Fantasyland 02 The Golden Dynasty (66 page)

Then he asked, “What is a…
dork?
”

I giggled again. Then I explained, “A kind
of, I don’t know, it’s hard to explain. A person that does stupid
shit, kinda klutzy, kinda bonkers, kinda foolish, not enough of any
of those to be really stupid or harm anyone, just, I don’t know, a
dork or…” I tipped my head to the side and grinned,
“
Me.
”

Lahn wasn’t grinning. “My golden queen is
not a dork,” he declared.

I slid in closer and said, still grinning,
“Big guy, I lost it and spirited my pregnant ass home for five
months, leaving you behind when I promised never to leave
you
at
all
. Then my Pop gave me
a big lecture about leaving the man I was in love with, I got back,
forgave you weeks before I told you I did, which was about the time
Karrim told me you never gave up on me, then got myself caught up
in procrastination, which, by the way, Pop also used to lecture me
about all the time, so it got harder and harder to talk to you
about it to the point where I pissed you off and made you give up
on me. Calling myself a dork is being nice. I was
way
beyond a dork.”

“This is true,” he agreed so swiftly I
blinked.

Then I stared.

Then I burst out laughing.

And I didn’t stop when I was pulled full on
top of my husband, he rolled me to my back, covered my body with
his, shoved his face in my neck and I heard his deep laughter
rumbling against my skin as I felt it shaking my body.

And passersby, spies and those who were just
plain nosy who were paying attention outside our house heard the
mighty Dax and his rahna Dahksahna’s mirth and about forty-five
minutes later, they heard something else entirely.

And all they heard was all over Korwahn the
next morning.

* * * * *

The sun was touching the sky when something
woke me. I felt disconcerted before it hit me.

I was not sleeping under Lahn’s warm body. I
was pressed to the side of it, his arm around me, my cheek to his
shoulder, my arm around his abs.

My eyes opened and I stared at my daughter,
her rosy, chubby cheek pressed to her father’s brown, muscled
chest, her eyes closed, her pink lips pursed in a cute, little baby
pout, her sweet little fist resting light on his smooth, dark
skin.

I felt my lips turn up and I slid my arm
from my husband’s stomach so I could rest my hand on my daughter’s
fat rump.

Then carefully, I tipped my head back to see
my handsome husband’s sleeping profile.

I hadn’t heard her and this meant she’d
probably woken and, as Isis was content to do, she just quietly
took things in.

But my husband’s sensed her awake and went
to go get his daughter.

That made my lips turn up deeper.

He either felt the slight movement of my
mouth or sensed my eyes on him, his opened and his head turned to
me. When I looked into their dark depths I saw they were somnolent
and sexy and all the love he felt for me was warm, sweet and openly
read in the depths of them.

Yes, oh yes, I was home.

I pressed against Isis’s bottom.

“We’re going to have to talk about this,” I
whispered.

I watched with fascination as he
grinned.

I let that process through me as I grinned
back.

Then I sighed.

Then I tipped my chin down and closed my
eyes, deciding we’d talk about it later.

Tunahn would be hungry soon. I needed to get
my rest.

* * * * *

Harold Quinn listened as he watched the old
woman in a trance, her voice saying his daughter’s words, his heart
breaking a little and mending a little more.

“
Hey Pop. Get this! You’ve got
two
grandbabies. Twins! Can you
believe that? Tunahn is our boy and his name means horse. They have
a bunch of different gods here and the horse god is one. Lahn’s
name means tiger and that’s a god too. He named Tunahn after the
horse god because horses are strong, clever and loyal. Our other
baby is a little girl. She has fuzzy, golden hair that I’m pretty
sure is going to be just like Mom’s and mine. Tunahn, I forgot to
tell you, has black hair like his Dad. Her name is Isis. I named
her like you and Mom named me. Tunahn is already strong as an ox,
no joke. He also bawls a lot but that’s because he’s a greedy,
little monster and cannot seem to get enough milk. But he doesn’t
have to bawl long. I can’t keep my hands off him. He’s my little
warrior. He’s growing leaps and bounds. Isis is my golden baby; she
rarely cries and is super sweet. Her Dad freaking
adores
her. If Tunahn wakes in the
night, Lahn is cool with me getting up and feeding but he’s firm
about Tunahn going back to his bed. If Isis does, Lahn’s all over
letting her sleep with us. Don’t worry, I’ve nipped
that
in the bud. Well, kind
of.”

