Eltanin took a ragged breath. He nodded once. Lord Krail pointed him to come out of the room. He glanced at Kinshra and followed him out.
"What is it that you would want to discuss, Lord Krail?" Eltanin asked, unable to remove the picture of Biham's corpse lying on the floor over the rug. Biham had gone with him to Vilinski and together they had brought Kinshra back. Who knew that they would meet this fate.
Lord Krail looked extremely tired. He had purple circles below his eyes. His tone was laced with sadness when he said, "I am planning to take Kinshra back to Vilinski after Biham's funeral. But—" his body shuddered. "She will most probably not leave Pegasii. Her health is deteriorating."
"I don't think she will leave," Eltanin agreed as he leaned his hand on a tower, supporting his body.
"That is why I have a request," Lord Krail's voice became serious.
Eltanin's brows bunched up.
Lord Krail came straight to the point, "I think it would be best that the kingdoms of Draka and Pegasii merge."
Eltanin jerked his head back, surprise blasting through his chest. His heartbeat increased just at the thought. "Merge Pegasii and Draka?" he squeaked. "The people of Pegasii are going to revolt!"
Wiping the tears from her face, she asked, "How is mother?"
"She is not fine, Tania," he said. "I am afraid that her health is failing. She is lying beside your father and..." he couldn't speak, his emotions choking his throat.
"I want to see her. Now!" she said, her eyes darting to his face.
Eltanin could see so much pain in them. "Yes, love," he said, cupping her face. "You must." After he had ordered soldiers around Tania in the whole palace, he was feeling much better. "Did Lerna come to meet you?"
"She did, Elty, but..." Tania buried her face in his chest and inhaled his scent to calm her mind. "But I couldn't meet her. I can't. I just killed her brother. I know that she hated him, but I can't get the feeling out of my system that I killed her brother."
"Well, I am also her brother in that sense, Tania. You should meet her. She is equally disturbed." He wrapped his arms around her. She was so vulnerable that it was not the right time to talk to her about mergers and kingdoms or politics.
"I will," she snuggled into him. "I just need time."
"Take your time, love." He kissed the crown of her head. "I hope that you are feeling alright. How is my pup inside you? Did he trouble you?"
She kissed him on his chest. "We are both fine. When the spirit of Pegasii entered me, he ensured that our baby was safe. He covered him in his protective layer of magic."
"Oh thank goddess!" Eltanin let out a ragged breath. The relief was so immense that he realized that he was this worried.
"Shall we go to visit my mother?" she asked. She knew that she didn't need his permission for that, but she also knew that outside this bedchamber, the palace was not safe. She had the responsibility of keeping his pup safe in her womb.