A strangled laugh escaped Ash’s throat, somewhere between a sob and genuine amusement.
“And I got scared when things between us became so intense. I… I never expected to fall in love with you.” I reached out, taking his hand at last. “But I don’t regret it. It’s the most wonderful thing that’s ever happened to me.”
“But what about your throne? Your family?” Ash asked, his gaze still on the ground. “Your… wife?”
I lifted his chin, forcing those blue eyes to mine. “None of that matters if I don’t have you in my life. I love you, Ash.” I paused for a moment, gathering up the last of my courage. “And I won’t take no for an answer because I know you love me too.”
He stood there for a moment, tears welling up in his eyes. I felt a surge of emotions through the mate bond. Then, before I could process any of them, he stepped forward, throwing his arms around my neck.
“I love you so much, Silver,” he sobbed against my chest. He pulled back for a moment, jabbing me with his finger. “I’m still fucking pissed at you for lying to me though.”
I wrapped him up into my arms once more. “I know. You have every right to be. And you’ll get every chance to teach me a lesson because I’m not going anywhere.”
“Promise?”
I smiled, kissing his neck. “I promise.”
Chapter 26
Ash
“This is all very touching,” the silver-haired vampire said from his throne. “But it does little to help the situation at hand.”
I pulled away from Silver reluctantly, realizing that despite our reunion, we were still standing in the chambers of the Elder Council. And the king of the Twilight Realm was probably on the warpath.
“Unfortunately, he is correct,” Confiance nodded, looking between me and Silver. “King Erestolal was furious and willing to sacrifice the sanity of his own child to sever the bond. Now that the prince has escaped, I have no doubt he’ll be knocking on our door demanding that we keep the terms of our original deal or face the consequences.”
I looked up at Silver. “What do we do? You know him better than anyone.”
Silver thought for a long moment, emotions flitting over the bond between us. I tried to make sense of them, but there was too much at once and so much more that I didn’t have any context for. Finally, Silver leaned down and kissed my forehead before turning back to the Elder Council, his head held high.
“My father has fooled you all,” he said simply. “He’s fooled you into thinking he has far more power than he actually has.”
The Council exchanged glances, a look of confusion on all of their faces.
“What do you mean?” a female with a voice as cold as ice said. She pulled her hood back, revealing turquoise dragon-like scales covering her face and neck, twin horns curling around her pointed ears. “Do you dare imply that the Elder Council is failing at its duties?”
“Not at all,” Silver replied, his voice calm and measured. “Only that my father has restricted information from the Twilight Realm for so long that he’s been able to rewrite its story. And that story is not complete.”
I felt Silver’s hand tighten around mine as the dragon-scaled Elder leaned forward on her throne, her eyes narrowing with interest.
“Explain yourself, Prince Erestolal,” she commanded.
Silver took a breath, and I felt his determination pulse through our bond. “My father has led you to believe that the Twilight Realm is strong, unified, and capable of severing all ties with the mortal realm without consequence. But the truth is far different.”
“Silver,” I whispered, tugging on his hand.
He glanced down at me, and I saw something fierce and protective in those silver eyes. “It’s okay. They need to know the truth. Everybody does.” He turned back to the Council. “The Twilight Realm is dying.”
The words hung in the air like a death sentence. Several Council members shifted in their seats, and I felt the magical pressure in the room intensify.
“That’s quite an accusation,” the vampire said, his tone sharp.
“It’s not an accusation. It’s a fact.” Silver’s voice didn’t waver. “My father gave himself away as I was escaping. It turns out all the lessons I’ve been learning about for years weren’t just to prepare me for possible issues I might face as king, but to prepare me for the reality of my realm.”
The dragon elder nodded. “Continue.”
“Our crops have been failing for decades. The magical wells that sustain our people are running dry. The barriers between our realm and others grow weaker every year, requiring more and more energy to maintain.” He paused, and I felt a wave of grief roll through him. “My father arranged my marriage not just for political alliance, but because the bride’s family controls the last remaining fertile lands in the realm. Without that union, our people will starve within a generation.”
