The crowd shouted back:
"Long live the Queen!"
The hall filled with cheers. Warriors stamped their feet on the floor.
Thornak pulled Lara close and kissed her as the cheering grew even louder.
He was happy. His beautiful wife was now his queen. She was pregnant, glowing brighter than ever, radiant with power and life.
Was she demanding? Absolutely.
Did he mind? Not in the slightest.
He adored her. Every whim and every little demand, he granted it with a smile, because she was his queen, his mate, and the mother of his child.
....
The midday sun filtered gently through the tall windows of the palace solarium, casting golden light across the low table where platters of sliced fruit, warm bread, beef soup and milk lay untouched.
It had been five months since she was coronated.
Pregnancy was harder than she had imagined, but she was never alone. Everyone fussed over her — maids following her every step, and her mother and Maravelle insisting she rest even when she felt fine.
