At first, I hadn’t pushed it because I worried he stopped attending due to the fact that he was returning to a place that had only ever been filled with war and pain for him. Year after year, he insisted that wasn’t the case. He claimed he was only seven at the time, so he barely remembered what happened. I’d been left questioningwhyever since. I hoped to finally get my answer this year.
“I need to ensure our empire is protected and taken care of in your absence,” he intoned, seriousness evident in the set of his jaw. “Even a short amount of time is long enough to leave us vulnerable for something to happen.”
I had no idea what he was concerned about happening considering how peaceful our empire was, but I didn’t want to discount his concern.
“You know we have an entire system in place,” I pointed out. “We have several advisors, military leaders, and appointed citizens as delegates. Our empire could run itself if needed.”
“What if there’s an attack?”
I smiled softly. “Who is going to attack us? The only other empire is the one we are friendly with. I promise you there is nothing to worry about.”
“I can’t go.” He ground out, running a hand over his face.
Dakath offered him a knowing look, his attention fully on our conversation even as he stared out over our beloved city. “Don’t use that tone with your mother.”
Our son offered a grunt, his ears turning red as he ran his hand over the back of his neck. “Sorry, Mom.”
Dropping my cup of tea on the small table between my seat and Dakath’s, I reached out to squeeze Landon’s hand. “I know you’re nervous, though I’m not sure why—”
“I’m not nervous.”
“Landon, honey, you are the heir of this empire, the next leader of the Tridian Empire. If you want to be successful in your role, you will do so by gaining experience. You must understand and be part of the political landscape of both empires.”
While he was the oldest of our adopted children, his age wasn’t the sole reason he was the heir to the Tridian throne. If any of the others had shown interest, we would have figured something out, but I think everyone could tell that leadership was Landon’s calling.
“I already know Tristan and Bailey.”
“You know them as your aunt and uncle,” I reminded him softly as I leaned forward in my seat, fixing him with a serious stare. “You do not know them as leaders. You need to know how to work with them in that capacity as well.”
“Plus,” Dakath added from beside me as his head spun in our son’s direction, “Rina is only two years younger than you, so it's not as if you won’t have anyone to talk to.”
Landon’s eyes darkened at the mention of her name, piquing my interest as Dakath chuckled under his breath. “Rina is a child.”
“Pretty sure she’s twenty, like your father said. Five years ago, she may have seemed like a child to you, but she isn’t anymore.”
Dakath nodded before adding, “When the time comes for her to get married, you will need to attend as a sign of respect. Surely, you want it to be on friendly terms—” Landon scoffed, throwing an incredulous look in Dakath’s direction.“What?”Dakath asked, amusement tinging his tone—after so long with him, I could tell that he was up to something, though I couldn’t quite tell what.
“Married?”Landon questioned, disgust evident in the way his nose curled. A second later, his jaw clenched, eyes narrowing as he considered Dakath. “Is Rina getting married?”
“I meant it hypothetically,” Dakath drew out, offering him an arched brow. “Why? Does that bother you?”
“She’s far too young to marry,” Landon growled.
“Not much younger than you,” I reminded him again. “Plus, twenty is a fine age to marry—no doubt this year’s ball will be filled with suitors.” If Tristan didn’t kill all of them. If I thought he’d been protective with Rina before, it was nothing compared to now. I agreed with Dakath regarding the possibility of marriage, but I knew a wedding was most likelyfarin the future.
Landon shook his head, staring out at the city below before grunting. “Fine.Fine.I’m coming with—when do we leave?”
“Oh good,” I said, offering a big smile. I wouldn’t hide my relief and excitement over him joining us—I hated the idea of leaving any of our children at home.
“Ten minutes,” Dakath offered.
He turned sharply, storming from the room as I picked up my cup of tea and offered my husband a look. “What was all that?”
“He likes Rina—it seems that it might go beyond simply just liking her, probably more than likes,” Dakath explained, and my eyes widened with the realization. “I think he has for a while, and it probably scared him when he first realized it, so he just decided to stay away from her.”
“For five years,” I whistled, shaking my head. “That’s crazy.”
“I have no idea if she'll marry anytime soon, probably not with how protective Tristan is,” Dakath chuckled. “But at least now we will have all of the children with us.”
