I was going through one of my many checklists as I walked down the hall leading to the small audience chamber. It felt like I was always drowning in lists, but I'd learned my lesson when I'd tried to remember a couple of things and promptly forgotten them. There was just too much going on for me to keep track of everything without writing it down. So I made lists and checked items off of them.

I had to admit, I did get a nice bump of satisfaction every time I was able to take something off of one.

I looked up as I reached the doors, ready to greet Igna as usual. My first clue that something was wrong was that the space where he usually stood was empty. I stopped in my tracks, thrown off by the change in my routine. Where Sven went, Igna went. So if he wasn't here in his spot...

I frowned as I checked my schedule. Yes, this was the time we'd agreed upon for today. But this was also where I was used to finding Sven most days.

Footsteps had me looking up even before my name was called.

"Adara?"

It was as if I'd summoned Igna with my thoughts.

"Morning, Igna. Where is he?" I asked, walking over to meet the big guard.

"We have visitors," Igna explained, turning back the way he'd come and gesturing for me to follow.

"Visitors?" I parroted, keeping his pace. "Who?"

"Mia Hill."

Mia?

I wasn't proud of it, but a quick stab of completely unfounded jealousy might have hit me and left. It would be politically expedient if Sven were to have a relationship with Mia. She was the one with the blood claim to the throne after all.

"And the Dragon Lord Ashur. And the child."

If it wasn't for the fact that she already had someone. I tried to ignore the relief that coursed through me.

I didn't have a claim on Sven. Stupid emotions.

"The child?"

He nodded.

"Omari."

Ah. I remembered the little boy with the wide smile that rarely showed when his father was around. Understandable. I wouldn't smile much around Emberich either. When I'd learned Mia had taken him for good, I'd breathed a sigh of relief. Emberich wasn't one to let loose ends like children live for long. Not when they had valid claims to the throne he intended to hold on to for as long as he possibly could.

I was glad all over again about his death. Maybe it was bloodthirsty of me. I only wished that so many didn't have to join him on the road to his assassination.

But that wasn't what I needed to focus on right now.

"What are they doing here?" I asked, multiple scenarios, all bad, streaming through my mind. "Did something happen?"

Igna shook his head.

"I don't believe so," he murmured as we entered the private wing of the palace. "I believe it is simply...a visit."

Just a visit, huh? I looked around as we entered the private wing, distracted by the sight of it. I'd never been in this section before. I hadn't been on those kind of terms with Emberich.

And Sven.... He was very careful not to do anything more personal since that visit to Ray's territory. I pushed that thought aside, like I had been every day. It wasn't productive, but it was also difficult not to pick at. I shook it off with an effort, turning my attention to my surroundings.

Unsurprisingly, the private wing of the palace actually wasn't that different from the rest of it. Jewel-toned mosaic floors, high ceilings, columns. Though everything was on a smaller scale. A little more intimate. If something of this size could be called that.

Igna led me over to what looked like a sitting room, one of the smaller ones judging by the two rooms that had seemed to be for entertaining that we'd already passed. I'd noticed that preference in Sven. He seemed to gravitate to the smaller areas in the palace, the ones that I didn't think got a lot of use in the previous regime.

This room still had tall ceilings, but it was on the more manageable side, with plush chairs and sofas and colorful rugs to soften the flooring. One entire wall faced outside, towards the other side of the mountain the city and palace were built on. The vast desert spread out on the other side, the ridge of mountains to the right disappearing into the distance. There was a large balcony outside that glass wall, one obviously designed to allow phoenixes—or dragons for that matter—easy access to the sky beyond. One wall was lined with a large tapestry showing a colorful sunset, the detail in it breathtaking. The other two walls were left bare, one of them actually made up of archways that led to another room that appeared to be an office.

I took all of that in quickly however. It was difficult to dwell on the room when the people inside drew the eye like they did.

Even if I didn't know who Mia and Ashur were, they would have captured my attention. They weren't the type to blend in, and not just because of their looks.

Sven stood next to the two of them near the glass wall, his strong, lithe figure dressed in a fitted tunic and pants in off-white, battered boots on his feet. His bright blond hair was swept back from his face, revealing the elegant, masculine bones of it.

The fact that my eye went to him first despite the two—wait, three—others probably said more about me than about them.

Mia listened intently to whatever he was saying, her striking face all smooth, pale golden skin and even features dominated by dark, long-lashed eyes. Her dark hair fell around that face in a smooth wave, falling over strong shoulders, softening them. She was shorter than the other two, but her athletic build meant she didn't look weak, the arms exposed by her t-shirt-and-jeans outfit strong.

Ashur—Ashur was simply large. Maybe six-and-a-half feet tall, he towered. Probably over most people. Muscled and broad shouldered, his dark hair was sun streaked, his light-blue eyes standing out in that tanned, chiseled face. He wore a similar fitted t-shirt and jeans, an expensive watch strapped onto a thick wrist.

"Adara!"

I felt my face stretch from the polite smile I’d been wearing for the occasion to a huge grin as Omari rushed over to me from where he'd been standing with his nose pressed up against the glass. Probably because he'd been told that he couldn't go out there. Just because it was dangerous for children didn't mean they didn't have the same urge to be in the sky that we did as adults. It did sometimes create a dangerous combination though.

