Lovi hugged Aydra tightly, telling her he would take her to see the Scrolls when she came to help with the serpent. And when the Nitesh finally reached her, Aydra didn’t know what to say.
The Nitesh reached up to Aydra’s face and pushed her hair off her cheek. “Informed of any lies from your mother, tell me. You have my support for whatever path you should choose to take next, my Queen.”
Aydra heart jumped in her throat, for Hagen had called her the same only moments before.
Draven draped his arm around her as the last of the carriages left, and she hugged him from the side. “Looks like we have plans,” she said with a sigh.
He smiled down at her, and she met his gaze. “I told you they would call you their queen.”
A small smile spread over her lips, and he bent his head down to kiss her. She sighed into his embrace, cherishing the small moment of freedom and warmth in front of the rest of the kingdom.
“All right, enough with the public displays,” came Dorian’s voice as he pushed past them.
Aydra laughed and pulled away from Draven, sinking her arm into her brother’s bent elbow. “I’m so proud of you,” she told him as she reached up to fluff his hair.
He chuckled under his breath and started to walk with her into the castle doors. “What do you say to a pastry breakfast?” he asked her. “In the kitchens at our table.”
“Am I allowed a guest?” she asked, eyes flickering to Draven behind them.
Dorian paused, squinted eyes darting over Draven’s silent figure. “I guess he can come.”
Draven smirked at him. “Nice to know one member of the family likes me,” he mused under his breath.
“My sister—”
The sound of Rhaif’s voice made Aydra stop in her tracks. She stopped, and Dorian’s arm tensed around her. She squeezed his arm back and gave him a nod as she turned and stepped away towards her brother.
“Rhaif,” she said, stepping up to him on the other side of the door.
Rhaif pushed his hands behind his back. “You’ll meet me in the Chamber in an hour,” he demanded.
“Why would I do that?” she asked.
“Because we’ve much to discuss after the meeting yesterday,” he replied.
Her jaw tightened at his gaze, and she finally gave him a nod. “Very well.”
Aydra couldn’t stop pacing, a nervous energy pouring through her core.
Draven and Lex were with her in her room. He was leaned against the poster of her bed, Lex sitting down at the end of the mattress.
“I don’t like it,” Draven argued. “What does he want?”
“One or both of two things,” Aydra said. “He either truly wants to discuss the meeting or he means to punish me.”
“Punish you?” Draven repeated with a balk of his head.
“If he touches you—”
Aydra held a hand up to Lex. “No. You’ll do nothing. Your orders are to protect my sister, no matter what happens, you protect her.”
“Wait,” Draven interjected. “What—”
Lex’s jaw tightened, and her fist clenched around her sword. “I will not—”
“Swear it,” Aydra demanded, stopping in front of her and ignoring Draven. “If you love me, you will swear it. Nyssa and Dorian must stay safe. And you cannot kill him if something happens.”
Lex stared at her. “If he kills you—”
