady. I couldn’t help but see you back tonight and wanted to make sure you were fully recovered.”

  Libby blushed and laughed, “I’m quite recovered, thank you. And please, none of that m’lady nonsense, Galen. It’s Libby.”

  After her rapid departure the night before, he’d figured out she was important enough to warrant an escort, piquing his interest. She’d just introduced herself as Libby. There was only one Libby who would warrant an escort and be this awkward. This had to be Libby McGregor. Everyone in the kingdom knew their widowed queen was traveling while she was still in recovery and training. This had to be her. He felt himself smile as he realized the Queen was flirting with him. He could see her friends hated it, and that made him like it even more. So he made it a point to sit a little closer, and after his gig he stayed. He got her out dancing to the music of the next band, something he never did.

  By this point they were all on alert. Scarlett hadn’t seen Libby blush like that since the night she’d met Dale. John, Awen, and the two juniors were the only ones who seemed genuinely pleased the Queen was having fun. She seemed happy, and they’d missed that. Fynnigan didn’t have any strong feelings about it; he’d known Libby long before she’d met Dale, but he quickly picked up on the concern of the others and decided to do something about it. So, he headed out on the dance floor to cut in. Cristina used the opportunity to get her hands on Galen and see if he felt as muscular as he’d looked from the stage. John, who couldn’t stand anyone having fun without him, cut in on Fynnigan. Fintan couldn’t stand to be outdone by John and was having none of that, so he made his way out on the floor and tapped John on the shoulder.

  “My turn, Morgan. Beat it.”

  “Whatever you say, Grandpa. Libby, I’ll be back when O’Toole needs to go take his nap.”

  Fintan rolled his eyes but expertly had Libby on the other side of the dance floor in no time.

  “What the hell, Finn? What is going on? No one ever dances with me, let alone everyone, and never you.”

  “Why Aisling, I’m chagrined. We’re on a quest. Why wouldn’t I want to dance with one of my dearest friends and my queen?”

  “I dunno, maybe because you never dance?” Although as the words were leaving her mouth, she realized what a smooth dancer he was. “Where did you learn to dance?”

  Before he could answer, Galen was twirling her away from the group, despite Fynnigan and Cristina dancing their way closer. By now Dyanna and Kurtis had also hit the dance floor with the awkward enthusiasm of teenagers who have never danced with the opposite sex before but were trying to fit in with the rest of the group.

  “Wow. You’re the belle of the ball tonight. What’s the occasion?” Galen said, his hand firm on her waist.

  “Oh, we’re just traveling together and it’s been a while since we’ve had some fun. Apparently, they took my smack-talking a bit too seriously and it became a challenge,” she lied.

  He raised his eyebrows, flashed a smile at the group that watched them like hawks, and turned his attention back to Libby. “I like a good challenge,” he said.

  She laughed and blushed at the same time. “Who says I’m a challenge?” she flirted back. Libby could hear the words she was saying and the giggling that followed. She didn’t think she’d had that much to drink and was unnerved by her brazen behavior. She never behaved this way when she was in the kingdom. That was always saved for her time out in the Normal world. Any concerns she had were quickly replaced with the rush of infatuation that flooded her every time Galen smiled at her.

  “Uh oh,” whispered Scarlett. “I know that look. What do we do?”

  “We do nothing,” said Awen under her breath. “This needs to happen.”

  Libby swooned for Galen. He was tall, dark and handsome, and an intense free spirit. He was also a hot mess of a tortured artist who drank too much and always seemed to be drowning in angst and drama. The exact opposite of the kind of man the King had been.

  The attraction was immediate and intense. The same way she felt falling into a poem, or soul-moving music, she couldn’t quite breathe when she was near him. Everything got shimmery as if she was looking at life through the rainbow edge of a bubble before it popped. Warm. Swooning. Magnetic. When one would breathe in, the other would breathe out. Synchronous orbit. She’d never felt that way about a person before. Not even the King. Their relationship was different. Strong, built on friendship and trust and mutual respect. This was... magic. She was on the edge of the cliff, peering over the edge to see how far she could go without falling.

