A slow smirk curls the corner of his lips. “Have you?”
My magic drifts wickedly up his muscular ass, squeezing and caressing those firm globes before slipping around to the front and cupping him boldly. My handsome king sucks in air, every inch of him responding deliciously. “Though, it’s much more fun in public when everyone can see the proud king of Oryndhr squirm.”
“Don’t you dare!” he says with a breathless chuckle. “Sura, as much as I want this and to bury myself inside you, Aran will walk in here any second with my small council. And trust me, no one wants to see their king with a raging mongrel in his trousers.”
“I want to see it,” I tease, going a bit short of breath myself at his provocative words. But with one wicked stroke along his length that makes him groan, I relent. “Fine, be no fun.”
“I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”
“So what did you want to talk to me about?” I slip my hand into his.
Adjusting his groin with the heel of his palm, he inhales several deep breaths. When he’s sufficiently collected—though the red flags in his cheeks remain, to my gratification—his face goes serious. “I’ve been thinking about this for a while now, what this realm needs and what will be in the best interest of the people. I want to abdicate.”
I blink in shock. “Abdicate? As in... give up the crown?”
“Yes. This was always my end goal, even from the time I was leading the Dahaka—to free our realm from the monarchy.”
Wide-eyed, I stare at him, slightly stunned at the timing. But as I think about it, I realize I’m not surprised. Roshan has never truly been interested in ruling, even when he led the rebellion. He’d taken the throne only to avoid the houses ripping themselves apart to seat a new monarch.
“What about Aran? Isn’t he next in line?”
“Yes, he is,” he says slowly, uncertainty swimming in his gaze. “But he has no interest, either. I was thinking of ceding control to the people. Making the realm a republic.”
“Is that what you want?” I ask carefully. “The Imperial House is your family’s legacy.”
Roshan makes a scoffing noise. “My family’s legacy is not something anyone should be proud of. Oryndhr needs something new and it’s time for change. It was obvious when I was leader of the Dahaka that the monarchy was fundamentally flawed.” He shakes his head. “I can’t fix centuries of mistakes, and the truth is I don’t want to. The people don’t trust me because of my role with the Dahaka, and they begrudge my family name.” He stares at me, regret and shame on his face. “I was also present enough over the last few months to know that ruling by fear only leads to mistrust and resentment. Allowing my people to self-govern is the best way for a real future.”
“You know I will support whatever you choose to do,” I say.
“Do you think I’m doing the right thing?” he asks, the expression in those brown eyes more vulnerable than I’ve ever seen it.
Gods, I feel such fierce love for my valiant, honorable king that I can barely speak. “The hallmark of a great ruler is love for your people, first and foremost, and caring for their well-being. And it sounds to me like you have the best intentions of the people of Oryndhr at heart.”
Stars above, I am so proud of him. If there ever was a moment cementing my forgiveness of Roshan, this was it. A true despot would keep power no matter the cost; he would never put the interests of his people first. But I’ve always known in my heart of hearts that the man I fell in love with would prevail.
A knock on the door interrupts us, and Aran announces that the council is ready. Roshan takes my arm, and we both walk into the throne room together. It’s full of aldermen from each of the houses and noble representatives from nearly every city, as well as the full dozen of his kingsguard lining the perimeter. When I see that Roshan looks nervous, I send him a reassuring smile.
With that, Roshan rises to stand before his people. “I’ve always believed that a king needs to live in service of the crown. His role is to serve you, not the other way around.” The air in the chamber becomes electric in anticipation of his next words, and he takes a fortifying breath. “In Oryndhr, we have known war and peace, prosperity and hardship. We have seen dark times, and we have the Starkeeper to thank for keeping us safe.”
I don’t flinch when all the stares in the massive hall flick to me. I keep my gaze calm and focused on Roshan.
“We have always been a people of strength, courage, and resilience, and I urge you to consider those things now.”
The king reaches up to grasp the golden crown upon his head and removes it.
At once, the room explodes into gasps and whispers, and Roshan lifts a hand to quiet them. “My great-grandfather wore this crown, I inherited it from my brother by blood, and now, I shall be the last of this bloodline—of any bloodline—to wear it. Oryndhr needs to move forward in the hands of its people. Therefore I, King Roshan Acharia, am renouncing my title. It’s time for the people to rule.”
The hall erupts into utter chaos, but Roshan stays calm, his spine straight. He looks like a tremendous weight has been lifted off his shoulders. As might be expected, not everyone is happy. Naturally, there are one or two noblemen in Regulus who feel like they are deserving of the throne, but the majority of the representatives seem positive and hopeful, and open to change.
“Keep order,” Hamid roars loudly, “or you will be removed.”
“We have prepared a formal document for the proposed governing structure,” Aran says over the continued rumblings that eventually quiet down. “It outlines a transfer of political power to the four houses. The former king will stay on in an advisory role, as will the Starkeeper. But all decisions with respect to the governance of Oryndhr will be via an elected body.”
With that, Aran clears his throat and begins to run through the finer points of the plan for the peaceful transition of power.
“Well done,” I whisper to Roshan when he takes the seat beside me. “So now that you’re a king without a throne, what will you do?”
His lips tip up as he winks wickedly. “Not to brag, but I do have some skills as a tree trimmer.”