"Hi, Omari," I greeted him, hugging him back when he threw his arms around me. He'd always been affectionate, a trait he must have gotten from his mother. "Look how tall you've gotten!"

And he had, shooting up a couple of inches since I'd seen him last. He also looked healthy and happy, the hurt that had lurked behind his eyes when he lived here completely erased. It did my heart good to see that, to see him bounce back so well.

"Come meet Mia and Ashur!" he urged, taking my hand and dragging me over to his guardians.

Mia and Ashur weren't quite as exuberant in their greetings, though I could see Omari's reaction to me had disarmed them a bit.

"This is Adara, my right-hand woman," Sven explained as I came to a stop in front of them. I was thrown off by the introduction as well as the people. Was that really how Sven saw me?

"Nice to meet you," Mia murmured, shaking my hand.

"Likewise," I agreed, trying not to show how on guard I felt.

Ashur held out his large hand as well, shaking mine gently, like someone who knew his own strength and was careful with it.

"Omari really wanted to come visit because we didn't let him on Coronation Day," Mia explained.

"I would have been safe," Omari exclaimed, pouting a little. "I know how to fight."

He threw a pretty impressive punch into the air, his round little face intent.

"Wow," I agreed, suppressing a smile. "I'm impressed."

"Do you want to see more?" Omari turned to me, his face melting into another giant smile.

"Sure," I agreed. "I'd love to."

That was all the encouragement he needed, running away into the open space in the room to punch and kick to his heart's content, looking back occasionally to make sure we were all paying attention.

"He's always been a handful," I murmured with a smile as I watched.

Mia murmured her agreement.

"He's doing really well," she admitted, smiling at Omari. "I was worried for a moment there."

"He didn't have the best start in life," I admitted. "But he's a resilient little man."

"That is true," she agreed. "Sometimes I take my cues from him," she admitted on a slight laugh.

"Sven tells me you're in charge of speaking to the various flocks," Ashur chimed in, looking over at me with those piercing eyes. "That's a difficult job."

I thought my response through carefully.

"It is," I agreed. "But they know my intention is to help. It makes things...simpler."

His face was curious.

"How are you dealing with the aftermath of the war?" When he saw me hesitate, he elaborated, offering information himself. "We don't have the same set up as you," he continued. "But we're trying to be more of a whole, a unit, like you are. What advice would you have to do that?"

The dragons were decentralized, each skein being a completely autonomous unit headed by their own Dragon Lord. It was a completely different governing system, though not necessarily in a bad way. Both had their pluses and minuses, but I didn't expect a question like that. However, I could see he was asking sincerely, so I gave him a sincere answer.

"You have to establish a relationship beyond simply one of need," I responded. "They have to get used to seeing other dragon skeins, not just as people of the same race, but as friends, members of the same community."

It was an opinion I'd actually had for some time about the dragons. While we were technically a kingdom, in practical life, each flock was mostly autonomous in everyday matters. However, when something affected all of us, we were able to come together and make decisions, protect ourselves as a whole. And because we had a monarch, a capital with someone clearly in charge, it also meant we were able to hold events where all of the flocks gathered regularly. If we didn't interact with each other, we would be a kingdom in name only.

Even Emberich had been smart enough to see that and facilitate these gatherings.

"I was lucky to have Adara on my side," Sven admitted. I looked over at him in surprise at that admission. "She already had a reputation for being fair and honest. I couldn't think of a better Liaison between me and our people to ease my transition."

Well, that was... I felt the warmth of those words penetrate deep, his eyes saying even more as they locked with mine.

"Hmm." Mia looked between the two of us and I got the impression she saw more than I wanted her to. Seemed to be the theme of my life lately.

"How about resources?" I blurted out, breaking the eye contact and trying to change the subject. "Are you sharing when needed?"

"Yes. We don't have a formal system down yet, but..."

And we launched into a discussion about practical matters. One that helped me as well, surprisingly. Since we came from two different backgrounds, our viewpoints weren't the same. And Mia's opinions were likewise different. They had ideas that I hadn't considered and vice versa.

Our conversation carried on easily, switching between subjects as we moved over to the seating area, the guards Igna had commandeered for the meeting staying at a respectful distance as we ate the food Sven had called for.

While we spoke, I watched Sven interact with them, curious at the tone of it. He wasn't kowtowing or attempting to win them over. Not that I could see anyway. He spoke and acted like he always did, friendly and respectful. At least, how he always did towards people he liked and who had earned his respect. I'd learned quickly that Sven didn't often bother disguising when he didn't like people. Something I could appreciate. It always let me know where he stood in matters.

But I didn't realize until that very moment that he actually liked both Mia and Ashur. This wasn't just for political expediency. He enjoyed their company.

And they seemed to like him back. Even Ashur, who was as dominant a leader as Sven, only in a different way. Much to my surprise, the afternoon and their visit flew by. I hadn't expected to like them as much as I did.

But it left me conflicted. Yes, dragons and phoenixes had finally broken the ice to work together against a common enemy. To get rid of Emberich.

But generations of ill will didn't go away that easily, whether or not all the Dragon Lords were as likable as Ashur Jah. Or had partners as smart and practical as Mia.

I wasn't so sure that the two races could simply be friends now, not in a general sense rather than this personal one. Not without major complications.

When the three of them left, Omari with a giant hug for me, I didn't know how to feel.

I left the palace feeling unsettled.