My husband thought this was silly.
I thought he was an arrogant ass.
I had been willing enough to marry him quickly when our soulmarks were discovered to match. Finding my mate and becoming queen was like a dream come true. I was now elevated beyond almost all others. Only the other kings and queens of Celesterra would equal me. And only Night Kingdom truly matched the power of Day, ever in balance as the two kingdoms are.
And yet… it didn’t feel like that was true at all. Aelius was not a man to share power, I had discovered. I may be queen, but I felt just as powerless as I did before. I wanted to be involved in running the kingdom, to attend councils and help shape this world and its future.
Instead, I was told to sit back and produce an heir.
I refused to take this lying down.
No, never again would I allow myself to be forced into“my place”by a man.
I had grown up as a lady, but my mother was a princess of Dawn by birth. She’d been married off to one of her own father’s lords, while her brother ultimately ascended the throne after my grandfather. Mother had been kept away from court in Affaraon thanks to her duties to my father’s house, and so had I as a result.
I was the daughter of royalty, but hardly considered royal myself when so many others had higher places in line for the throne.
I thought becoming a queen would mean getting out from under the Bathala’s rule and finally grasping power of my own.
I refused to sit back and let it be taken from me once more. Refused to let my husband dominate me the way he clearly expected.
Fortunately, my upbringing would come in quite handy now.
I knew how to play the game of court politics, thanks to my mother. She’d spent years teaching me so I wouldn’t be vulnerable no matter where I ended up. I’d taken to her lessons well and had already begun the slow work of turning courtiers and other useful people to my side.
I knew it would take years to grasp the kind of power I desired. Working in the shadows naturally lent itself to secrets and schemes, and it was never quick. But it would certainly be worth it.
I may be Queen of Day, but the shadows the sun cast would be the tool that truly saw me grasping power.
As would my child.
I touched my stomach with a smile. An heir, raised by their mother to side with her over their father, would secure everything neatly for me. Aelius couldn’t be bothered to help raise our children. He’d already made thatmorethan clear. So I would take advantage of his arrogance and ignorance, and take the opportunity to make his court my own.
For now, however, we had to abide by the traditions of Celesterra. With us expecting our first child, we were due to meet the Oracle and receive the prophecy that would define our heir’s life.
My own parents had told me the birth prophecy they received for me many years ago. Luckily, it had given me a hint of my own child’s glorious future as well. The Oracle had told my parents that the heir I birthed would change the world. The memory of it was enough to put a smile on my face.
Yes, I would raise an extraordinary child. One who would change everything for the better.
I walked with Aelius into the cavern the Oracle called home, one hand tucked into his velvet-covered elbow, while my other laid on my stomach to steady it. The fog was so thick in here that I couldn’t even see my feet anymore. Which was certainly troublesome while trying to navigate the uneven ground of the cavern with a rounded belly.
A foreign sense of confidence washed over me as we walked. It felt almost as if I was being called forward. Even as Aelius sneered and complained about meaningless traditions and old crones spitting nonsense, I nodded absently, my focus completely consumed with the sight before me.
The Oracle.
She was sitting on a cushion on the ground. There were two plush cushions in front of her, obviously meant for us. While I’d normally be concerned about getting down and back up with my sizeable stomach, I felt that same peaceful surety flow through my whole body, taking the worry away.
What was this? It felt otherworldly, most assuredly. And the Oracle did not have that kind of power as far as I was aware.
We sat down across from her, Aelius grumbling quietly as he assisted me in lowering to the cushion. But it was somehow as easy as doing so without my pregnant belly. Looking into the silver eyes of the crone, I was taken aback.
Those eyes, they were…knowing.
As if she could see directly into my mind and soul, and was taking every secret piece of me apart for her own amusement. Or her own gain. Whichever it was, it made me glare slightly at the old woman. But she just smirked back at me before she looked at my husband.
“The first child of Day Kingdom’s King Aelius and Queen Aurelia comes.” She intoned heavily, voice creaking like old wood. “It is now time to hear the gods' message for their future.”
The crone looked back and forth between us as she pulled out items I hadn’t noticed sitting beside her. A silver bowl, inlaid with all sorts of runes, and a matching silver knife, similarly covered.
