“Are you kidding? He killed his own brother—he’ll kill the rest of us.” I lifted my blade, but Kol didn’t stop.
“Your eyes deceive you.” Kol crossed the room and stood before the prince, then pulled him into his arms. I blinked, not believing the sight before me.
Was Kol on the heir’s side all this time? Did he betray us?
I watched speechless, expecting to be surrounded by guards at any second, but they never came.
“He must die,” I said, astonished by the lack of resolve. Not even Calytrix moved. “Then we must leave,” I demanded.
No one moved to escape. Were they all too struck with horror to act? Surely, Nyx wasn’t the type to freeze in a moment like this?
“He’s not who you think he is,” Kol said softly.
“What do you mean?”
“This is Alaric.”
“Yes, I know who lays dead before me.” Frustration bled into my tone.
“No. You have it wrong,” Nyx said, voice strained. “Alaric killed Arkyn. Arkyn is dead.”
“What is the meaning of this?” the King's booming voice interrupted.
EPILOGUE
ALARIC
“What was that?” I asked.
“Hmmm?” Arkyn said, looking up from the papers he was reading.
“You treating your future wife like property?”
What he said in the meeting didn’t sit right with me. No one knew my brother’s mind better than I did, and the space away from him on the trip put a lot of things into focus. I’d thought he had his issues. Who didn’t? But I thought he would be good when he ascended. His whole life had prepared him for this. We’d had all the same training and his heart used to be pure.
I didn’t know where that was lost.
I didn’t even know why I went to him. Maybe because I wanted him to show me the male I thought he was and prove my fears wrong?
He surveyed me for a long moment, tapping a finger on the solid wood desk. “Why are you bringing this to me? Did you get attached to my bride on your trip? Do you prefer mine over yours? You did say you didn’t want to marry Nova, but she’s much more docile. She’ll be way easier to handle…or do you prefer a little fight?” An amused smile turned up his lips.
“What? No.” My cheeks heated a little. “I don’t want to marry either of them.” I let my distaste show, masking who it was I really wanted.
“Then why do you care what I do with her?”
“I know you don’t have a choice in any of this. Neither of us do, but if you don’t even want her, why are you so determined to make her miserable?” I didn’t even recognize him anymore. Had his face changed? Or maybe it was myself I didn’t recognize.
“Do you understand how it undermines the King to have his wife disrespecting him? If my own wife is betraying me, how will that inspire others to act?”
“It’s not like that.”
“No? Don’t lie to me, brother. I saw the way they looked at each other.”
“You don’t love her, and you never will. You won’t stop doing as you do. Her purpose is to strengthen the Twelve Kingdoms unity and to mix our blood. Why would you deny her some happiness?”
“Because those traitorous bastards deserve no happiness,” he hissed.
“We’ve been united for a thousand years. They have done their duty. You cannot blame her for a war she had nothing to do with.”
