I inhaled deeply and turned on my heel. The doors swung open, and a cool draft followed his tan robes that fluttered behind him. His toenails were polished under his sandal straps. I dragged my gaze up to his poised stare. “My future daughter-in-law.” He extended his arms, embracing me. He smelled like a mix of spices and citrus. “I hope you’re here to discuss what your kingdom can do for mine.” He shot me a playful smile before reaching the globe.
The doors closed, leaving us alone.
“Thank you for taking the meeting with me.” My tone came out harder than I’d expected. I softened my voice. “When will the announcement of my engagement to your son be?”
He spun the globe in the corner with his index finger and trailed the tip over the large continents. “Once the words ‘I do’ leave your lips.”
I expected nothing less. I knew that coming into this. To announce too early, when something could still go wrong, was foolish. He needed to keep Edgar in the dark until he had his puppet princess ready to move into the kingdom, then take the crown with a ring on my finger that would forever shackle me to Berovia. “Yes, I suspected your answer.”
His eyes widened. “You did?”
I shrugged my shoulders. “Your son is your greatest asset, the heir to the biggest throne in the world. He’s everything you would want in a prince, no? Therefore, his marriage is of subsequent importance, and so much can happen between now and the wedding. You wouldn’t want to be left looking foolish if it didn’t go through.”
He let out a short laugh. “Luckily for us, Winter, there is nothing that could happen between now and the wedding.”
I couldn’t wait for the day where he and his son would be left red-faced once I’d run with Cedric and took back my kingdom. Until then, I forced my most charming smile. “I mean, something could happen to me. If I died, there would be no engagement. I’ve already come pretty close here already.” I locked eyes with him, holding my breath for him to show his hand.
“Almost.” His lips curled into a sneer. “Fortunately, my son saw another way to benefit us all.”
I turned my back toward him, trailing my fingers along the ledge, and caught a glimpse of the setting sun. “He is smart, isn’t he? It’s incredible how he saw what you couldn’t.”
“Like you said, so much could still happen between now and the wedding.”
I ignored his thinly veiled threat. “Yes, but Edgar would be a king you wouldn’t always be able to control.”
“You underestimate me.”
“I wish I could see the greatness your son speaks of.” I turned my head. “He speaks so highly of you.”
His cheeks burned red. “If you think I don’t have ways to pacify your cousin, then you’re deeply mistaken. He will not rule if I don’t deem his reign fit. The Mortis line has hurt our monarchy for long enough. If we continue to do nothing, then we are just as bad as you.”
I arched an eyebrow. “Yet, your plan has one flaw I’m sure you haven’t thought of.”
He clenched his jaw. “I’ve thought of everything.”
“You can’t remove a monarch without a war.”
“There are ways,” he spat. “Don’t believe we don’t have a backup plan, then another and another. I have thought of every possibility.”
“My point.” I held up a finger. “With your son inheriting a crown of his own, you’d have full control, and yet I know nothing of the future of the kingdom I am giving him.”
He closed his eyes for a moment. “I knew you were feigning your sweet attitude when I met you.”
“Not quite. I do indeed find Kiros charming. I like him.” It was a lie but one I spoke with conviction. “I want to do right by my kingdom, and unity is the best way for that, and I really will do what is needed to change Magaelor. I never did follow my father’s rules.” My eyes flashed. “However, Edgar is weak. You must know this.”
He didn’t respond.
“I can’t consider taking back my throne without a plan,” I stated. “My people may not accept me now.”
He considered me for a few seconds before exhaling slowly. “You’re smarter than I gave you credit, living up to your Denor sign. Although, I do not appreciate your tone. Have some respect, for I am still your king.”
His words charged me with flames that I had to suffocate before replying. I uncurled my fingers, relaxing my shoulders. “I need to know what your plan is, else I go into this blind.”
“Have faith in your elders.”
“You son will be king of Magaelor if I marry him.”
“Yes.”
“He will have full reign, as he will be granted the full rights of a king.”
“Yes.”
