by Emma Dean
Her eldest sister’s sharp gaze swept over the room at the broken concentration and finally she waved her personal guard forward. He bowed and whispered something to her. When Raena’s eyes widened in shock Adelina’s curiosity piqued. She let herself slant a subtle glance to the door. All she could see were the uniforms of the royal guards. Too many chairs, nobles, and courtiers were in her line of sight.
Raena whispered something in response and the guard rushed to the council room doors. There was arguing and Raena put a quick end to it with a sharp command. “Now, Darius.” The captain of the guard threw the doors open and a stranger burst through.
No. Not a stranger.
Adelina’s breath caught as he stopped to assess his surroundings and those strange, glittering eyes of fire found hers. Then they slid to her sister. Prince Nash prowled towards them with purpose and his intensity made her palms sweat. Adelina released the chair’s arms and clasped her hands in her lap to hide their shaking.
Damn her for liking the way he moved. She couldn’t even manage to drop her eyes. Adelina stared at the prince – a blatant break in protocol, but no one else seemed to notice as they stumbled in their own various stages of shock and surprise.
The Corinthian Royal Prince, heir to inherit Khara Prime and the entire Khara galaxy was not supposed to be alive, let alone in the royal palace on Draga.
Goddess he was large.
The Kala sun in Draga was slightly different to the Corinth sun in his galaxy. She didn’t know if his sun was the reason he was so built or if it was Khara Prime that had him an entire head taller than the tallest man in the room. He came to a precise stop right before the stairs to Raena’s throne. His eyes shifted again and pierced right through Adelina, pinning her to her seat. They were a color she had never seen before. They were like…aapoak. They flashed a bright grass green with specks of red. When the light hit his irises the green looked almost yellow.
Adelina was entranced.
The whispers of the court became a roar until Raena snapped for silence. “What are you doing here, Prince?” she demanded with a frown.
Adelina was relieved the prince was alive, but she understood the dilemma her sister faced. If she and the king gave the true Corinthian Prince sanctuary the Neprijat would see it as a declaration of war, a clear taking of sides. No one wanted war, but should they turn away the prince? They had been at peace with the Khara galaxy for so long.
Adelina glanced sideways at Raena. Her sister would be queen soon and the decision might lie with her. Adelina pressed her nails into her palms as her muscles tensed. The pain brought back a measure of control and she let out an uneasy breath. Some deep, dark instinct told her this would not end well.
Prince Nash bowed far lower than his station warranted. “Your highness, I am seeking aid from our long-time alliance in a time of tragedy. The entire royal family of Khara has been murdered in a public spectacle and I am the last remaining survivor.” He stood and Adelina squinted at him, trying to get a good sense of the kind of person he was.
Prince Nash looked each of the royal family members in the eye before continuing. “The only reason I was spared was due to the timing of my patrol. Perhaps if I had been there…” he trailed off, but they all understood the guilt he carried.
Dear gods the details she had heard and seen on that vid displaying what the Neprijat had done…Adelina couldn’t help her reaction. She nearly gagged as she covered her mouth with her hand, feeling sick as her eyes dropped to the floor to hide the tears. Their allies hadn’t deserved what had befallen them.
“Curiously convenient,” Asher muttered just loud enough for the prince to hear. Raena cut off their brother with a slash of her hand and waited for the Corinthian to continue.
The pain that flashed through the Prince’s face hit Adelina and rendered her momentarily breathless. She wished she could say something, do anything to help as her stomach roiled. “I was never meant to rule,” he said quietly. “It did not matter what I did or where I went as long as I served my Queen.”
“What exactly is it you expect of us?” Raena asked after a long pause.
Prince Nash planted his feet shoulder-width apart and clasped his hands behind his back, his massive chest expanding with the movement. “I ask for sanctuary while I gather information on who remains loyal to the true royal family of the Khara galaxy. I will be contacting my armies and gathering intel so I can try to regain my kingdom. I have only the contingent of soldiers that were on patrol with me at the moment.”
