"Fuck," Erland muttered. "Reah, this isn't why I asked Rylend to come and speak with me. I know things didn't go as they should have, and all of us should have been better and more watchful. Please, we'll sort all this out soon, I promise. I just had something to speak with Ry about that couldn't wait."

"What is it, Dad, that can't wait?" Ry wanted to get down to business, now. We'd been gone long enough from Stellar Winds as it was.

"It's your great-grandfather, Rylend. He's talking abdication. But only if he has a legitimate and named heir beforehand."

Chapter 9

"Then who is he intending to name as heir? I gave up my citizenship," Ry cursed softly.

"You. Your citizenship was never revoked, son. Wylend never recorded it. I told him that you were on a mission at the moment, and he says he'll wait two eight-days but no longer. He's walking away from Karathia, Rylend, and you're the ideal candidate. We have all watched you operate on Teeg's behalf for the Campiaan Alliance. The transition into a fully functioning Alliance would never have been accomplished if you hadn't been there to smooth the way and arbitrate between this one and that. You have every skill required and more. You're the best diplomat in either Alliance, and you're more familiar with the laws of both than any ambassador anywhere. For most of the skills required of any ruler, you are much more qualified than Wylend ever was. He's beginning to realize this. And he's weary, son. Tired of all of it. In fact, he's planning to live with Griffin for a while, and intends to help with Griffin's search for Amara. Belen allowed her to hide from her former mate, but he hasn't given up looking for her."

Ry and I were both staring at Erland in shock. Ry had to accept—had to. He would be the King he should be. Was meant to be.

"Reah, you were meant to be Queen of Karathia. Now, it will come to pass." Ry turned to me, lifted my hand in his and kissed my fingers.

"Ry, are you sure? You know what Keetha said about me."

"Reah, I don't give a fuck what Keetha said. She's a prejudiced cow. We will do this. Together."

"You are allowed to form a personal group of advisers, but I was hoping to be included in that number," Erland bowed his head to Ry. I drew in a breath. Erland was formally recognizing his son as the heir.

"Dad, if you don't, I'll get on my knees and beg," Ry said. "Is Wylend taking anyone with him?"

"I don't know that yet, son. If he abdicates, the choice will be theirs and not his any longer."

"If Corolan and Garek stay behind, I'd be happy to have them with me."

"If that is their choice, my Prince."

"Wylend already named him heir, he just had to accept. Didn't he?" I glanced shrewdly at Erland.

"True." The smile was blinding.

"Ry, maybe you should go now."

"No. But I will leave in a week. I'll tell them I have a family emergency."

"And that will be the truth," I agreed. "Although I was getting used to having a man in my bed." I gripped his fingers under the table.

"You won't miss me for long. Get that mess sorted out, Reah. I'll do as much as I can, but it could take a little while. We both know there's something going on."

"Yeah. We both know that," I sighed. "And we should get back."

"Yeah. Dad, thanks for telling me." Ry rose from the table, pulling me up with him. "Your majesties," Erland grinned hugely as he dipped his head. And then ruined it by hauling his son into an embrace and kissing his cheek. "Stay safe son. I'll see you in a week."

"Will do, Dad." Ry and I went to a discreet spot to fold away.

"Here are the records, and I had to use quite a spell to get them." Erland flopped the comp-vid onto Lissa's desk inside her private study.

"I take it our son will be King?"

"And Reah will be Queen."

"Why didn't we see it? Why? I Looked, Erland. He's loved her since the beginning."

"Stepped aside for his brothers and his great-grandfather. Only now, one of those relationships is gone forever and another one is rocky, at the very least."

"What are we looking at?" Lissa lifted the comp-vid.

"Records of embezzlement," Erland replied. "Your cook and Radolf have been embezzling from Reah for years. And living in her home on Tulgalan while doing it."

"If he's guilty," Lissa hissed, her eyes going red.

"Oh, there's no doubt. They've got six accounts set up. I wonder if they thought they'd get away with it forever." Erland tapped the comp-vid screen and brought up the first set of records.

"Honey, I hate to bother you so late, but Erland got this information at Reah's request, and I want you to look at it, since your money paid for this restaurant in the first place." Lissa handed the comp-vid to Gavril. Dee sat on a nearby chair inside Gavril's private study; the other employees had left for the evening.

