Frozen. Morgan Q O'Reilly

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СКАЧАТЬ because she sure wasn’t going to share that man’s bed tonight, destiny or no. If he was too stupid to put the name clues together then so be it. But, in his defense, since half the girl children born on Nordia over the last twenty-six years were similarly named, maybe the resemblance of her name to Coreen’s didn’t stand out so much. How to hide in plain sight. Maybe her father had done her a favor after all. He certainly hadn’t done himself one.

      She settled into a restless doze, segments of dreams mixing with her thoughts. Once again she wandered the birch grove behind the summer palace.

      The ceremony had taken place early that morning, the crown of gold, encrusted with every gem known to man, rested heavily on her head as she bowed to the bishop. She’d tried three or four times to remove the crown and put it on Coreen’s head until her father had held her shoulders as she knelt to accept the benediction sealing her to the throne of Nordia for all time. The only reason she repeated the vows was a deal she’d made with her father. She’d have to serve as Queen for one full year before she could abdicate in favor of her sister. And then it would be done quietly, Coreen stepping in as if she’d been queen all along. The twin thing again. It didn’t make sense to her. If they could do it then, why not now? At least the world now knew the Crown Princess as Coreen. Another sign to Noreen they were catching on she had no intention of ever ruling.

      Both her father and sister had rolled their eyes and tried to explain, once again, why having two appear as one was good for keeping the monarchy safe. Like there’d ever been death threats.

      A quelling look from the old bishop had silenced her protests—whines he’d called them—and she’d repeated her vows as he sprinkled sacred water from the heart of the planet on her and recited old chants. For a brief moment she’d had a vision of the gods, Odin, Thor and Freya in the forefront, smiling down on her, welcoming her to the ranks of royalty, soft melodic tunes wafting like a dream through the chamber. The vision faded with the sound of Thor’s Hammer ringing in her ears. Later she told herself it was merely a hallucination. One she could never seem to talk about with Coreen, oddly enough, even to this day. Her father understood, and even then it was difficult to speak of with him. He’d merely patted her on the head, told her it was the proper order of things and to get used to the idea.

      While the others gathered for cake and the specially-hoarded champagne to celebrate, the heavy crown once again locked in the vault, she’d snuck off to walk the groves. Something profound had happened and she didn’t understand. It was then she came upon the old bishop looking as if he’d been waiting for her.

      “You are The One,” he’d told her, his ancient eyes sparkling like silver stardust. “You have been chosen and anointed personally by the gods.”

      “What?” She stopped in her tracks and stared up at the old man with the wild, bushy, white beard.

      “‘Tis a great honor, Princess, one you would do well to heed. Your consort is on his way to meet you as we speak.”

      “Consort? Who is he? I have no choice?” Horror at the very thought chilled what little warmth the sun had imparted. It felt as if they were in the dead of winter and not high summer. “I’m only sixteen! I can’t marry now!”

      “He doesn’t yet know he is The One for you. The blessing will soon be revealed to him. For now, he thinks he is coming only to claim his duchy.”

      “He is coming here?” She looked around wildly, thinking he might leap from the trees.

      “He will arrive within the fortnight depending on weather. He travels by traditional means.”

      “Slow boat, in other words,” she’d muttered. Was his duchy so impoverished he couldn’t afford a proper transport? “Who is he?” she demanded.

      “I cannot tell you, Your Highness, you two will have to discover each other on your own. I only know he travels to be here. You will be married within the year.”

      Noreen’s jaw had dropped in a most undignified manner. Married within the year? She was just sixteen! Her mother had been twenty when she married the king ten years her senior. “Never!” she shouted as she backed away. “I won’t! I won’t do it!”

      The old man had merely gazed at her with those mystical eyes. “Never say never, Your Highness. Your fate was sealed today. You have no choice but to fulfill your destiny.”

      With those dreadful words he’d turned and disappeared into the grove.

      She’d returned and pretended to mix in the celebration, before fleeing to her rooms. By midnight, she’d packed a bag and bribed a footman into finding transport back to Ryadstholm for her and her newly hired personal secretary, Fiona. Ryadstholm was the largest city near Summer Island. From there, Fiona had found them an outbound luxury cruiser and, by morning, they’d been on their way to anywhere warm.

      Thinking she’d get over her temper tantrum sooner, her mother had talked her father into calling off the royal security service he’d sent out to haul her back. Instead, he’d sent a maid and bodyguard to complete her small entourage, and to provide security as she traveled from world to world.

      The entire entourage was currently cooling their heels in Ryadstholm, while she traveled north in anonymity. To keep busy, they were seeing to her residence there, though it was a waste of effort. In a matter of days she’d abdicate, spend some quality time with her father and mother, maybe see her half-sisters, and then it was back off to the stars for her.

      Nope. No controlling husband, babies, or government for her and no more Nordia. Let Coreen fulfill The Profetia.

      As half consciousness slipped away into sweet blackness, she could swear she heard the sound of Thor’s Hammer and a deep chuckle against the background of sweet voices singing with joy.

      * * * *

      Gunnar glanced over at Noreen and saw her head loll off to the side. Amazed she’d been able to sleep the last couple hours, he figured she really was an experienced traveler who could probably sleep standing up. Still, with her head rolling around, she looked uncomfortable. Thinking to make her more comfortable, he gently pushed her back against the safety harness. They were approaching the convoy so he tapped a few keys into his onboard computer. Reluctant to wake her just yet, he sent ahead the message to connect them up smoothly and quietly. The rapid reply from his convoy commander pleased him.

      As he drove the small transport into view of the slow-moving line of larger transports, he once again considered his plan for accommodations. He could move the both of them to a larger transport, more like a mobile dwelling, but decided not to. The smaller quarters gave her less room to avoid him. He may have sworn an oath to remain pure until he met The One, but there were many degrees of purity.

      The only promise his grandfather had extracted from him was that he’d always use a barrier. If the flesh of his cock didn’t directly touch the flesh of his partner, then he was holding himself true to The Profetia.

      He’d been all of eighteen, and recently educated in the sport of enjoying a woman, when he’d arrived in Ryadstholm to take control of his duchy. At the ceremony he’d vowed to get no children on any woman until he had at least two children by The One. He was, in effect, to remain pure.

      Later, talking with the king, he’d defined the boundaries of what was considered pure. A man with a wife, two concubines and several children, the king had been reassuringly sympathetic to his plight. The king had also loaned him several books and disks of visuals on the subject of how to enjoy a woman and avoid unexpected offspring. That summer had been the СКАЧАТЬ