I shrug. “The difference is that your oath was not sealed.” I see the flicker in her eye, and I remember seeing it before. She says their oath wasn’t sealed, that they didn’t sleep together. She wouldn’t lie to me about that, but still, her actions make me feel uneasy.
“I am sorry about your mother,” I say. Regardless of what Addie says, and what went before, it can’t help but hurt to know your own mother betrayed you, and I know she must be churning inside with emotions. Bitch or not, Eolande was still her mother.
“Don’t be – she’s evil,” she scoffs.
“Evil?” I ask. “The Eolande I have always known has been kind, which is why I am so shocked at what has happened. All through the years, she has only ever shown me kindness. While I know she can be cruel and ruthless, she begged me to keep you safe, to protect you, to bring you back to her. She loves you.”
Addie snorts. “That’s real funny, considering that from the moment I arrived, she was nothing but awful to me. I can’t put the picture of the woman you paint to me with the woman I met here. She was going to kill Sophie for dropping a tray of drinks, for goodness sake! How is that loving or kind?” She says with such venom, I’m startled. We haven’t had much time to talk of her time at the Palace, but her words cut me.
“I did not know that side of her. I am truly sorry, Addie.”
“I hope that one day, we learn the truth of it all,” she says, leaning back on the bed.
“We will. I promise you. One day.”
Chapter Five
Kellan
The raised, favoured voices shout their opinions around me, and it’s hard to tell who says what in the chaos. I rub my temples before bringing my fist down on the table with such force, it shatters the room to silence.
“Please, all of you, I understand this is a tumultuous time, and uncertainty faces us from every side, but please act like the adults and diplomats you are. Shouting over each other will get us nowhere.”
Emily stands and announces to the room. “Your Majesty, perhaps if you were able to explain exactly what is going on, we might be able to come to a reasonable conclusion, rather than arguing amongst ourselves based on whispers we hear in the streets. You are meant to be our just, and unbiased leader. You ask us to follow in your stead, but I cannot help but think you would not consider even having this discussion if the girl was not your daughter. It reeks of nepotism and surely you can understand this concern – and the concern that this will raise in your people.” There is such venom in her voice, I think if she had the opportunity to overthrow me, she would. I need to tread carefully.
“While the child is my daughter…”
“She is no child! She is the Reborn!” Emily counteracts.
“That she is, but that has nothing to do with this particular situation.”
“Maybe you are just blind to these matters. The Reborn wishes to change our laws to suit her needs. Maybe this is the beginning of the prophecy. A world of chaos. Changing the world as we know it,” She says.
I need to reign her in as quickly as possible. Each time Emily speaks, it’s a potential nail in Addie’s coffin. I watch as the men and women in the room take note of her words, seeing how they taste. She is powerful and her voice is popular. Murmurs erupt across the room as they debate her words. I have never had such an issue over controlling the council before. These are turbulent times. Maybe Emily’s words carry more truth than I would like to admit.
“Can we please focus?” Rayne DeVaux calls out. “This is about more than the girl: this is also about my son. He is one of us.”
“And what are his thoughts on changing our laws to suit the girl?” Emily asks scathingly.
“He wishes for Addie, our Princess, to be happy. He has confirmed in the sacred way; the marriage was not consummated. and so the vow has not been completed.” Julian DeVaux confirms, inducing further murmurs and nods from around the room.
“And how can we be sure of that? Is Addie willing to undergo examination to confirm that she is still virgo intacto”
My anger is literally about to burst out of my chest. I cannot believe that one of them dares to suggest such an antiquated humiliation – and besides, I am not certain how Addie has approached her maturity. If she had been raised a princess knowing of her duties, then it might have been a different matter, but she was raised outside the Palace – and then there is Xander. I would not wager my kingdom that he has been entirely a gentleman with my daughter. No, subjecting Addie to such an indignity would not prove anything about her and Dante, and might only lead to more confusions.