“Then ease my anxieties. What do you have to lose? I cannot go anywhere, do anything, or run. I can’t refuse, else I die. You have me at your mercy, so please, is it not better for us to go into this as allies? Would it not make the transition easier? Why make this difficult? You could go that route, but I could fight you at every turn, even if it meant by death. I know my people would challenge Kiros’s rule if something were to happen to me mysteriously, without an heir.”
His expression faltered. “I’ll be honest then. I like Edgar,” He admitted. “It brings me no pleasure to hurt him. Naturally, his survival cannot continue after we reinstate you as queen and, therefore, my son as king. Your rule will forever be called into question by those loyal to Edgar’s reign.” He blew out a tense breath and ran his hand across his crownless head. “Your people will accept you as their queen. We have been keeping an eye on things in Magaelor. Many do not like Edgar and what he stands for. Your people, unfortunately, are far too indoctrinated to accept such change. They are loyal to what they know, and what they know is you. For some unknown reason, they adored your father and, therefore, will accept you back with ease.”
I nodded. “So how will you remove Edgar?”
“We have assassins placed at court, in positions high enough to get close to him. Men who are willing to die for their king and kingdom. He opened his doors to us, which will, in turn, be his downfall.”
“Like a knife in the back.”
“Indeed.” He cast his gaze downward, then trailed it back to mine.
“Magaelor will still uprise. Murder will be suspected. You’ll need an army.”
“We have one.” He leaned back against the wall. “With the power of dragons, we can take Magaelor back if needed. An army no one can drown.”
My eyes lit up. “Using the dragons to fly there—”
He scoffed. “Silly girl, no. We syphon their powers. They’re huge beasts, so it takes months to weaken them, but once we do, we can use their incredible strength and fire-wielding abilities and channel it through a relic.”
I shook my head. “Like you did with faeries many centuries ago.”
“That was different. We would never think to do such evil now. Dragons are not people. They do not have feelings like we do, although the firedrake warders from the south would tell you otherwise.” I assumed he was talking of the warriors who’d come to court the other day. “Their claims, fortunately, have been sedated for now.”
“Dragons are protected though.”
“Yes.” He didn’t elaborate. Instead, he drummed his fingers against the globe. “How fortunate it is that we are on the same side. Has this eased your concerns?”
I nodded quickly. “Yes, and thank you.”
“I expect full cooperation from this point on.”
I dipped my head. “You have it.”
A question lingered on my tongue. There was one other thing, an important one: Morgana. I wanted to ask him to save her, but I knew if I told him my weakness, he’d exploit it, and if she’d survived so far, I didn’t want to endanger her anymore. I decided to wait until I’d gained Kiros’s trust to ask such a monumental favor.
Xenos paused to look at the globe once more before he strode out of the small room. From the corner of my eye, I noticed a red scorpion that scuttered behind a lo
w-hanging curtain made of red threads. I waited a full minute before letting out a weighted sigh. I spun around, and the green on my dress shimmered as I watched dusk kiss night. Stars speckled against the indigo canvass, and inky splats of black spread like veins through the blue. I breathed in the humid air and pressed my elbows onto the window ledge. Propping my chin up on my hands, I gazed out.
I should’ve been shocked they were siphoning power from dragons, but nothing surprised me with those people. He said it took months to weaken them. They were ginormous creatures with impenetrable scales. The inventive torture they’d needed to have used made me shudder, despite the heat. The memory of the poor baby dragon walking behind its mother tugged at my heart. Xenos was no better than us, although he claimed to be. Berovia’s rules about protecting dragons and helping everyone was a cover-up for getting what they wanted.
I had to find out where they kept the dragons. The creatures were rare, a dying breed. To capture not just one, but two, was an improbable task, especially when the firedrake warders protected them on the islands. I doubted they had more than the two I saw, and if they did, they couldn’t have had many. Wherever they were keeping them, it had to be out of the way but close enough so Xenos could keep an eye on them, out of fear of being caught. A prison contained, with magic. I didn’t know this kingdom enough to think of such a place, but I did know one person who did: my fiancé.