  Galen wooed her with poetry and songs of chivalry and love. He described her the way he would the object of desire in one of the love songs he sang, calling her ‘Pet’ and ‘Sweetheart’ and ‘My Darling.’ She was lonely for male companionship, and she ate it up. Once upon a time the corny lines would have made her laugh with derision. Now, when she heard him tell her that she brought joy to his heart like the sun on a dreary Irish day, she found it romantic. When he caressed her hair, looked deep into her eyes and told her she needed someone to love and take care of her, she instantly forgot that she knew how to take care of herself. After being alone, and in so much pain for what felt like an eternity, he made her feel special. He made her feel bea
utiful.

  The knights were concerned. Fintan hated him instantly, but no amount of warning would slow her down. Even John was doubtful, and he was usually the first one to encourage questionable behavior. The knights began to have offline discussions about the risks of this relationship. They wanted Libby to be happy again but there was something about this man they just couldn’t trust. Fynnigan was torn, but finally contacted Sean to see what they could find out about Galen McIntyre. It felt like an invasion of Libby’s privacy, but as point on field security, he just couldn’t take the risk.

  The LIWs were less suspicious of him. A few knew that Libby trusting herself and finding happiness with a man was a critical piece in the Queen’s healing. But how to balance that with their fear that he was going to hurt her? There were no easy answers. Add in the fact that Libby was smitten with him, and they wouldn’t have been able to get her away from him if they wanted to. They knew how stubborn she was, and the more she was advised against something, the deeper she’d dig her heels in. Even if she knew the warnings were right. They wanted to tread lightly to avoid pushing her in the wrong direction.

  “Libby. Wake up.”

  “Yes, Grandmother. Is it time to train?” Libby realized it wasn’t Michie, but Maggie who was tapping her foot impatiently as she appeared in Libby’s dream. Libby had been out at the pub with Galen until the wee hours of the morning and hadn’t left much time for dreaming.

  “No. It’s time for us to have a conversation. You need to be careful.”

  “Of what?”

  “The music magic is necessary to help you heal, but too much of a good thing is dangerous. You are at risk of addiction. It happens sometimes, and that’s what I see when I look at you and the musician together. Once addicted, it’s difficult to reverse it. You must find a new way to get your music. Stay away from that man.”

  Libby’s voice rose as her temper flared, all the anger and frustration of her loneliness for Dale boiling to the surface. “What? But why? I like him. He makes me happy. Am I supposed to be alone the rest of my life?”

  “No, Libby, but he isn’t the one. He will only drag you down. There is something not right about him. The one for you will be there and will love the real you. But in order for that to happen you must accept who you are and love yourself first.”

  “What does that even mean?” Libby shouted, but it was too late.

  Libby woke to the soft sounds of Maggie’s repeated, “Stay away from him,” fading away. Groaning, she rolled over and tried to go back to sleep, quickly realizing that it was too late. She was wide awake. Despite the months she spent sleeping in the bedroom next to Dale’s, it was still so strange to wake up to an empty bed. She didn’t know which would be worse, waking up reaching for him only to realize he wasn’t there, or the day she would no longer reach for him at all. She decided both were horrible. She felt her heart clench and the tears well up from deep within and fought them back. She focused on her breathing to regain control. Once she felt the tears back off, she sighed and got out of bed to search for coffee. She’d have preferred a breakfast bourbon but the wizards were pretty clear that wasn’t a good idea. “Coffee it is.” She needed to get up anyway, since she had an early morning session with Awen. She sighed, wishing she could go back to bed and sleep for days. “No rest for the weary,” she muttered to herself, stumbling off in search of coffee and her wizard.

  After she was appropriately caffeinated, she and Awen got to work, but not before she asked her the question that had been burning in her mind after Maggie’s warning.

  “I was wondering if it was possible to get addicted to the music magic,” Libby said.

  “How would I know?” Awen absentmindedly replied as she referred to the scroll she was holding in one hand and reordered a healing crystal grid with the other.

  “I just figured as one of my official court wizards you might actually research it,” Libby snapped back.

  “What? Oh, sorry. Yes, of course I’ll research it. Why do you ask?”

  Libby was still a bit indignant about her conversation with Maggie, so replied, “I was just curious. I feel different when I’m that close to the magic, skin on skin close.” She blushed. “Different than when someone is playing for me.”

  When Awen started laughing, Libby clarified, “I’m not talking about sex, that hasn’t happened. I’m talking about him putting his hand on my arm or around my waist. The other night, he brushed the hair out of my face, and when his fingers grazed my cheek it was like music magic on steroids. And when I’m in the moment of the high, all I want is more. I crave it. I can’t think about anything else.”