The witch sucked in a huge breath and then
kept talking, just like his Circe could do.

“
You were right, as usual. I guess it sucks
that I’ve learned that now when you’re a world away. The witch says
that we can try to send these messages but they can’t be certain to
reach their target. Though I hope we can, even if it’s only random.
I’ll promise to keep trying and I hope you do too. But, like I
said, you were right. Lahn and I worked things out. He worked hard
at it and maybe I made him work
too
hard but I love him and I forgave him and now I’m happy.
You don’t have to worry. It’s all good. He loves me a lot, Pop, and
shows me he does. I’m happy, honestly, very happy. He’s a good guy
and if you met him, it might take awhile, but you’d like him.” A
pause then, “Oh, by the way, if you could do me a favor and not
call him an asshole in your next message that would be cool. I
taught him English and he figured out what that meant and he didn’t
much like it.”

Harold Quinn grinned.

The witch went on. “If I don’t hear from
you, or you don’t hear from me, I want you to know I miss you and I
love you and I always will. Always, Pop. You’re the best Pop a girl
could have. The…
absolute…
best
.”

Oh yeah. There it was. That was his
girl.

The witch kept talking. “Tell the guys I
said hey and give Marlene a hug for me and let her and Circe know
I’m all right.”

Another sucked in breath and then the witch
went on.

“And I promise I’m all right, Pop. Promise.
I’m… well, Daddy, what can I say? I’m home.”

The woman’s shoulders slumped, her head
dropped then it shot up and she blinked, her blind eyes focusing on
nothing but no longer hazed by her trance.

“Did it work?” she asked, face alight.

When Harold Quinn answered, his voice was
gruff, “Yeah.”

The old woman paused as if attempting to
sense his mood, the brightness in her face faded when she succeeded
in this endeavor then she nodded.

Then quietly she said, “We’re lucky it
worked.”

He nodded back though she couldn’t see him.
He’d heard her. Communication with that world was difficult.
Messages were received only randomly, messages sent might never be
known if they were heard.

Tunahn and Isis and his Circe happy with her
king.

Yeah, he was lucky it worked.

“You want to try again…” she trailed off and
he nodded again even though she couldn’t see him, somehow he knew
she sensed this too.

Harold was right for she smiled a gentle
smile.

Then she reached out blindly, touched his
arm and whispered, “I’ll never be far, father of the golden
Circes.”

Then she turned and walked quietly out of
his garage, her cane clicking on the floor as she went.

Harold watched the door close behind her
before he walked into his daughter’s office and settled in her
chair behind her desk after pulling out his wallet. He flipped it
open, gently tugged out the oft-touched photo and looked into a
pair of familiar golden eyes.

“She’s happy, Andie,” he whispered to his
wife.

Andromeda Quinn did what she always did.

She smiled back at him, her beautiful eyes
lit with that bright, golden light Harold Quinn loved so fucking
much.

####

About the Author

Kristen Ashley lives in the beautiful West
Country of England with her husband and her cat. She came to
England by way of Denver, where she lived for twelve years, but she
grew up in Brownsburg, Indiana. Her family and friends are loopy
(to say the least) but loopy is good when you want to write.

Kristen’s Mom moved her and her brother and
sister in with their grandparents when she was six. Her
grandparents had a daughter much younger than her Mom so they all
lived together on a very small farm in a small farm town in the
heartland. She grew up with Glenn Miller, The Everly Brothers, REO
Speedwagon and Whitesnake (and the wardrobes that matched).
Needless to say, growing up in a house full of music, clothes and
love was a good way to grow up.

And as she keeps growing up, it keeps
getting better.