SIXTEEN
Darkness swallowed me as I desperately tried to claw out of my nightmare. Blaise was watching me. The smoky gray in his irises had turned white, and his lips were pale, stretched into an unmoving line. He was empty, hollow. The smell of damp mold hung in the stagnant air. Drips sounded in the background. We were in the dungeons at Lepidus. The crown on his head was wrapped with ivy and moss. He reminded me of a living doll but was somehow alive.
“Blaise,” I pleaded at the resemblance of the boy I had once opened my heart to, no matter how brief. “Show me you’re in there. I’m afraid this is real.”
I knew I was dreaming, but nothing in my life was meaningless. Had he come to me like Cedric had? Was he finding me, or was it a premonition of dark days to come? Morgana had told me time and again I had the power of foresight, but I never believed it.
He opened his mouth. His tongue was inky black, as if he were poisoned, just like his father had been. It was a task he must have done daily, to weaken him and turn him mad, pushing him to take his life. I didn’t want to believe it, but I had guessed all along. How could I judge him? Hadn’t we both taken our parents’ lives?
My stomach ached when I awoke. I sat upright and jolted when Edna brushed the sweaty strands out from my eyes. “You were dreaming,” she said. “Tossing and turning since early morning when I came to check on you.”
I wiped the sweat from my forehead. I’d hoped to see Cedric, not a hollow husk of Blaise standing in a room I couldn’t escape. My eyes flitted to the window. “Did I sleep in?”
“No, it’s still early if you wanted to see Kiros. He will be out today.” Her smile brushed her cheeks pink. “He’s doing much better.”
I placed my hands on the sheets, over my lap. For once, I was happy she’d woken me up. “That’s great news.” I looked up at her, bleary-eyed. I didn’t care to ask about his recovery. I should have, but Edna took every opportunity to give me updates as if I were waiting eagerly for news, like a wife should.
I did need to talk to him though. The dragons were being kept somewhere, and if I could find out where, and perhaps help them escape once Cedric got us out of here, it would remove their secret weapon with the added benefit of wreaking havoc on Bluewater.
I breathed in the evocative smell of honey and vanilla. “What’s that?”
“Your bath is ready.”
My shoulders rolled back at the thought of sinking into the steaming water. It was the singular best thing I enjoyed at court. I’d take a bath, then go to see Kiros. If he was being discharged from the infirmary, we could take another walk, get out of the castle. We were days away from the wedding, and I was still no closer to gaining his trust or getting any sort of free rein without a dozen guards always watching me.
Doubts had begun to sneak into the corners of my mind too. What if Cedric wasn’t coming? Something may have held them up. He hadn’t visited my dreams the last few nights. Once I had begun thinking about everything that could go wrong, including Cedric’s safety, my belly hurt. “Perhaps I’ll skip breakfast,” I told Edna before hurrying to the bath. My hands were shaking. My faith unraveled as I took off my robe and stepped into the water. The smell was intoxicating, yet nothing calmed the questions hammering in my skull. My thoughts treaded every eventuality. By the end of my bath, I’d concluded Cedric wasn’t coming, and if he did, we’d die in the fight to get me out. I rubbed my eyes and stepped out and into fresh, fluffy towels. I was going to become either the queen of a kingdom I couldn’t rule, and the wife of a man I hated, or a body buried in an unmarked grave, forgotten as the princess who never made it home.
***
I trembled away the memory of Blaise in my dreams and instead focused on the hallway ahead. Diamond patterns ran down the center of the marble floor, curling around into smaller passageways that led to the different wings. Some were empty, others bustling. I dipped down an empty one. The sounds of my clicking heels echoed. Light poured in through the windows, which came to a point near the high ceiling. Sandstone pillars shaded the view of a fountain with a naked lady in the center of the courtyard outside. The royals’ private gardens. I pulled my gaze from the window to where the hallway split. I hurried up the steps until I reached the infirmary and stepped inside. I inhaled deeply but held my breath for a moment before seeing Kiros’s bright smile.
