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  “Make sure he signs page eighteen,” Father said. “That gold won’t last forever.”

  Tikaya smiled and accepted the pen. “I will. Thank you.”

  While Rias flipped through the pages, no doubt wishing to check what eighteen contained, Tikaya glanced about, searching for Mother, certain she’d had a hand in Father’s appearance. She was carrying yet another tray out to the table, though, and seemed startled when she spotted him. With his pen and message delivered, he walked over to join her.

  “I must vow to practice my bow and spear skills, thus to ensure I can always deliver a boar to your spit?” Rias asked, summarizing the page’s contents.

  “My society wishes to ensure its mothers and children are well cared for. Given your physical prowess in other areas, I expect only the finest boars.” Tikaya winked.

  “Yes, ma’am. I’ll do my best.”

  Tikaya glanced over her shoulder and caught Mother giving Father a hug. “I wonder what made him decide to come,” she mused.

  Rias said nothing, keeping his head bent over the pages and scribbling initials and signatures in the appropriate spots. Tikaya remembered the look Father had given him.

  “You didn’t have anything to do with it, did you?”

  “I might have spoken to him this morning,” Rias said.

  “And he listened?” Tikaya imagined Rias in there, hands clasped behind his back, sturdily taking the brunt of her father’s ire. “Without calling you any derogatory names?”

  “Well, he listened. I told him I wanted to see you happy, and that it’d please you to have him here.”

  “That worked?” She was sure her mother would have already tried that argument, though maybe it meant more coming from the enemy camp.

  “I also promised to install the shock absorbers on his runabout,” Rias said. “That may have been the tipping point.”

  Laughing, Tikaya bounced off her chair and wrapped her arms around him. “Thank you. I love you.”

  He returned the embrace, dropping his chin onto her shoulder to murmur, “Just remember that feeling when the first boar I bring home is scrawny and emaciated.”

  Before Tikaya could say she doubted he’d be anything less than a superb hunter, Mother’s voice interrupted. “Now, now, dear, you know the rules. No physical affection is permitted until after both parties have signed the contract.”

  “Yes, do get back to work, please,” Rias said as Tikaya huffed and returned to her chair. “I want to see what sorts of tasks you’re signing up for over there.”

  “Hm.” Tikaya decided not to mention the last quarter of the contract which contained instructional information on satisfactorily fulfilling bedroom duties. Waiting until marriage to have sex had fallen out of favor in recent generations, but the contract had originally been devised to assist young couples who might lack experience in that area. More entertaining, she decided, to let Rias find that section on his own. If nothing else, it ought to amuse him how thorough her people were with labels and diagrams.

  “What’re they doing here?” Ell asked.

  On the road at the edge of the palm tree copse, several elegant runabouts were gliding to a stop. Aides and white-robed men and women stepped out, followed by the president and four high minsters, including Jikaymar and Tosii.

  “It seems they’ve come to ensure the event goes as planned,” Tikaya said.

  “Not exactly.” Rias lifted a hand toward the president and wriggled the pen. “I invited them.”

  “You, what? All of them?”

  “My side of the guest list looked a tad sparse.” His smile was on the sly side. Sparse, indeed. He might have denied an interest in politicking once, but Tikaya had a feeling he’d be one of the most popular men on the island in five years.

  Shrieks of laughter sounded as Lonaeo raced past the bower, chasing after his self-propelled butterfly wagon. Tikaya lifted an eyebrow at Rias. He gazed back blandly.

  Five years? It might only take one.

  THE END

  Afterword

  Thank you for following along with the adventures of Tikaya and Rias. Look for them to make an appearance in the final Emperor’s Edge novel as well.

  As always, I'd love to hear from you; you can get in touch with me on Facebook, Twitter, or my blog. Also, if you enjoyed Decrypted, you can help me out by leaving a review at your favorite store. Thank you!

  Also by the Author

  Encrypted

  Enigma (an interlude between books 1 and 2)

  Decrypted (thanks for reading!)

  THE EMPEROR’S EDGE UNIVERSE

  NOVELS

  The Emperor’s Edge, Book 1

  Dark Currents, Book 2

  Deadly Games, Book 3

  Conspiracy, Book 4

  Blood and Betrayal, Book 5

  Beneath the Surface (a novella, but really Book 5.5)

  Book 6 (Forged in Blood), coming in 2013

  SHORT STORIES

  Ice Cracker II (and other short stories)

  The Assassin’s Curse

  Shadows over Innocence (a Sicarius background story)

  THE FLASH GOLD CHRONICLES

  Flash Gold

  Hunted

  Peacemaker

  THE GOBLIN BROTHERS ADVENTURES