I nodded. “That is correct.” I proceeded with my previous line of thought. “We titans focused so much on strength and power we changed our very nature to be giants. Our kings are chosen through a series of trials and combat. For the most part, it has passed through one line, my family’s, the Davas. But as a prince, I would have to defeat my father — and any who sought to challenge me — to take the throne.”
“That’s barbaric!”
“Indeed. But it is our way.” I met her gaze evenly. “We don’thave time for all of the contests and fights a succession would produce,” I explained. “But if you and I married, making me king of the elves and all the races of Seial, my kind would see that as a great accomplishment, for that is what we’ve always sought. It would elevate meabovemy father without the need for combat. I could sway many titans to our side.”
She grimaced.
“That… makes sense,” she ceded. “But is there no other way, other than marriage?”
I looked over at the dragon. What was his name again? If I was to marry Izzy, I should probably know her retainers. Koar…? Yes, that was it.
“Ask him,” I advised.
The dragon squared his jaw as Izzy and I looked at him expectant.
“I don’t like it, but he’s probably right,” Koar said, reluctant. “I’ve heard tell of the gruesome succession battles. And making Bayn your king—” he struggled to say those words, “—would put him in such a position of power that everyone, titans included, would have to acknowledge things were changing.”
“Well fuck,” Izzy grumbled, then pushed off from the wall and glared at me.
We stared at each other.
“So…?” I asked.
“I’m thinking!” she hissed.
“If it helps, marrying me would also give you a general for your armies. I know you said you’d fight, but you also made it clear you lack military experience, which I have. As king, I could fight by your side and leadourarmies to victory.” This had been one of my goals all along, but I’d added it into the conversation subtly, a secondary notion.
The dragon grumbled at this. “Non-titans wouldn’t follow a titan general.”
“What he said,” Izzy agreed. “People around here have thousands of years of hating you to overcome. It might make things awkward. Being the general of the titan armies makes sense, but everyone else…” She grimaced and shook her head.
My ire rose. That wasn’t good enough.
“No.”
Izzy raised her brow. “No?”
“My people would not respect me if I was king in name only. If I don’t commandall the armies, rule overall the people, they’d see our marriage as a farce, with me ceding control to you. I need to be in control of everything.” Fuck. I shouldn’t have said that last part. I quickly amended my statement. “To get the titans on our side, they need to see me in command of all the races.”
Perhaps that was an overstatement. It was possible the titans would follow me if I was simply king, and not commanding all the armies, but that wasn’t whatIwanted. The notion of taking orders from anyone rankled me. I would not let anyone control me. I was finally free from my parents and Saldrea and I’d not put on shackles for anyone else, ever again.
“Look buddy, we all have to make compromises,” Izzy said. “And I’d be making a rather massive one by marrying you.”
My anger flared.
“And I’d be making a rather massive one by letting you rulebesideme, but that’s as far as I’m willing to go,” I growled. Because, as strong as she was, I wanted nothing more than to have Izzy submit to me. It was the only way Icould trust her. If we were equals, I’d never know if she might betray me, like Osserime had.
“We can rule as equals, but since I’m the one with military experience, it only makes sense for me to command our armies, all of them!” That was my compromise. We’d both have a say in ruling the fae realms, but I’d control the military. That way I’d only have to worry about one person turning on me, betraying me… her.
The dragon bristled at my tone. Let him. I was not going to let this go. The calm that I’d tried so hard to maintain for this conversation finally broke, and words poured forth.
“My parents imprisoned me when I disagreed with them, then they gave my sister to Saldrea and I was forced to take orders from that psychopathic elf. I’m not going to take orders from you either, oranyone else!” Fuck. My fury had made me say too much.
“Who said I’d be giving the orders?” Izzy shouted back. “Wouldn’t we be working together,ifwe did this? I don’t even want to be giving orders, but I’m not so certain you should be the one doing it either. I don’t think I want someone with an anger management problem in charge of our forces.”
Anger management? If only she knew how well I was managing my anger and not giving in to my basest desires to tear this whole world apart for what it had done to me, and my sister.
Still, I took several deep breaths to rein myself in.