Adelina could barely breathe. It was a lot to ask. The request to go to war for him was on the horizon. Even if they did not make that agreement now the Neprijat would attack anyone who threatened them. If Prince Nash had the Draga forces at his back it could help him unseat the false king.
Raena was silent as she studied the young man before her. To his credit Prince Nash never once flinched or looked away from her sister’s intimidating gaze. “I cannot promise you anything, Prince. I will have to speak to the king about the matter and once we’ve conferred with our advisors we will have an answer for you. Until then, I’m sure you will understand why I will have to assign guards to you.”
Prince Nash nodded and bowed again.
Adelina breathed a sigh of relief. At least the crown princess hadn’t decided to arrest him on the spot, recognizing their alliance by giving him leave for the moment was a concession she hadn’t been sure Raena would make.
Raena’s face softened as she studied him. “You have my condolences, Prince Nash. I remember your family well and they will be missed.”
Adelina remembered also. They’d visited each other a handful of times and Prince Nash had always been kind to her. He’d been her protector when she was on Khara Prime alone and without Alpha. They’d played children’s games together in the strange gardens of his home despite Nash being a few cycles older than her. There was a strange bond in the shared knowledge neither of them was as important as their older siblings. The last time they’d visited, the Corinthian royal family had traveled to Draga and it had been an entire month of revelry. They’d both been older then and Adelina had never forgotten the strange and wondrous customs or stopped hoping she could visit Khara Prime once again.
Two of the palace guards approached Prince Nash. His gaze shot to Adelina’s before he walked out of the throne room. She wondered if he remembered her. It had been five cycles since the last time he saw her and much had changed. The doors closed behind him and Adelina took a deep breath. His presence had been too intense and strange.
Raena stood and the members of the council quickly got to their feet as protocol demanded. “The council is dismissed.” She beckoned Chief Advisor Caspian and her gown flared out behind her as she turned. “Caspian please inform my father his presence is required immediately in the royal study.” Without another word or a glance behind her she exited the council room.
Adelina and the rest of her siblings followed behind her, trying hard not to look like they were scrambling to keep up. Their father’s presence in the royal study was a silent command for their presence as well. This was no small matter.
The entire council waited for them to exit. Giselle followed Raena and Adelina after her. Adelina glanced back and saw their brothers brought up the rear in proper order and the hushed conversations behind them worried her. When they reached the gilded lift the footman opened the door for them and selected the proper floor without having to be told. A guard must have sent a cast with the information ahead of them through the implants.
Alpha came to her side and his shoulder brushed hers briefly. Adelina glanced up and he nodded at her in support. No matter what he would always be there for her. She let her fingertips touch his hand for barely more than a breath in acknowledgement. Before she could blink he was gone.
The doors closed and slowly they descended. The silence felt thick and suffocating. Adelina half expected someone to say something, but they wouldn’t in front of the footman. Normally th
ey weren’t so careful, but this was a sensitive subject and if the footman passed the news on it could spread like wildfire before anything could be decided. The people would clamor at their gates for war or mercy.
The footman opened the door for the fifth level of the palace and Raena walked out into the east wing – the private residence of the royal family – with her head held high. Giselle gave Adelina a worried look. Her nearly-brown black hair whispered over her shoulders as she shook her head and sighed, following their sister. Giselle wanted to say something, but it wasn’t the time. They would have to find an excuse to talk later. Adelina tried to remember what was on her schedule for the rest of the day, but Prince Nash had scattered her thoughts.
A pair of guards opened the door to the private study and Raena swept in, sitting down in her favorite chair near their father’s. The family wing connected to the study and went on east in a maze of hallways and doors. The study was one of Adelina’s favorite places, but she couldn’t enjoy the floor-to-ceiling shelves full of books or the view of the ocean as she normally did.