Discover
other Titles by Kristen Ashley at
Smashwords.com

The Rock Chick Series:

Rock Chick

Rock Chick Rescue

Rock Chick Redemption

Rock Chick Renegade

Rock Chick Revenge

The ‘Burg Series:

For You

At Peace

Golden Trail

The Colorado Mountain Series:

The Gamble

Sweet Dreams

Fantasyland Series:

Wildest Dreams

Fantastical

Other Titles by Kristen Ashley:

Lacybourne Manor

Mystery Man

Penmort Castle

Sommersgate House

Three Wishes

Connect with Kristen Online:

Official Website:
www.kristenashley.net

Kristen’s Blog:
www.kristenashley.net/menu/blog.html

Kristen’s Facebook Page

Follow Kristen on Twitter:
KristenAshley68

Cover Art by DM Ashley

Korwahk/English Dictionary

Words, phrases and conjugations

Ahno – (v) To like

Aka – (pro) Others

Ana – (adv) Then

Anah – (n/adv) Tonight

Anka – (n/adv) Tomorrow

Anla – (n/adv) Today

Ansha – (adv/exc) Here

Ato – (v) To bow

Bahsah – (n) Wife

Bahsan (n) Husband

Bel – (adv) Soon

Boh – (adv) Now

Boonahn – (adj/adv/n) Better

Chah – (adv/pro) A lot

Cham – (n) Tent

Cuun – (n) Tour

Dahksahna – (n/title) Queen [of the Korwahk
Nation]

Dahno – (v) To wake

Danho – (v) To forget

Dax – (n/title) King [of the Korwahk
Nation]

Daxshee – (n/place) – The travelling
encampment of the Dax [king] of the Korwahk Nation

Dohno – (adj) Good

El – (determiner) A; an

Et – (conj) If

Fahnahsan – (adj) Happy

Fahno – (v) To smile

Fahkah – (adv) Enough

Fahzah – (adv) Always

Farzah – (adv) Never

Fauna – (n) Doe [also used as endearment]

Gay – (adv/prep) As

Gahn – (conj) But

Gahsee – (adj) Hungry

Gahso – (v) To be hungry

Geenheeso – (v) To boss (around) [different
than order or command, not formal or official]

Gingo – (v) To drink

Goyah – (expression) Good-bye/Farewell

Hahla – (adj) Pure; true

Hahnee – (adj) Liquid

Hansahnalo – (v) To love

Jahnjee – (n) Protector

Jahko – (v) To do

Jahno – (v) To have

Jak – (adv/pro/determiner) – All

Juno – (v) To play

Kay – (pro) I; me

Kay tingay – (expression) I’m sorry/I
apologize

Kah – (possessive) My

Kahna – (possessive) Mine
Keeta – (n) Things

Kut – (n) [slang] Bitch

Kuvo – (v) To understand

Lahn – (n) Tiger

Lahnahsahna – (n) Tigress [female tiger]

Lapo – (v) To be

Lee – (determiner) The (not used with a
title)

Leeka – (n) Skin

Leenyahso – (adj) Skilled

Linas (n) Eyes

Lino – (v) To see

Lipa – (n) Hair

Liros – (n) Legs

Lisa – (n) Mouth

Loh – (prep) on

Loolah – (n) [familiar] Mama

Loot – (conj) And
Lornya – (n) Robe

Luh – (prep) To

Luna – (n) Body

Luto – (v) To sit

Marko – (v) To allow

Mayo – (v) To go fast

Me – (excl) No

Meera – (adv/prep) Between

Meena – (excl) Yes

Na – (pro) You

Nahna – (possessive) Your

Nahrahka – (expression) You’re welcome

Nayeeso – (v) To own

Neenkah – (adj/adv/n/prep) Inside

Neeso – (v) To rest

Pahk – (n) Fire

Pahkah – (n) Firepit

Pahkan – (n) Torch

Pahnsahna – (n) Spirit [Soul]

Pahnsahnak – (n) God [Mythical not
Biblical]

Pahnsahnalla – (n) Goddess

Pahnso – (v) To live

Poyah – (expression) Hello

Punto – (v) To end

Quaxi – (n) Paint

Rah – (n) Gold

Rahna – (adj) Golden

Raylo – (v) To be quiet

Ruhno – (v) To take

Sah – (pro) This

Sahka – (adj) Healthy; well

Sahna – (adj) Beautiful

Sahnahso – (v) To let

See – (pro) That

Shahsha – (expression) Thank you