“No. Absolutely not. Addie is your Princess. She does not need to prove anything. Her word is enough,” I say in such a way that the idiot, Garrington, visibly backs down under my quiet wrath.
Callun Alder stands and the room falls quiet again. “I believe we all need to take a few days and think over all that we have been told. Until we can hear from our Queen’s lips, there is no real premise for the breaking of their bond.”
I am grateful to him for curbing today’s nonsense. He holds much sway with the council members, but fighting Emily’s witch hunt of Addie is proving tiresome and harder as each day passes. I need to think on how to handle Emily appropriately.
Each of the council members filter out, leaving me alone in the room with Julian & Rayne DeVaux.
“How are you holding up, old friend?” Julian asks, his hand clasping my shoulders as he takes the seat next to me.
“I’m still breathing,” I joke. “Truth be told, I’m not even sure I want the bond to be broken, but to be the one to deny my daughter’s wishes… I just can’t do it.”
“I have to say, I’m in agreement. They’re just children, and they haven’t been around as long as we have to understand what such changes can mean for the world.”
“But maybe we’re at a point when change is needed?” I counter. “This is their world now, while we sit in our halls, our fine houses and eat our rich foods, they are out there, tending to the needs of the people, interacting with them. All of them. Fae. Fallen. Human. Wolf. How are we to know what is right and what is not?”
“Our ways have kept us safe for millennia, I don’t see why they wouldn’t keep us going,” he says. The frown lines are etched deep on his forehead.
“Yes, but it was not us who stopped this war with the Demon King. It was not us who bargained with the Demon Queens to ensure peace prevailed across our lands. That was them. The Fallen. More precisely, it was Addie and Xander. Together or apart, they seem to overcome all evils in their way. Separately, they each represent a significant power. Imagine what that could be combined. The Fallen not following us, protecting us, because they have to, but because they want to. It could be a powerful alliance, don’t you think?”
“Hmmmm, you have a good point. Maybe that was Eolande’s thinking all along. Do you think?” Julian asks.
I let out a deep sigh. “I’ve had no idea about what that woman has been thinking for over two hundred years. I’m not going to presume to know her thoughts now. I can hope that was her thought, but her absence speaks loudly – and it says that whatever she had planned, it isn’t working out her way.”
“Perhaps,” Rayne interrupts. “Or perhaps this is exactly what she wanted. To turn the people on Addie, turn the tide of favour against her. She already stopped her daughter’s marriage to Xander, and we all know Eolande had a soft spot for him. Maybe that soft spot was larger than we thought?” she says, not caring about the fact that this is my queen she is speaking of. “Maybe her plan all along was to be rid of her daughter, and make way for herself?”
I cough uncomfortably but Rayne doesn’t seem to see anything wrong in her overly bold statements.
“How manipulative could one person be?” Julian asks.
Unfortunately, I know my wife. Her sharp mind and ability to scheme had been one of the things I found most alluring about her – that was until her brilliant mind got well out of hand.
“Honestly
, I wouldn’t even put it past her at this point. That woman is capable of anything,” I say standing. “I beg your leave, friends. I need to get back to day to day duties. As a child, they had me believe that being a King was all fun and games. What they neglected to state was a King’s work is never done.”
I bid them farewell and make my way back to my rooms, securing the locks on the doors as I enter. I’d give anything for just a moment of peace.
“What on earth were you thinking, Eolande?” I say to myself as I slump down into the chair. In here, I don’t have to be a King. I can be myself with no walls to put up and no masks to adorn. I let the weight of the day wash over me, when I hear Eolande.
“Oh dear, Kellan. What a foolish old man you’ve become,” the voice taunts. I look around the room and see nothing, but that means little in our world.
“Show yourself,” I demand.
“No, I don’t think that would be wise. Just know, you will never see me again, and your harlot daughter will perish. I regret the day I ever let her live. I won’t make the same mistake again,” she cackles. “My people are everywhere, Kellan. There’s no way you can win this. You don’t’ even know who you can trust anymore – because let me assure you, you can’t trust anybody.” Her voice fades until there is nothing else.
