A woman with a shock of white-blonde hair crosses her arms.“You turned your back on our king. You denied him his vessel.” Several heads nod around the room.“You’re nothing but a fucking traitor.”
I look at Marius with alarm as I sense the heat rising in the room.
“I did what I had to do. There’s more at play than we ever knew. I don’t know if the Raven King knew that too, but I suspect he did. We’ve been pawns too long. But it can end, now.”
“We would be in control now if it weren’t for your betrayal, boy.” Kieran steps closer to Marius, but Marius stands his ground.
“Would you have, Kieran?” Marius tilts his head.“Because I’m the one who has the king inside him still. And he never had any intention of doing your bidding. The only thing the Raven King ever cared about was himself, and her. He would slaughter your children and walk over their corpses to get to the Morrigan.”
“The Council already slaughters us,” Kieran retorts.“We could have taken them out. Stopped the hunts and the executions.”
“The Council isn’t a problem anymore. Brigid is stronger than they are.”
Snorts and unkind laughter ring out in the small room.
"I wouldn't bring Brigid here if I didn't believe in her." Marius gestures toward me. "She is the one who carries the power of the Raven King. She holds the power of the Morrigan. Consider what this means."
He steps forward, commanding the attention of everyone present. "For generations, we've fought against the Council's tyranny. Hunted. Persecuted. Isolated, and that's exactly what they wanted."
I watch the rebels' faces. Some still wear skepticism like armor, but others listen intently.
Marius continues. "She doesn't just wield powerful shadow magic. She controls the threads of fate themselves. She can unite us all. No more persecution."
Kieran scoffs. "Pretty words. But we've heard promises before."
"This isn't a promise." Marius's voice drops lower, more dangerous. "It's a statement of fact. The Council fears her because she represents everything they've tried to prevent—our factions united under a single banner."
My heart pounds against my ribs. I know this is my moment to speak, to convince them.
"I understand your skepticism," I say, stepping forward. "I'm not what you expected. Not what was planned." I look at each face in turn, meeting their gazes without flinching. "For decades, you believed Marius would become the Raven King. That I would be nothing but a vessel for the Morrigan."
A tall man with copper hair shifts uncomfortably. I address him directly. "You see me as a disruption to the promises and plans you've built your lives around."
"You're damn right we do," he mutters.
I nod. "I would feel the same. But consider this. Perhaps the plans were wrong. Perhaps they were incomplete."
I move closer to the center of the room, feeling the weight of their attention. "I never asked for these powers. I spent most of my life believing I was human, ordinary. But now I stand before you with abilities that terrify even the Council."
Taking a deep breath, I continue. "I won't pretend to understand all the politics and history between your factions. But I do understand oppression. I know what it means to be feared for what you are. To be punished for powers you didn't choose."
The room falls silent. Even Kieran seems to be listening now.
"I will fight for your rights. For your freedom to practice your magic without persecution. For a world where your children don't have to hide in the shadows." My voice grows stronger with each word. "But I can't do it alone. I need allies who understand this world better than I do."
I look at Kieran. "I don't ask for blind loyalty. But give me the chance to prove that together, we can create something the Council has never seen before. A unified realm they can't divide and conquer."
A murmur ripples through the gathered rebels. I watch their faces carefully, searching for any sign of acceptance. The woman with black braids exchanges a glance with the man beside her, a slight nod passing between them. Across the room, another uncrosses his arms, his posture relaxing.
"You speak well," Kieran says, his rough voice softer now. "But words are cheap in our world."
"Then judge me by my actions," I answer.
A young woman with dark eyes steps forward. "I want to hear more about this unity you propose. How do we fit in with the High Fae? With the elites?"
"As equals," I answer without hesitation. "Not subjects. Not servants. Partners in creating a new balance."
I notice more nods now, cautious but present. The hostility in the room has shifted to curiosity. Maybe even hope.
