“You’d really do this? Defy your emperor?” Never had Draylon ever seen his father so surprised.
“My emperorasked me to do things I know in my heart to be wrong.” Draylon swept his hand out. “Put me in the dungeon, have me executed, whatever pleases your ego. But know this. If I don’t return to my troops, they are under my direct order to take Yarif and his siblings to safety. I’ll protect them even if I must die to do so. I brought a force with me.”
“Who? You’re no longer commander.”
“Oh, but I am.” Draylon took a lot of delight in informing Father of his blunder. “You named Illa commander, but she hadn’t yet chosen a second. By law, if a commander is killed and the former one is still alive, he or she must resume the post and find a worthy replacement. You broke your own law by promoting her. That should have been my duty.” Not only was Draylon commander of the Cormiran troops but also the High Commander of the combined forces of the empire’s kingdoms.
Father stared, slack-jawed. “You mean that, don’t you? You’d defy me for this… this… son of a traitor?”
Son of a traitor? Really? That’s what the old goat used as an argument? “I’ve read the stories, Father. I know full well how our family came by their kingdom. I know how you led Yarif’s father into treason too, using Illa as bait. We’ve no room to speak of traitors.” Lots of brothers killing brothers, poisoned feasts, and literal backstabbing in the Aravaid family history.
“You’d turn against your family?”
“Heismy family.” And to Draylon’s knowledge hadn’t poisoned or stabbed anyone in the back. “You made him so. I’m defyingyou, not turning on my mother or brother.” Now came the time. He tossed the scroll onto the desk. “You’ve been dealing with Craice behind the peoples’ backs. Have you forgotten how, for centuries, Craice has invaded Draige and Renvalle? How many they’ve killed? Now you conspire with them.”
Father bared his teeth. “They would help us overthrow Delletina once and for all.”
“Then what?” The truth dawned. “You have no intention of keeping your word, do you? You write treaties not worth the paper that bears your signature.” Draylon stood to his full height, shoulders back and sword exposed. “Emperor Soland Aravaid, I declare you corrupt and unfit to rule.”
Avestan approached the desk, placing his hand on Draylon’s shoulder. “Father, in this, I stand with my brother.”
Father stared incredulously, viewing Draylon as though regarding a stranger. Perhaps he was. “You’ve fallen for this DiRici, haven’t you? He’s gotten you under his sway.”
Draylon took a deep breath, keeping his anger under control. “What do you expect? He. Is. My. Husband. Haven’t you always said one of my greatest qualities was my loyalty?” One thing when it served the throne’s purposes. Another entirely when loyalty fell to another.
Father bellowed. The secretaries had likely escaped from the castle grounds by now, but guards would have gathered. Would they dare open the door without a direct command? “You also made vows to keep only to him. Do you expect me to believe you’ve taken no others to your bed since your marriage?”
Draylon remained quiet. Let Father answer his own question.
“Ah-ha!” Father shouted in derision. “You have been faithful! I can’t believe it.”
Was it hard to believe someone might have taken their vows to heart? “Might I remind you that you made the same vow to my mother?”
“How dare you bring your mother into this.” There it went. The famous royal deflection.
Draylon squared off against his father, hands on his hips. He’d fought enough battles to know he’d never win without pressing his advantage. “How dareyouthreaten my husband?”
Father narrowed his eyes. “It would be an easy matter to replace you as commander.” The fact he’d resort to such a threat meant he realized he’d soon lose this argument.
“Replace me with whom? Anyone competent that the troops will follow is loyal to me. Because I’ve earned their respect over the years by standing up for them. I’ll help bring Delletina into the fold. I’ll even pretend it’s not the gold found in their mountains that you really want. But I will not allow you to start a war by killing Yarif. You go on and on about how you could turn the entire kingdom upside down and find only a handful of good men. Yarif is one of those good men. Will you further reduce their number?”
Father’s mouth dropped open. “You’re serious?”
“As I’ve ever been. If you take my husband from me, don’t expect me to make another political marriage for your benefit. You’ll not harm Yarif, his siblings, or my soldiers. One thing I’m good at is fighting your battles. If you insist on going to war without trying diplomacy first, you’ll need me to even stand a chance of winning. If you want to go to war against me, remember, I know all your tactics.”
Not that Draylon had any intention of invading King Niam’s lands.
Father slumped heavily into his chair, gaze drifting to Avestan. He wouldn’t meet Draylon’s eyes. “I’d accuse you of bragging, but your brother told me the same thing only yesterday.”
Ah, time to press on now that Draylon seemed to be getting through. He lowered his voice to conversational tones. “Why do you insist on war without trying diplomacy first? We have a mighty fighting force but cannot afford to lose soldiers for no sane reason. Besides, going to war with Delletina allows Verlan the perfect opportunity for a land grab while we have our armies elsewhere, leaving the garrison at Cormira unguarded.”
After several long moments, Father finally answered, “Quite the strategist, are you?”
Draylon saw victory on the horizon, of at least a minor battle. “No. I’m a fighter. But I listen to those who are. You’d do well to sit down and listen sometime rather than plot murders. How do you think the empire lost Delletina in the first place? Our ancestors grew greedy and tried to take over Delletina and Verlan, losing them both.
“Now, if you’ve no intention of killing me or putting me in the dungeon, I need to return to my men. Time is running out on the ultimatum. I must inform you that I lead the combined forces of five kingdoms. We have the castle surrounded.”
“What of Captain Rufe?” Father sneered. “Will your lover sacrifice his own career for your husband?”