  “Interesting, ever thought maybe you’re just craving physical touch in general?”

  “Forget I brought it up,” Libby huffed, eager to change the subject.

  “Don’t get defensive. It’s a normal response, Libby.” Awen changed the subject to get Libby focused on her training but made a mental note to ask Maggie in her next visit and to have Sophia and Krystal research it.

  It was the team’s last night in Wexford, and Libby was back at the pub with Galen. They were dancing and laughing and as the night progressed, they snuck off when no one was looking. The Queen woke in the middle of the night to find Larra speaking to her from the foot of his bed.

  “Get up, it’s time to go,” Larra repeated. “Hurry.”

  She rubbed her eyes and blinked in confusion. Galen was gone, along with all of his things.

  “Where is Galen?” she hissed.

  “I don’t know. But we have to hurry before anyone else notices you are gone.”

  Why would he just disappear? Libby wondered as she quickly dressed and made her way to the door. Something was wrong. She started to panic that she’d made a terrible mistake, but then reminded herself of how much he cared about her, and about all the things he’d said. There was no way he could have faked all that.

  She quickly got dressed and headed back to the estate, hoping no one else had missed her. She was grateful Larra didn’t try to talk about it. She was humiliated. This wasn’t proper behavior for a Queen, let alone a grieving widow. Where was Galen? Why would he have left without saying good-bye?

  The two women got settled back into their room without incident, and Libby rolled over towards the wall and quietly cried herself to sleep.

  The next morning began early and with a few raised eyebrows. Libby had clearly been crying, and Larra quietly informed them that Galen had departed the night before, leaving out the embarrassing details. The knights and LIWs were never really sure of him, and they needed to leave anyway, so most viewed their leaving as a good thing, even though they knew Libby was taking it hard. It was an awkwardly silent start.

  Chapter

  Sometimes Life Is Shit for No Reason

  Dale stood there in silence, glaring at the man as he rode out of town. He was glad Galen was out of Libby’s life, that would have ended badly, but this just took a turn for the worse. He wanted to kill this man for daring to touch his wife but didn’t have control over his form yet. He’d wanted to warn her that this man was manipulating her and that he was bad news but had promised Kokichi and the others that he wouldn’t attempt to contact Libby again without their permission. So, he just seethed.

  Sean was relieved to learn from Fynnigan that the musician was gone, but as head of security he couldn’t take any chances, so he discreetly continued the search for information on Galen. Being Security Chief meant staying on top of all of it.

  A week after he disappeared, Sean received the report that Galen had been found. He’d been located on his family farm in a far side of the Kingdom. He had a reputation for taking advantage of vulnerable women, especially widows, and was even heard describing himself as a Widow Hunter. After he’d have a few drinks at the local pub, he’d explain how the grieving were more susceptible to music magic, because they were sad and lonely. He’d laugh as he talked about leaving them wanting more, making a joke about the addictions he’d created. A
t least he’d had the common sense not to tell anyone about Libby. Yet. Sean was disgusted that these men existed at all. The security chief knew Libby abhorred violence or would have taken measures to ensure Galen never did it again. For now, he let it go.

  He sighed as he called to tell Geoffrey and Fynnigan so that they could inform the Queen. This was going to be messy. For once he was glad he didn’t have to deliver the news.

  Libby was meditating in her tent, a sheen of sweat covering her brow. This business of growing back her heart was hard work, but she was making good progress. Her concentration broke when the tent flaps opened and Geoffrey and Fynnigan entered.

  “Apologies for the interruption,” started Geoffrey.

  “None needed, I’m due for a break.” She took a closer look at them and saw Fynnigan shift his weight from foot to foot. “You have news?” she prompted.

  “Yes. I’m not sure how to tell you this.”

  “Just spit it out, Fynn. The days of niceties are far behind us.”

  “Of course. Um, Libby, Sean has had trackers out looking for Galen since his disappearance. We wanted to make sure he was okay after his sudden departure. And we can’t risk letting strangers get too close to you.”

  She felt herself hold her breath, and then forced herself to breathe. Breathe in. Breathe out.

  “This is really awkward.” He paused. He’d always been direct with her, but this was still hard. Fynnigan knew it would hurt her, and that he was the one who was going to deliver the blow. “Galen was found at his home. With his family. Libby, he’s married with a wife, a truckload of kids, and a reputation for using magic to seduce women. You were too tempting and too convenient for him to pass up. I’m sorry.”