Then their parents walked in and she watched as her mother helped her father sit in his large, comfortable chair before the fireplace. William rushed to start the fire and Ian called for some of his curative tea. P’draic came in with a steaming cup a few seconds later. Her brother’s lover must have been in Ian’s rooms to arrive so quickly.
Their father waved his hand in annoyance at their fussing and finally their mother sat near him. Adelina plopped down near the window and winced as she felt her mother’s gaze whip towards her. Giselle sank far more gracefully into the adjacent chair. The rest of her siblings settled and everyone was silent as they waited. For what, Adelina wasn’t sure. That they were even in the study instead of the receiving room was not a part of the day’s plan.
“Alright children, tell me what is so important.” King Orion sipped at Ian’s tea and tried to hide his grimace at the bitter taste.
Quickly Raena filled in their father and Adelina watched their mother’s face closely. Queen Adele’s sharp intake of breath was more than she would ever allow outside their private rooms. The sheen of tears in her mother’s eyes gave Adelina hope. Hope that she would press for upholding their alliance. Yes, their people would be in danger, but so would their honor if they did nothing.
William’s face was too white under his golden skin. His lilac-purple eyes were troubled and as a soldier in the Draga Army he could be deployed much sooner than any of them anticipated. He had only just joined when he turned eighteen cycles old.
Ian didn’t look any better. He frowned as he stared out the window, tapping his long fingers as he thought. His blond hair a contrast to them all and the only obvious sign he was their half-brother, a bastard and not a full-blooded royal. He must have felt her eyes on him because Ian turned towards her and his Draga eyes looked haunted. As a scientist and physician he would not see battle, but he knew as well as they all did war touched every part of the galaxy.
Asher glowered. Adelina knew he didn’t think they should support Prince Nash and it bothered her more than she cared to admit. Asher was only a cycle younger than her, but he was her opposite in every way. His obsidian hair and near-black purple eyes always put her on edge. He was as dominant as she was submissive and his intensity frightened her at times. She wished he would smile more, be happier. Always something bothered him and she could never figure out what exactly it was.
He looked at her then and Asher’s frown softened. Despite all this she knew he loved her. They were closer in age than any of the others except Giselle and Ian who were born in the same month. Her submissive nature always triggered the protective side of him and Asher looked out for her. She just wished they could have been closer growing up as her and Alpha had been.
“All right, this issue is too volatile to simply make a unilateral decision,” King Orion stated after setting down his cup with a grateful look. “I would like to hear every single one of your opinions on the matter. We have had a very fruitful alliance for many decades with the Khara galaxy and now the Neprijat rule. Discuss.”
Adelina didn’t know what to think. She couldn’t remember a time when the king cared what she thought in regards to the state of their kingdom. She was supposed to ensure she succeeded at whatever she chose to do in life and remain as ladylike and respectful as possible. She was a reflection of her family and Adelina had to keep the Draga honor intact.
That was all.
Adelina didn’t want to speak first. She waited as her brothers and sisters eyed each other. Someone had to take the plunge into this unknown territory. “I’m glad he is still alive despite the complicated nature of it all,” Giselle said quietly, always the courageous one.
Their father nodded and Asher’s frown deepened again. “I don’t think having him here is good for our kingdom,” he said. For once Adelina wished he would keep his doubts to himself.
William shrugged. “The Neprijat will come for us either way. I will fight against them no matter what is chosen.” Her brother was always the warrior. He took after Giselle that way and his blunt honesty was refreshing.
Ian shook his head as they all looked to him. “I should not have a say.”
Their father grunted in annoyance. “Boy, answer the damn question.”
Adelina hid a smile by looking out the window. The bright sun glittered on the water of the ocean. Ian always tried to put distance between him and the rest of the family but their parents never let him. The king’s mistress, Elara, had been an unforeseen addition to the royal family before the king had ever married her mother. She had been her father’s courtesan, training him in the camerraleto and then her mother as well. Adelina suspected the subtle ties to each other are what gave Ian so much more power than a normal half-prince.
