Oh.
“I’m sorry.I’m so sorry.”Zane pulled Talon close and held him tightly.Tal’s face was buried in his neck, and Zane gripped his long red hair in one hand, his other fisted in his tunic.Tal heaved a deep, shaky breath.
Stupid.He was sostupid.
The last thing Zane wanted was to give Talon another reason to leave him.He tugged Talon back gently by his hair.The other man was slightly taller, so Zane looked up into his face and willed him to see how sincere he was.
“Talon, my soul, I didn’t think—I’m so sorry.Of course, I won’t do anything foolhardy.I’m here with you, okay?Forever.”
Talon leaned his brow against Zane’s.“You promise?”
“Promise.”It wasn’t lost on Zane that Talon had made him a similar promise and then died.But he vowed to himself that this time would be different.They’d been given a second chance, and he would not squander it.
Thenextday,Zanewas finally—finally—granted an audience with the king and queen.Talon was still sleeping when he received a slight knock on the door from a page giving him the news, so he dressed, left Tal a note explaining where he’d gone, and slipped out quietly.
He met with King Saram and Queen Nita in the small dining room where they’d had dinner the first night in Nyr.Kaz and Zahar were both present, the latter sitting stiffly while the crown princess of the kingdom shoveled scrambled eggs into her mouth.Zane almost wanted to laugh at the dichotomy of the two siblings.
“So,” Saram began in between bites, “young emperor, what can we do for you?”
Only Zane’s upbringing as a crown prince with a tyrant as a father allowed him to school his expression and tuck away his anger.He fell back on old habits, hiding his hands underneath the table and clenching them into fists.
“Your Majesties, I still would ask for your kingdom’s aid in sheltering Athusan refugees and taking back my empire.”
“Again, Zane”—he let the disrespect of using his first name roll off his back—“you ask a lot of us.”
“I understand, but—”
King Saram held up a finger to silence him.Zane clenched his jaw.They were testing him.He understood that, and he knew that should he fail, they wouldn’t grant him an audience again.
“We will allow your refugees into the forest, but no further.We will, of course, make sure that they are housed, fed, and given any medical attention they may require—we are not monsters.Some of them have already crossed the border and are being aided as we speak.”He took a bite of scrambled eggs and chewed it agonizingly slowly.“As far as use of our military goes… that is a much higher ask.Were we to stay in Nyr behind the safety of the wards, then we would have no cause to go to war.”
“So you would condemn the rest of the continent to suffer under the might of the stars instead of fighting back for the good of humanity?”
Nita’s eyes flashed.“You should watch your tongue, young emperor.”
“He has a valid point, though, Mother,” Kaz said.Her parents’ ire turned to her, and Zane gladly accepted the reprieve it gave him.“Although we are safe now, it may not stay that way forever.And I don’t know about you, but I would have a hard time looking at myself in the mirror, knowing others were suffering when I could have done something about it.”
“I agree with my sister,” Zahar said.They were the first words he’d spoken the entire meal.
“No shit?”Kaz exclaimed.
“Zoara!”Nita chided her daughter.
“I will offer you a deal,” Saram said, “as I also agree with my daughter.If you are able to recruit the aid of Istora, then we will add our armies to theirs to help you reclaim your empire.”
“Thank you, Your Majesties.”Zane bowed his head to them in respect, then stood from the table without finishing his breakfast.“I hope you all have a good day.”He nodded again to Kaz and Zahar, then left the room.
“Zane, wait up!”Kaz jogged up next to him.“So, what’s the plan?”
“The plan?The plan is I go to Istoria and try to get their queen to join our war.”
“That’s not going to be easy.I’ve heard she’s exceptionally difficult to get along with.”
Zane pursed his lips together.“I know.I’ve met her once, as a child.But I suspect that’s why your father tasked me with this.Let’s go chat with the others to get their opinions and see who wants to come with me.”
By this time, Talon was awake and eating breakfast in the common area outside of Emmeric and Iyana’s rooms.The three of them glanced up from their food when Zane and Kaz entered the space.
“What’s wrong?”Talon asked, getting to his feet.
