His daughter went silent. The whole room did.
“For reparations, Sanasenne will transfer ownership of her property in Dreslen to you, Falcon Lord,” the King said.
“Dreslen?” Taeven looked at Sana in surprise.
She lifted her chin and met his stare with just as much love as she'd shown Thalsar. Shit. She loved Tae. She had bought an estate near his parents' home, likely for the three of them to live in someday. I could see the shattered dreams in her eyes and a glance at Tae told me that he saw them too. And that he had concluded the same thing that I had; that Thalsar had done it all for Sanasenne. They'd both been prompted by love. Thalsar had been trying to get Taeven back for both of them, albeit in a nefarious way.
Suddenly, Taeven said, “I am content with that. I withdraw my request for Thalsar's punishment.”
The court gasped and several of them started to murmur angrily.
“Thank you, Tae,” Sanasenne whispered.
Taeven nodded and put his arm around me.
The King sighed. “Be that as it may, Falcon Lord, I cannot let this go unpunished. General Thalsar, you endangered all of Varalorre with your dishonorable actions. The bond between warlord and valorian is sacred for a reason. The Goddess has spoken through the Hawk Valorian and told us that all valorians will be needed to end the war with the Farungal. Without them, the Farungal will win; they will use their amulets to break through the mist that protects us and take control of Varalorre.”
The watching assemblage, including the servants who stood along the walls watching as avidly as the nobility, gasped in horror.
“I . . . I did not—” Thalsar stuttered.
“Do not try to profess ignorance,” the King interrupted him. “I told you of the prophecies myself.”
“I wasn't going to deny knowledge of the prophecies, Your Majesty,” Thalsar protested. “Only wisdom. I didn't think about that. I honestly didn't believe that their bond would be broken. I thought Taeven would eventually forgive Shane. I only wanted some time with him for Sana.”
“Do not use our given names ever again,” Tae said coldly. “We are the Falcon Lord and Falcon Valorian to you now.”
Thalsar winced but nodded. “I am deeply sorry, Falcon Lord.” He transferred his gaze to me. “Falcon Valorian.”
“I forgive you, Thalsar,” I said immediately. “Love can make us idiots.”
Tae swung his head toward me and shook it in amazement again. “My cynical but sweet boy,” he whispered.
“Hatred only hurts you, babe. I don't expect you to forgive them now, but I hope you will eventually. I don't want to see you suffer further over this.”
“Oh, sweet Goddess, what have we done?” Sanasenne lamented, her sorrow peppered by the clatter of her falling sword. “My humble apologies, Valorian. And, Tae, I . . . I'm sorry, my old friend.”
“We are no longer friends, Princess,” Taeven said crisply, but then he let out a long breath and added, “However, I . . . forgive you.”
Sanasenne sobbed in relief, and Thal held her, nodding to Tae in gratitude—to Tae and me.
“I will take all of this into consideration,” King Dehras said as he stepped up to his general. He paused pensively, and the entire room seemed to hold its breath. “By threatening the union between the Falcon Lord and his valorian, who are both treasured by the Goddess, you have not only jeopardized the safety of our world, but you have also insulted the Goddess. The forgiveness of the Falcon Valorian and the Falcon Lord, as well as my daughter's love for you, have saved your life, Thalsar. You will not be executed as you deserve to be. But I cannot have a man like you in my army. You are hereby stripped of your rank and discharged dishonorably from my service.”
The angry expressions of the courtiers lessened at the King's decree, even as Thalsar's face paled.
“And although I will allow you to remain in Wynvar, you will leave my court, never to return.”
“Father!” Sanasenne shrieked.
Taeven's jaw clenched as the court looked more satisfied; Trolls began to loosen their meaty fists and Red Caps sheathed the daggers they'd drawn. It took me a second to work out why this was so significant and satisfying for them, but, finally, I realized what the punishment meant . . . for Sanasenne. She would never be able to marry Thalsar. How could she when he wouldn't be allowed to step foot in the Royal Palace? When the King banished Thalsar from court, he'd also banished any chance of him ever taking the throne.
King Dehras held up his hand. “Be thankful for that mercy, Daughter. And that his punishment doesn't extend to you.”
The smug expressions of the courtiers turned into shock. Banishing a princess would mean removing her title and denying the Kingdom its heir. The King was seriously pissed.
Sana went silent again, staring at her father with eyes gone cold. She had just faced a hard truth—that her father's love wouldn't save her from everything. That he wouldn't stand by her no matter what, as most fathers would do. And that loving Thalsar might mean losing her family.
“I accept my punishment, Your Majesty, and I thank you for your mercy.” Thalsar bowed to the King, then took Sana's hand and kissed it. “This is not the end of us, sweetheart. I don't need to be your prince, just the man you love.”
