Voices dulled and stray sounds muted as, as one, each of the nosy interrupters fell to a knee, heads bowed in supplication.
My heart thundered and palms sweat as I tried to make sense of the scene unfolding in the manor’s hallway. I was panicking, my throat tightening as I fought for understanding.
A gentle yet firm hand on my elbow pulled me from my spiraling thoughts as a whisper of Faylinn filtered through the Bond. She shot me a sad smile as her words blossomed in my mind.
“They bow to you as their king. You were Alois’ second; his death means you now take that mantle.”
My eyes flew wider, my pulse thumping erratically at the notion and I started to shake my head, the word “no” on the tip of my tongue, but was halted again by the intelligent woman I’d been Bonded to.
“Reverse it later. For now, they need this. They need your strength and your unwavering discipline. Lend it to them until the time is right.”
“That crown is a heavy burden to bear, and not one I want,”I insisted, but Faylinn only squeezed harder.
“Yet is a yoke you must accept, at least for now.”
As much as I detested the idea of ruling, I couldn’t deny the merit to Faylinn’s words.
Vespera was decimated.
People were dead.
The Academy was in shambles.
And we were leaderless.
With a heavy sigh, I straightened my back and accepted the duty thrust upon me unwillingly.
“Rise,” I called, unsure of my words. I bit back a sigh of relief as everyone found their feet, and a few roguish grins shot my way when they noticed Faylinn’s presence at my side.
“All hail the King,” Ben called, his declaration echoing through murmurs from the rest of the onlookers.
My stomach sank with dread.
Chapter Nineteen
Faylinn
While Rohak despised the weight of the crown that now rested atop his brow, I couldn’t deny that he was made for the position, the power. Even before Bonding, I knew that at his core, Rohak was fair and good, just and loyal. It was plain in his devotion to Vespera, to its army and citizens, to the religion he held so closely to his heart; it was there in the friendships he protected and the people he loved. The Bond only confirmed what I already knew.
After the surprise greeting outside of Rohak’s door, I excused myself to change into my own clothes. As much as the Bond called for me to surround myself in Rohak’s scent and bury deep within his tunic, I needed my own armor; a separation between him and me large enough so I could actually think.
My thoughts raced in circles as I stripped from his tunic and pants, tucking them deep into my wardrobe to wear later in private, before hastily donning my own blacks. For Rohak’s sake, I pulled on the soft, worn leather boots he’d had made specifically for me when I first came to Vespera all of those months ago.
Our relationship had grown and evolved so much over the last year and a half, my feelings for him only deepening with each day as I grew to understand him at a level deeper than any before him—even Ben.
It was almost laughable to me now that I thought I would one day marry Ben and make some sort of life for ourselves in our little Borderland village of Isrun. To think I would have missed out on someone as fierce and dedicated as Rohak nearlymade me feel ill.
The Bond pulsed in comfort, a slight question bleeding through from Rohak, as if he was worried about my sudden state of confusion.
I chewed my lip in thought. I forced this Bond on him; to save his life, yes, but it was more nuanced than that. Something deeply sinister within mewantedto irrevocably tie Rohak to me for the remainder of our lives, to not give him the option, and simply force his hand.
I shook my head, curls bouncing around my face, forcefully expelling the insidious thought.
Shame and disgust coated my insides at the mere admittance that I may have had ulterior motives for Bonding Rohak.
But, my mind whispered,he seems to like it, too.
Andthatwas the most confusing part of all. I’d thought for some time now that Rohak had developed . . . feelings for me, an attachment at the very least, with a hint of desire. After the disaster of consummating his Bond with Gisei, it all but confirmed my suspicions, even as my heart tore from my chest. For all his hatred of Forced Bonding and its degradation of the sacred union between two people, Rohak seemed pleased with our situation. The desire in his eyes was unmistakable, the searing heat of his hands on my body a deep claiming, and the way he’d made sure to bring food not just for me but for Cotton as well showed a care that went further than just friendship. That, coupled with his procurement of oil for my curls, felt like there was somethingmorehere, even if I was reticent to believe it was true.