I can’t know for certain if she was in my mind, a figment of my imagination – or whether she was here but cloaked. Her gifts were always something she played close to her chest. She never revealed her true powers.
I close my eyes, trying to get my mind in order. I hate the way that Eolande makes me feel – powerless. I’m coming to the conclusion that she planned this all along, but I have no way of proving it.
I also have no doubt that she planted the seed of rebellion with Emily. Eolande had always been fond of Emily and it was clear that Emily worshipped the ground her Queen walked on. Yes, Eolande nurtured it and is watching in delight as it blooms.
Chapter Six
Addie
Something weighs on Kellan, heavier than it did yesterday. Each time I approach him about it, he waves me off as if I’m nothing more than a silly child. To say its infuriating is an understatement. If we are to win this invisible battle, we need to be honest, and we need to share anything we know – and I know he knows something.
Yet again, Kellan is with the council, trying to work out a way to keep the peace, while I’m out at yet another Academy with Dante, giving another ridiculous speech about staying strong in the face of adversity, and how we should always look to make ourselves better. If you ask me, we have more important things to be worrying about, but Kellan insists we must show the people we rule as a united front. Perception is, according to Kellan, half of the war.
He’s right. They cannot know anything is amiss until necessary. People only need to know what they need to know. Too much knowledge can be dangerous.
It’s insane if you ask me, but apparently no one did, and my opinion doesn’t matter.
Xander trails behind us, lurking in the shadows. He’s there in case of any danger or unrest. Exactly what sort of unrest, I’m not sure. There haven’t been any issues between the species in hundreds of years.
Speaking to all of these people makes me wish for solace, the kind I used to feel when I was back at the Academy when I trained alone with my Sai.
My Sai, I haven’t felt them in what feels like forever. I suppose a Princess isn’t supposed to play with daggers.
I roll my eyes before looking around the hall of the latest Academy we are visiting.
Despite my desire for solitude, when I see the people, I feel this connection with them and it helps me remember why I wanted to fight in the first place – but what I wouldn’t give for some quiet.
I watch as the children rise to their feet, applauding as Dante finishes his inspiring speech. The man has a way with words, and the people love him. I feel a pang of sadness deep in my chest. He would be a good King.
Oh, the story of our lives. Nobody wins, because we’re all losing. Fighting different fights, wanting different things. It kills me that I’ve put him in this position. If it had been one of the others I’d have picked, they’d have never stood down, never even contemplated giving up the chance to be a ruler by my side, but I guess that’s why I picked Dante. I watch him as he leaves the stage and crouches down, talking to the first years here. Treating them as his equals. He has this natural grace that always makes me smile.
I glance back at Xander, stiff as a board, watching Dante, watching me. He’s taking it all in. I can’t begin to imagine how hard this is for him, too. Why he insists on torturing himself like this is beyond me. Dimitri, Kaden, any of them, would protect me just as well – and it wouldn’t torture them in the process. I give a wide smile and make my way down to join Dante.
One person stands out from the crowd. She’s a tall girl, taller than most, with sharp, birdlike features, but the curves of her face make her beautiful. I stop, watching her as she stands to attention, studying me. Her long raven hair is the only part of her that moves. I turn and head towards her. I’m not sure why, but something about her compels me to her.
“Hello,” I say awkwardly. I never was good at small talk.
“Your Highness,” she says, her eyes still fixed on me. I can almost hear her heart beating in her chest, but she stands strong, trying not to let it show.
“What is your name?” I ask, standing tall, seeing if she’ll bow to the intimidation. She might be taller than me, but I’m well practised in the art of being cold and intimidating - I learnt it from my mother. She gave me the mask I’ve learnt to wear when I need to.
“Luna. Luna Blackwood, Your Highness.”