“Winter.”
“I’m so glad you’re feeling better.”
He looked me up and down. “You look so tense. Where have you been? I thought you’d have come to see me.” Hurt laced his features.
I wished my thoughts would clam, especially when the nightmare still threatened my conscious mind. “I’m sorry. I wanted to come, but I had a headache.”
He leaned forward, brushing my cheek. “No need to apologize.”
I desperately wanted to bat away his hand, but instead, I moved into his embrace. “I’m so grateful you took a snake bite for me. I was so frightened.”
He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me to lie next to him. I hated the doting fiancée, little-girl act. I was a queen in my own right, yet pretending to fawn over a prince, give up my magic, and go against everything I stood for.
Torture hadn’t been my lowest point; agreeing to this wedding was.
I decided not to tell him I had met with his father. Instead, I tugged his hand and sat upright. “Will you come for a walk with me? I haven’t been allowed out while you’ve been in here.”
“I thought you had a headache?”
“Yes.” I flinched. “Fresh air is the best cure, not that I could have been out there for long.”
He arched an eyebrow. “If you didn’t want to see me, that’s fine. You don’t have to pretend.”
“Really.” I sandwiched his hand between mine. “I did. Honestly, seeing you in pain was too much. You saved me.” Tears pooled in my eyes. It wasn’t a hard feat. I was always on the verge of crying anyway. “It would have caused more guilt than I could have contained.” I splayed my fingers over his chest and gazed into his shocking blue stare. “I’ve missed you.”
His lips loosened into a small smile. “I’ve missed you too.”
His breath tickled my nose. I’d been avoiding it, but I couldn’t any longer. For my kingdom, for everything, even if I doubted Cedric coming—and my anxiety made me question it almost every day—I had to have faith and at the least prepare like I’d promised him.
Kiros leaned into the kiss. He gripped my hips and pulled me closer into his body. I gasped as he stole my last breath, reaching his tongue inside my mouth. I squirmed for a moment but relaxed. His muscles ri
bbed against my body. He was stronger than Cedric or Blaise but far gentler. He pulled away, his eyes brighter than I’d ever seen them. His cheeks were pink, his breaths quickened. He took my shuffle as a sign I wanted more, and he kissed me again, this time more rugged.
When he finally pulled away, I inhaled sharply. I leaned my head against his chest, finding comfort in a dark place where I could close my eyes.
All it did was remind me of Cedric. My heart hurt from missing him. I choked on a sob I desperately wanted to keep inside.
He tilted my head upward to look at him, then wiped my tears with his other hand. “Sweet Winter.”
I let him believe in our love story, in us, in my tears as a gesture. I needed that. But my heart ballooned. My brain faltered. My eyes glazed, then closed. Blaise unwantedly penetrated my thoughts. Our first kiss. I could feel he wanted me, but he wouldn’t admit any true feelings between us. I saw myself in him. He flamed spontaneity and excitement in my bones, but we could never have been. He was convinced he was the boy who couldn’t love, and I was the princess who could unravel a king. Together, worlds would have burned. I didn’t admit it at the time, but even when he did threaten my crown and war with my people, I still longed for him. Now, I had Cedric, who felt like the home I’d searched for since I was old enough to understand the concept. He was all I needed, and thoughts of Blaise couldn’t taint it. What Cedric and I had was special.
Kiros tightened his grip on me. I let him hold me because I needed to be held. By anyone. “I’ve never felt this way before,” he whispered, his breath dancing on my ear, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand erect. “I…”
Don’t say it. He didn’t know what he felt. He was reacting to something that wasn’t real.
“I love you, Winter.”
The words left his lips before they’d ever left Cedric’s or Blaise’s. They were empty, hollow, and would forever pit our nations against one another if I got out. It had gotten personal. I’d gained his trust. I’d made him want me as Cedric had suggested, but I’d unwantedly pulled him to fall for me. All that was left was to shatter his heart into a million pieces.
The Fate of Crowns: The Complete Trilogy: A YA Epic Fantasy Boxset Page 38