Ian sighed at the old argument. “I fear what war will do to the kingdom, but I am not naïve enough to believe they will stop with the Khara galaxy. Eventually they will turn to us. They are devourers and conquerors; they will not be satisfied with their conquest for long.”
There was a pang in Adelina’s chest at his words and they all turned to her. She looked at Raena instead of their parents. It was a matter of weeks before the crown would officially be hers and she was the one who would have to deal with the ramifications. “Imagine if only one of us survived an attack,” she said quietly. “They are our allies and our peace has made us strong. I would want them to assist us if the situation were reversed.”
Raena seemed surprised, but she nodded. “I agree with Adelina. Prince Nash just lost his entire family and now has the weight of his enslaved people on his shoulders. But I don’t think it is wise for us to draw this line. There is a good chance the Neprijat will leave Draga. Sheltering a prince of Khara would only aggravate them and drag us into a war we don’t want,” she said, shaking her head.
Adelina’s nails pierced the cushion of her chair as she barely contained her trembling. How could her sister be so callous? An alliance was upheld and followed to the letter, not dropped when suddenly inconvenient. Barely holding her tongue she glanced at Giselle who frowned but said nothing. They all had said their piece. It was up to her father now.
If Prince Nash left he would no doubt be killed. It was only a matter of time with so few resources unless he fled to a galaxy far from the Neprijat. Adelina wanted to help him. He deserved their help. Honor was only part of the reason and why she felt so drawn to him was a completely different problem she wasn’t yet sure how to approach. Not only was he a foreign prince, but he was now the crown prince and heir apparent of the Khara galaxy – unless he lost the sacred challenge. But with no other princes or princesses to fight him for the crown? Adelina knew why Asher suspected the lost prince’s intentions.
King Orion nodded slowly as he considered their words. “Normally I would take any decision I’ve come to, to our advisors, but this is such a sensitive matter I believe the weight of this decision should be on the royal family and the royal fa
mily alone.” He looked at each of them and Adelina dropped her eyes after he acknowledged her. Her father was still the dominant and when he spoke as king she felt the full weight of it.
‘Our advisors,’ her father was already mentally moving on from his position as king and it hurt Adelina to hear the words. It reminded her they didn’t have much time left with him.
Asher cleared his throat and Adelina shot him a glare. Unless he had legitimate and helpful concerns he could keep his damn mouth shut on the matter. His surprised look reminded her she’d challenged him. Adelina quirked an eyebrow which raised a corner of Asher’s mouth in his version of a smile – before she dropped her eyes to the floor.
“Prince Nash declared the contingent of soldiers he’d been on patrol with are here with him. We know Nash personally,” Asher said thoughtfully. Adelina took a peek at him. Asher had actually taken her direction and it shocked her. “We will need to have his soldiers interviewed and take inventory of everything he brought with him. We were not nearly careful enough with our security six months ago and I for one do not wish to see the palace bombed again.”
Their father nodded in agreement. “We will interview him and his patrol. Guards will track his movements and he can stay for a week, but Prince Nash cannot stay on Draga if we have any hope of peace for our people.”
Adelina felt devastated but she understood her father’s position even if she did not agree with it. How was Nash to survive? “What about our alliance?” Giselle asked. “The contract clearly states in times of war either side will send aid.”
Thank the goddess for her sister and her warrior’s honor. Adelina fluttered a hand and tucked a piece of hair back into place, letting her sister know how grateful she was.
Raena frowned. “Giselle you simply don’t understand as second-born the gravity of these decisions.” Adelina’s mouth dropped open in shock at her sister’s carelessly vicious words. She knew Raena would change under the weight of the crown, but not like this. “If we shelter and aid Prince Nash it’s a call to arms, a declaration of war to the Neprijat. The Khara galaxy has far more advanced tech than we do and they were slaughtered and enslaved within a day. What do you think would happen to our people?”