“Luna. And you’re human?” I ask, intrigued. I know she is. She is at an Academy. Other species train and school separately. I do not agree with it, but it is the way it is done. She nods, sharply in response.
“And what exactly is it you want to do when you graduate from the Academy, Luna?”
“I want to be in the Red Guard, Your Highness. The Royal Guard, specifically,” she tells me, still stood ramrod straight. I look at her and see so much of myself in her, except she’s more disciplined than I was.
“Any particular reason?” I ask.
“You, Your Highness,” she says boldly. “You have shown all of us, human, fae, vampyr, that it doesn’t matter where you started, you can be whatever you want to be. You unite us. You do not fit to a mould. I want to protect that.”
I almost take a step back, taken away by her words. “Thank you, Luna,” I say earnestly, dropping the cold exterior. “I truly never expected such an honour.”
“You inspire many of us, Your Highness. It is well known that you wanted to be in The Guard, and that the former Head of House Bane refused you. Now, we all know why, and it pushes us to strive to follow our dreams. You would have been in The Guard, and we all know it.”
I wave Xander over, and Dante see’s this interaction, following him as he moves over to me.
“Luna, please meet Xander Bane and Dante DeVaux.”
“It’s a pleasure, Luna,” Dante says with a soft smile.
Xander nods. “Hello, Luna.” He holds out his hand and she takes it. If she is intimidated or afraid, she hides it well and I smile proudly.
“Luna would like to join the Red Guard, the Royal Guard, to be precise,” I tell them and Xander quirks a brow.
“Is that right?” He directs the question to Luna.
“Yes Sir. It would be an honour.”
“I think, Luna,” I say with a smile, “that you should join me at the Palace this weekend. I’m sure Xander can work out the logistics for us. I’d love to have you come and train with us. With me,” I tell her.
Her eyes go wide and she smiles. It’s the most emotion that I have seen. I look to both Xander and Dante. Neither of them are giving much of anything away, but I do not care. I have always loved learning with other species, with Fae, and Vampyrs and Wolves, but it’s apparently anot
her ‘not done’ thing.
One day, it won’t be like this. I make a promise to myself in this moment to narrow the divide, to make sure future generations get to experience all of the wonders of the world, and each other. Segregation is such a brutal ideal, and now that I can do something about it, I vow I will. Together we are stronger.
“Luna, I need to go, but I will see you in a few days,” I tell her before leaving her to go back to her friends.
“Are you sure…” Xander starts, but I stop him.
“Yes, I’m sure. I’m not certain what it is about her, but I like her. She has something special, and she deserves to be able to stretch her limits. Just as you once allowed me to test and grow mine,” I remind him.
Dante tries to hide a smile as he says, “Remind me, to never try to stop you from whatever you’ve put your mind to. It would appear you are completely unstoppable.”
“Isn’t that the damn truth,” Xander mumbles. I think that’s the first thing they have ever truly agreed on – and I’m not sure I like it.
***
The wait for Luna to arrive this morning has felt like an age. Even Sophie noticed I was excited. It’s been so long, too long, since I trained and fought with my Sai, I can’t wait to get back to it. I pace outside in the courtyard, dressed in the closest thing I could find to my old black training uniform.
I hear a familiar voice call out to me, laughing. “I see not much has changed with you and training.”
“Dimitri!” I say as I run towards him and hug him. He might have been in on the whole, ‘Xander isn’t dead’ thing but I have missed my old friend. I’ve learned that holding grudges gets me nowhere, and I’m learning to let go of the things out of my control. I have enough to worry about without holding on to that poison. Just look at how that has all worked out with my mother.
He hugs me back before pulling away. Leaning down to the bag at his feet, he pulls out a box so familiar to me. It’s almost like home. My Sai. I contain my squeal at the excitement of seeing them, trying not to rip off his hands in my hurry to feel them again.
Rapture (The Immortal Chronicles Book 4) Page 5
