Borin bows his bald head and fidgets with the gold buttons on the front of his royal blue coat. “In the early days of Lucent, Micah approached the Esspress emperor for supplies. He originally declined his request, but Lasandra offered to use her sway with her husband if...”
“If?”
He drops his voice to a whisper and says, “She requested to be a spectator during an intimate moment between Micah and me.”
“And you let her watch?”
“When Micah said he would do anything for his kingdom, he meant it. I supported him in any way I could.”
I clear my throat and relax into my chair, taking in the pink cheeks and mumbled exchanges between Pliris’ leaders. It isn’t so shocking to learn my uncle would go to such extremes, but Borin? He was the soft voice of reasoning to Micah’s firm demands, the still shadow in the corner of the room when all eyes were on his husband. Borin strategized the rescue of the Cyffreds from my mother’s oppressive rule, and Micah braved the tunnels between Stigian and Lucent to liberate those who wanted freedom. Borin was the calm in Micah’s storm.
I admire the collected way Borin carries himself, but the king I strive to be was shaped by the selfless bravery of my uncle. Unlike my mother, he taught me to governformy people, not over them. Many at this table have never lived under a ruler who put them first, but they do now. I will do whatever is needed toprotect my subjects and give them the opportunity to flourish. These are the lengths I will go to for them. But what I will do for Raelle is unmeasurable.
“Send word to Lasandra that I’ll meet her demands if she gives me an audience with her husband,” I say.
Borin shakes his head and presses his knuckles to his full lips. “Are you sure, Kyron? Her requests are always sexual in nature.”
“I’ll deal with that when the time comes.”
The people around the table bow as I exit the room. I’ll never get used to the show of reverence. I spent the greater part of my life as an outsider—a child of the rival kingdom, fighting alongside those who despised what they thought I was. The respect I had as the Lucent army’s general was earned with blood and sweat on the battlefield. Nothing was handed to me until the day I returned to Stigian. And I hate it.
With brisk steps, I clench the Eporri and hurry through the opulent hallway, ignoring the lush paintings adorning the walls and the gilded molding arching across the high ceiling. I need space to digest everything I learned during the meeting—undocumented islands, traveling by ship, and consorts that want to fraternize with people that aren’t their emperor. It’s a lot to take in, and I need a solid plan to move forward.
“Kyron, I need to talk with you.”
Footsteps pound into the gold and cream rug, until Raelle’s brother reaches my side and matches my stride. From the corner of my eye, I glance at the young soldier. His sister forgave me for breaking her heart, but Rowan isn’t ready to release the grudge he has against me. We have exchanged little more than pleasantries since he arrived in the capital. Every time he must bow or show a sign of respect, his eyes darken with contempt. I can almost see the conflict between what he must do and whathe wants to do. Unless this conversation is ending with him impaling me on his blade, I can’t imagine what he needs to say.
“What do you want, Rowan?” I ask.
“I want to join the rescue mission to save Raelle.”
“You’re still in training, and it’s too dangerous for you. I’ll be calling the most experienced soldiers to accompany me on this mission.”
Rowan clenches my bicep, bringing me to a stop. “She’s my sister, and no one will care about her safety as much as me.”
I glare at his fingers, but he only digs them harder into my leather jacket. It takes what’s left of my patience not to lose my temper and pin him to the wall. My jaw clenches and through gritted teeth I say, “I tolerate your blatant disrespect because I understand your anger. Nobody hates me more for inflicting pain on Raelle than me.”
“That can be debated,” he snaps.
I firmly pry his hand away from me. “Do not question what your sister means to me or imply that I can’t love her more than you. You can’t comprehend what I’m going through without her. Nobody, absolutelynobody,wants her home more than me.”
He doesn’t shy away from my harsh tone, lifting his chin and squaring his shoulders. I fight back a smile at his defiant stance. It reminds me so much of Raelle. And like his sister, he doesn’t back down. “Raelle and Papa have always run head first into any situation that threatens our family, and I’ve stood by with instructions to watch over our home and protect Mama and the girls. This is my chance to pay back Raelle and Papa for their sacrifices. Let me be a part of this mission, even if I do nothing more than shine swords and lay out the armor. Don’t make me sit out my turn to give back to my family.”
The air between us is always thick with Rowan’s dislike for me. It’s suffocating, slowly choking me with his hatred. It would crush Raelle to return to find nothing had changed betweenme and her beloved younger brother. I broke his trust when I betrayed his sister, and he won’t easily forgive me for that, but I have to try.
“I’m not putting you in harm’s way, Rowan. Raelle would kill me if something happened to you. But if General Rojas says she thinks you’re up for the task, I’ll allow you to go as my attendant.”
He looks me over with a skeptical eye. “Attend to you? You want me to lay out your underthings and brush your hair?”
“Perhaps, if the moment calls for it.”
“You’re going to be a dick to me.”
“You can count on it,” I say, not in the mood for mincing words. “This will be a dangerous mission, and we don’t have room for novice mistakes. Take it or leave it.”
Rowan doesn’t hesitate to say, “I’ll take it.”
“Good.” I pick up my pace again. “I suggest you get back to your unit and train. If you thinkI’man asshole, Greer is ten times worse.”
