I will come by later. I believe this is something you should do on your own,Barnabus answered as his wings extended and he rose up into the sky.I believe in you, Kyella. Myrin believed in you. Go forth, embrace your role as the new Empress.
With those words, he flitted away, and I turned to go back inside, feeling more determined than ever.
It was a little overwhelming, the idea of taking over for Myrin, but having a direction and a specific task to begin with helped settle my mind. Walking back down the hall, I found my men casually talking amongst themselves. I wasn’t proud to admit that I was relieved to see that the room had mostly mostly cleared of the lords and previous advisors.
“I need to go visit Tristian and Bailey,” I announced without preamble, and each of them looked at me with varied levels of surprise.
“Is everything okay?” Kolvar asked, his brow dipping in confusion as he approached me, placing his hand protectively on the small of my back.
“Yes, I just needed to clear my head. Now, I feel as if I’ve found some clarity on what my first task as Empress should be,” I explained.
“We wanted to give you as much time as possible.” Elijah approached me, cupping my cheek momentarily as if needing to feel that I was okay before backing up. “We heard you talking, so we figured you were sorting things out.”
I thought I had been quiet enough, but I often forgot about enhanced vampyre hearing, despite possessing it myself.
Curious, I asked, “What did you hear?”
Elijah shrugged, “Not much. We were trying to give you your privacy and figured you were just talking things out aloud.”
My lips almost tipped up at that, wondering how they would react if they knew the truth. I met Dakath’s gaze. My stomach jumped pleasantly as he quirked a questioning eyebrow in my direction, likely having seen my expression of amusement. Maybe one day I would explain to them that Barnabus could talk, but right now, it felt like an important secret to keep.
“Why do you need to go see them?” Dakath asked, bringing us back to my goal.
Preparing myself for possible hurt feelings on their part, I answered, “I realized that I need a right hand.”
Elijah froze before looking down at me, examining my expression with interest. He was who I was most nervous about, considering he had been Myrin’s right hand. Relief speared through my gut when I saw realization fill his gaze.
“You want Tristian as your right hand?”
“I think it’s the right choice,” I hedged, hoping I didn’t hurt him.
Elijah’s expression turned contemplative, his brows pinching together. “It makes sense. I’m slightly concerned about his lack of experience with the Tridian Empire…But given your relationship and his honor, it certainly makes sense. The three of us will be close to you at all times—we will always help with whatever you need—but Tristian is a good choice for your right hand. I will do my part to help teach him the responsibilities of the empire.”
Dakath let out a low rumble of approval. “It does make sense. I just hope he’s willing to step up and fill that spot. It’s a huge honor and is to be taken seriously by the holder.”
Kolvar nodded as his fingers traced my back soothingly. “I agree that he’s the right choice for youandthe empire. It may also give his wife and daughter some relief that he is in such an important position, rather than being a foot soldier who is directly on the battlefield.”
I hadn’t considered that, and while I wouldn’t directly bring it up to Tristian or Bailey, I had a feeling Kolvar was right.
“I love and trust each of you so much,” I said sincerely, my chest squeezing with the strength of emotion I felt for them. It made my heart happy to hear them agree with my choice, stating the reasons I felt Tristan was the best choice to move forward. “I will always turn to you for advice, but I think that we need someone who is willing to tell me the stuff I don’t want to hear. Someone who isn’t going to try to protect me above all else.”
“Wewillalways protect you first and foremost,” Kolvar admitted with a smile before dropping a kiss on top of my head. “Let’s go talk to them then.”
Elijah nodded and gently moved me forward, grabbing my hand in his as we walked to their quarters in comfortable silence. The tone of our group was serious and somber considering everything that had happened today, but I felt determined and hopeful. With my men, possibly Tristian, and Barnabus by my side, I was starting to feel like I could do this.
When we reached their room, I knocked on the door, nerves tearing away at my stomach. After only the first tap, Tristian pulled open the door. Glancing into their quarters, the first thing I noticed was Bailey folding clothes on the bed where Rina slept. The little girl’s face was red from what I assumed was crying. Pain seized my chest thinking about how hard today must have been for her. I knew she had come to love Myrin, and dealing with death at such a young age…It wasn’t something I wished upon anyone.
“Is this a bad time?” I nodded toward Rina in question. As eager as I was to have this conversation, I also understood that their little one came first, and I didn’t want to risk waking her up. “I can come back later.”
“No, no, please come in,” Bailey insisted, motioning to a small set of couches situated near a fireplace. Their suite was small and cozy, and I made a mental note to procure them a larger room if one was available. I wanted Rina to even have a balcony so she could play out in the sun whenever she wanted.
My men spread out, and I sat down on the couch as Tristan and Bailey turned toward me, their faces reflecting the level of sadness I felt in my heart. I knew the empire would heal from Myrin’s death, and I would do anything I could to help, but no one would ever, ever forget.
“I’ll make this quick,” I promised. “I’m sure sleep is exactly what she needs right now.”
“She’s been crying for a bit,” Tristian grunted out, dragging his hand over his face roughly. Dark circles lined his dull eyes, and his body sagged as he considered me. “First the news of me leaving and then Myrin’s death…It’s been a difficult day for her to understand. She will probably sleep for some time.”
I nodded in understanding. “I need to ask something of you,” I started softly, nervously twiddling my fingers in my lap. “I’m not sure if you’re aware yet, but Myrin has named me the new Empress of the Tridian Empire.”
