Page 28 of A Reign of Chromes & Shadows

Rain felt the King’s influence clinging to the General’s words—thick, mechanical, hollow of the warmth Toyne usually held for him.

“And if I lose myself?” Rain asked quietly. “If I hurt everyone in a hundred-mile radius? Us included?”

“Then every man behind you burns with vengeance,” Toyne said. “Either way… we win.”

Silence settled like frost.

Rain’s gaze dropped to the map, to the miniature carving of himself placed at the front line. His jaw tightened. Captain Short cleared her throat, her energy uneasy.

“With all due respect, General… We learnt the hard way that the Prince isn’t meant for the front lines. That aside, he is an Aetherial. Our royal heir. Not a battering ram.”

“Tell that to the King,” Toyne snapped. “His orders were clear. Royale leads. Entices the dragon from his layer, then we fight until the smoke falls. There is no room for interpretation.”

No room for interpretation indeed.

Rain felt irritation coil in his chest. His father expected him to assassinate King Drazier. It was madness. It was a suicide mission and the fallout would be catastrophic for both kingdoms.

“You don’t have to tiptoe, Captain,” Rain said, voice low and sardonic. “We all know what this is. It is not strategy. It’s retribution.”

Toyne tensed but remained silent.

“He thinks that if he breaks me enough, I’ll fall back in line.” Rain offered them a bitter smile. “Or maybe he hopes I won’t come back at all.”

“Your Highness—” Short began, but Rain cut her off.

“It’s all right. I can feel the fear rolling off you. You’re afraid for me—I appreciate that. But you’re also afraid of me. That’s exactly what he wants. A weapon feared by all, ready at his command. Just like the good old days.”

“Then give him what he wants,” the General said sharply. “Scare them. Make the Red Kingdom regret threatening smoke across our border.”

Rain turned toward the window, letting the light catch the green in his eyes. He paused in what would appear to be contemplation, instead he fought to remain composed as the voided pit threatened to tear open his chest.

“We’re forgetting something,” he said. “They’re retaliating to an attack I caused. This isn’t unprovoked. We are the aggressors. And now he’s sending me—their target—straight into their territory. Handing me over on a silver platter, wrapped in glittering paper with a freaking bow on top. And our troops? He knows exactly what will happen. He knows the damage this will cause.”

He paused, then faced them fully, resolve patching the void. He will not succumb to his fathers will, he came here with intention.

“The day he started seeing me as a weapon was the day he stopped seeing me as his son. And that is the day he should have started looking over his shoulder. We will not be marching toward death General. I will not allow it.”

“Captain, leave us,” Toyne barked abruptly. “That is an order.”

Short hesitated, glancing between them, then saluted. “Your Highness. Sir.” She slipped out, the door closing with a heavy thud.

Silence stretched in her wake.

Rain pulled out the chair at the head of the table, scraping wood against stone as he sat. His fingers brushed the edge of the map. Toyne watched him, confusion clouding his aura as the hardness of command faltered.

“You know it’s wrong, don’t you?” Rain asked softly. “That’s why you’re hesitating. Why this room is empty.”

Toyne stiffened, fists clenching at his sides. “I follow the crown. That is my oath.”

“How noble, Sir.” Rain cocked his head, his green eyes gleaming as he challenged his father's powerful grip on the general's mind.

“My duty is to keep people alive. Our people,” Toyne said, voice tight.

“What if the current crown doesn’t serve the kingdom and its people anymore?” Rain countered, lifting his chin. “What if it only serves itself?”

Toyne exhaled, weary and conflicted.

“You think I haven’t seen it?” he murmured. “The way he uses you—sends you out like a loaded weapon because he fears you. Royale, I have a front-row seat.”