Read Quell for Free Online Page B

ate in silence for a while before she raised her brows. “You really think that this will happen? Will the women trust me?”
    Gyrion grinned wide. “After your display yesterday and your ability to defend your poor, helpless consort, I think you are well on your way.”
    She wrinkled her nose. “I was sore and cranky, plus I didn’t want her touching my sheets. My psychometry is weak, but it does kick in now and then.”
    “Artruo was a little vague on how you came to be with them. I have to say I am curious.”
    She reached for some more fruit from the platter in the centre of the table. While she ate, she explained about Janial and her talent for quelling any possible uprisings. She talked about Kreatha’s arrival and her role in the eventual escape.
    “I just went along to argue with the court. As an officer of the Imperium, I had the right to challenge any decisions.”
    “So, you were caught up in her escape?”
    “I was, and then, the decompression sickness struck her down, and I was left facing her family while Artruo tended to her.”
    “He has his priorities. Which of her brothers was on the ship?”
    There was a casualness to his question that made her frown at him. “Why?”
    “Oh, just curious. I will ask Artruo when I call him.”
    “The brother in question already apologised. Kreatha is now in charge of the rest of his punishment.”
    He looked around. “Have you had enough?”
    She looked wistfully at his chest. “Yes. For today. I am still feeling that ride.”
    He blinked and grinned slowly. “Thank you for the update. I thought we would take a walk and you could see the keep, the town and understand your province.”
    “Cool. I suppose I should get dressed.”
    The devilish light in his eyes was bright. “Not on my account.”
    She made a face and got up, shuffling to the wardrobe and choosing a deep-blue gown and black slippers. She dropped the sheet and slipped the gown on over her head, tightening the tabs at the front and back to fit the gown to her body.
    She slipped into the black shoes and picked the sheet up, walking it back to the bed to straighten it.
    “Dorren will come in and fix the bed when we are gone. He is your housekeeper, in case you needed to know.”
    “Oh, good to know. Thank you.” She went to the bathroom and brushed out her hair, braiding it and twisting it into her normal coronet in a few minutes.
    His braid was completely invisible.
    “Where did your braid go?” She twisted her lips.
    He turned, hooked a finger at the base of his neck and pulled the braid out again. With easy motions he tucked it back in.
    “We keep it out of the way to deter attacks.” He pointed to her hair. “That wouldn’t be a good look for me.”
    She chuckled. “Probably not. I got used to this for training, and I just kept up with it.”
    He finished dressing and offered her his hand. She slipped her fingers along his, and he walked out with her, chatting softly as they made their way past the grinning locals who seemed surprisingly at ease with their new queen.
    “What did your training entail?”
    “A little combat and a lot of self-control. Soon after that, it turned into control of others.”
    “Do you control what they think?”
    “No, I just subdue the talent first and the consciousness second. I can also keep hostility from rising, but it takes a few days to learn the details of the species that I am working with.”
    They left the hall and made their way down the stairs.
    “Well, our province is agrarian. While Kreatha’s province has the living trees, we grow the food that supports seven provinces in our immediate vicinity.”
    “Wow. That is a lot of responsibility and activity.”
    “It is. We tend to attract elemental talents from around the globe as they become available.”
    “There is a trade in talents?”
    “With the provinces specialising, it makes sense to get the right talents in the right places.”
    Amylia looked out over the expanse of farmers’