“She’s not Fae,” Jovin argued, shaking his head with confusion lining his brow. “She has round ears. She doesn’t have magic.”
“She does now.” I smiled grimly. “I saw the spell on her break myself. Right before she ran off like the devious little whore she is.” I growled, my anger at the memory getting the best of me.
“And no wonder she did,” Mya mumbled, my head instantly snapping to her. I opened my mouth, a snarl forming on my lips when Jovin butted in.
“I’ve never been prouder,” he proclaimed. “Birth daughter or not, we raised Asteria. She’sours.And what I’ve heard of you.” He looked me up and down like he, a pathetic human, had any right to judge a Fae—let alone aking. This was exactly why the humans needed reminding of their place. “She managed to escape a fate probably worse than death.That’s my girl.”
I clenched my fists, teeth grinding as my nails bit into the skin of my palms, trying to contain my fury so I didn’t kill these two by accident. That would ruin everything. I just had to remind myself that it would be worth the wait to kill them.
“Well, then you’ll be happy to know I plan to reunite you with yourpreciousdaughter.” I spat bitterly. This insipid human was somehow capable of being proud of a daughter that wasn’t even his blood.
What was so wrong with me that my own father could never summon even a bit of that for me?
“Put these two in chains!” I called out to my men with a forced smile on my face. “Put them aside from the rest. They’ll be myspecial guests.” I purred, leaning toward Mya, who shied away from me. Jovin’s protective glare as he tried to hang on to his wife was worth it.
“At least until their daughter comes to collect them.” I smiled more truly at that thought. I couldn’t wait to see her reaction. It would be magnificent, I was sure.
“No!” Jovin shouted, trying to force away the men beginning to chain his wife. They grabbed him by the arms, pulling him away and forcing him down to the ground. His ineffectual struggles paired with the weeping of his wife. Once the chains were secured, my men lifted them and marched them out of the ramshackle hut they called home.
They tried to reach for one another, getting a hit across each of their faces for their trouble.
“Careful with those two,” I called. “You can bruise, but don’t injure them beyond that. I need them both in good condition.”
“Yes, my King.” They bowed their heads, marching the couple off to the side where the other humans waited.
“Now, what to do with all these?” I waved a hand at the other humans of the village, all chained on their knees before me.
“I do need humans for our work, but…” I trailed off, making a show of tapping my index finger against my chin. “We also need to make a statement.”
Unlike Jovin, who was fueled by rumors of his daughter, these humans seemed to be drained of all fight. It was almost disappointing. They sat there meekly, not reacting in the slightest. Just as I’d expected.
Asteria had inadvertently advised that they were all complacent here.Like so many humans had been before the rebellions began, I thought darkly. My work had clearly ruffled their feathers, but it would all be worth it in the end. The hassle of containing a few measly human rebellions would be nothing in the grand scheme of my rule.
History would look back at the king who shaped Celesterra into something new. Something better. People wouldseewhat I was truly capable of. Father might not be here to see it, but the rest of those who doubted or plotted against me would be forced to watch me rise far higher than their little minds could have ever imagined.
Today would be a piece of that story. Thus, a statement was necessary. To the humans, to Gravadain, and to any of those who’d read about my rule many millennia from now. It was all the same.
“Grab half of them to bring to the camps,” I announced, smiling at the sight of the humans lifting their heads with hope that I was all too ready to dash. “Kill the other half.”
Screams and cries rang out, as expected. I rolled my eyes.Could these creatures never meet their fates with some class?
I pulled my sword out of its sheath, turning to the nearest human and slicing off their head with one smooth swing. A sharp, shrill scream rang out, the woman next to him blubbering over his body. I sighed long sufferingly before I waved a hand, and the soldiers closed in.
I watched in satisfaction as half of them were forcibly carried out, while the others were lined up to be butchered. As one, my soldiers moved to execute their orders—and the humans. Blood sprayed, and heads rolled, their bodies collapsing onto the dirt. Where they belonged, frankly.
The chorus of dying people filled my ears, and I took it all in. The metallic taste of blood in the air, the crisp burnt smell from the sizzling remains of their huts, the clang of swords and armor, and…
The pounding of horse hooves?
I looked up sharply, seeing my men scattered around the village. With an unexpected force heading our way.
“We have company!” I yelled, getting my soldiers’ attention over the clamor. It went quiet, except for the muffled whimpers of several humans, easily ignored. I could hear the sound getting louder. Definitely approaching horses, and not just a handful of them.
The men formed up around me right as the horses came into sight. The banner of Sunrise Kingdom waved in the air above the bronze-plated soldiers on horseback.
We drew our swords, but the force began to slow as they neared us. I watched the men pull on the reins and bring their horses to a halt. One horse rode forward a bit, this one distinctive compared to the rest, by virtue of being the only Faethren horse among them. Its red mane and tail, yellow coat, and larger size stood out among the dark brown, black, and white coats of the smaller horses.
As their mount came to a stop, the rider removed his helm, revealing King Gravadain beneath it. He made eye contact as he dismounted his horse, handing the reins off to one of his men before walking forward toward me. I moved to meet him halfway, stepping out of the group surrounding me.