"What is this?" Gavril lifted an eyebrow as he went through record after record of deposits in Radolf and Ilvan's names. "They don't make enough to justify these amounts," Gavril huffed, his eyes going red.

"They're embezzling. If Reah had even half that money during the past twenty-five years, she wouldn't have been destitute."

"I thought she wasn't," Gavril muttered, scrolling through more and more records. "I thought Dee's was turning a nice profit for her. She should never have allowed either of them to keep the books."

"She was overworked as it was, son." Gavin appeared at Lissa's side. Dee stood and nodded at Gavril's natural father. "She made the mistake of trusting her uncle and one of her mates. I can't understand how [nde. Dee either of them could take advantage like this."

"What are we going to do about it?" Gavril's eyes were red and fangs were threatening. That didn't happen often with him.

"Reah doesn't want imprisonment, but I think we have to go to these two as quickly as possible and tell them if they quietly disappear and never bother Reah again, we'll not press charges. If they even think about retaliation of any kind, I'll have them on Evensun so fast their heads will swim. And we won't go through the normal process to get them there. Ilvan apparently has more of his father in him than we suspected."

"I'll see to it that they won't ever work in the Campiaan Alliance," Gavril growled.

"Son, that's a bit drastic. Just make sure they're watched. If they step out of line again, then drop the hammer. I think that's what Reah would want. I think we should let them leave with enough to settle elsewhere. Lendill will keep watch from our side. You can do what you want from this side." Gavin was laying out what he thought best in the matter.

"All right, Dad. I wish Reah were here, though. I'd like to talk to her about this. And these assholes were living in the house I bought for her."

"I suggest we go immediately. I don't think I want them to enjoy another night at Teeg's expense. Do you?" Dee's eyes were red as well, and that was something that seldom happened.

"You've been paying the bills, haven't you?" Lissa looked at her youngest son.

"Yes. I've paid the fucking bills while they've cheated Reah out of millions. They're lucky Reah doesn't want harm to come to them."

"Then let's go, honey." Lissa was ready to toss her cook out the door and watch him bounce.

"If we offer to buy the house, Teeg may look into where the money came from. It's worth seven million," Ilvan pointed out. "That's why I said we couldn't afford it when she was at the restaurant not long ago. We don't need them looking in this direction." Ilvan offered a glass of wine to Radolf, along with a plate of sliced cheese and toasted bread.

"What will we do if they happen to look in our direction?" Radolf took the glass of wine and drank.

"Get the hell away. I already have tickets to Surnath hidden away. I think we can get jobs there easily. Plus, we should get a heads-up if they look into the accounts. I've got a couple of people watching for any hits from the ASD or the local constabulary. The minute somebody looks into those records, we pull the money and run. Stop worrying. We've got enough to do us for a good, long while. Besides, Lendill is much too busy dealing with pirates right now. We have nothing to worry about."

"Not anymore." Gavril appeared in the kitchen, Lissa, Gavin and Dee right behind him. "You had humans keeping watch on your accounts. You didn't factor in stronger warlocks or vampires." Gavril held up the comp-vid. "Want to see what we found?" he asked.

"What I want to know," Lissa hissed in a low voice, "is how you could steal from Reah and her daughters. You," she poked Ilvan in the chest, "that's your niece. How could you do that to her? And you, Radolf, she loved you. What do you think should happen to you now?"

"No, we'll give the money back, I promise," Ilvan was backing away from Gav [awat>

"We'll leave you with enough to get the hell away from here and never trouble Reah again," Gavril snapped. "Reah didn't want either of you in jail. I think that was much too merciful of her. She worked eighteen-hour days and wore rags for the past twenty-five years, while you lived in this house and stole from her. I will have no mercy for either of you if you come near her or any of hers again, hear me?"

"Y-yes," Ilvan nodded, almost too frightened to speak.

"I am removing your power," Lissa glared at Radolf. "You won't harm anyone that way, either. I'll see to it myself." Light flew away from Radolf and he nearly collapsed on the floor. "Now, get your things together. If Surnath is where you want to go, I'll take you and all your belongings tonight. After we transfer funds into the accounts belonging to Reah's restaurant. Someone will hire new cooks for both of us. In the meantime, I think Fes will be happy to send someone over."