Oh gods.
I squirm to be put down, but Ethan doesn’t budge for a long second. Then he sets my feet on the ground and drops his arms, but he links his fingers through mine and pulls me close to his side. When I tug on my hand, he tightens his grip, and I stop fighting him.
Jihun is our closest friend, and he deserves our honesty. Besides, if we can’t express our love in front of him, how will we face the people of the Realm of Four Kingdoms as their king and queen?
Their queen . . .
I want to be Ethan’s wife more than anything. But the queen part will take some getting used to ... for everyone. Will the Shinbiin hate me less as their queen? Or more?
More importantly, can I forget their past wrongs and forgive them? Will I be able to look past their flaws and see the best in them? See their potential to do better?
I sure as hell hope so.
A queen is meant to love her people, and I have to try for Ethan. And no matter what, I will give everything in me to save them from the Amheuk.
“I gather you have good news to share.” Jihun’s gaze drops to our hands, and a melancholy smile curves his lips. “But I’m afraid we can delay no longer. Everyone awaits your presence at the audience hall.”
“Ethan, you should go—” I begin.
“Bothof you,” Jihun interrupts. “The Sentinels are also there, since what Minju discovered pertains to all of us.”
“What did she discover?” I ask even as we hurry toward the palace gates.
“It will be best if she explains.” Jihun glances around. “In private.”
When we arrive at the audience hall, Captain Ha stands guard on his own. All the other guards seem to have been sent away.
What the hell did Minju find out?
The captain bows and opens the door for us, and we walk inside in grim silence. The Queen of Sky, the King of Underworld, and theQueen of Water stand near the dais, and the Sentinels huddle near the back of the audience hall.
Hailey catches my eyes and offers me a somber nod.What? No tackle hug?I sigh in resignation. Whatever they’re preparing to tell us must be worse than I imagined.
Ethan, Jihun, and I, along with the rest of the Sentinels, join the monarchs in front of the dais. For a moment, no one says a word, and tension threads through the audience hall. I belatedly remember that the kings and queens of the four kingdoms are not known to get along.
The King of Underworld stands next to the Queen of Water, closer than strictly necessary. The two of them don’t look at each other, but every time one of them shifts, the backs of their hands brush. I bite my cheeks not to smile, but lose the battle when the back of Ethan’s hand brushes mine.
“Hi, I’m Ethan. The, uh, King of Mountains.” He awkwardly sticks his hand out to the rumpled male across from him. “You must be the King of Underworld.”
“Call me Taeyoung,” the King of Underworld mumbles equally awkwardly, shaking Ethan’s hand.
“I’m Bora, the Queen of Water.” She inclines her head at Ethan, who nods back in acknowledgment. “And I think we all know the Queen of Sky already.”
“It should not have taken us this long to put aside the old grudges, which never belonged to us in the first place.” The Queen of Sky glances at Bora and Taeyoung. “The strife between our kingdoms should have ended with the passing of our predecessors.”
“The shinbiins live for more than a thousand years. We were lulled into thinking we had plenty of time to put things right.” Taeyoung sets his riotous curls bouncing with a shake of his head. “But better late than never, and no time like the present ... and all that.”
“What he means to say is”—Bora directs a chiding look at Taeyoung, but the hearts in her eyes ruin the effect—“the Kingdom of Water and the Kingdom of Underworld will accept the hand thatthe fates have dealt us.” She bows formally to Ethan. “For the sake of the Realm of Four Kingdoms, I swear allegiance to the King Foretold.”
Ethan sucks in a sharp breath and stiffens at my side.
“I swear allegiance to the King Foretold,” Taeyoung repeats, stamping his fist over his heart.
All eyes turn to the Queen of Sky, and she recites the prophecy of the King Foretold in a resonant voice.
Cruelty bends the heart of kindness,
Melds a union that should not be.
