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“I sense your sincerity and regret for not telling us sooner, and I know you’ve struggled with your feelings for both Endre and Drazen. For those reasons alone I will forgive you. But you hurt me, Liliana. I thought we were better friends than this. I thought we told each other everything.” Izidora’s voice wavered with her last statement, and twin tears tracked down Liliana’s cheeks.
“I know. I’m so sorry. This whole friendship thing is new to me too.” She pushed herself to stand, her shoulders slumped.
Izidora rose from the couch and embraced her friend. “Please don’t keep something like that from me again.”
Liliana gripped her back with an intensity that told me she wouldn’t fuck up again. But my rage hadn’t abated, and it would take far more time for me to move on from this than Izidora. I stalked back to my desk and righted my chair before settling into it again. Once the two broke apart, I snarled, “You may go now.”
“But I thought everything was fine,” she protested, glancing between Izidora and me.
“You have repaired your friendship with Izidora, but my trust will take more time to earn back,” I snapped, swiping at the shards of glass still decorating the polished wood surface.
Liliana opened her mouth to speak, but I held up a hand to silence her. “Go!” The frayed threads of my self-control were unraveling too quickly for me to stop them. An itch burst along my skin, and through the haze of fury, I spotted black scales sucking in the sunlight.
Izidora raced to my side, placing a hand on my arm and trying to siphon away some of my emotions.
Liliana spun on her heel and stomped to the door, slamming it open with a bang that rattled the books on the shelves. It closed with just as loud of a smack, a roar of fury following it a moment later as I lifted my chair and smashed it against the window.
“Ruslan, everything is okay,”Izidora spoke softly, but I ignored her, too infuriated to form a coherent sentence.
Should we even go to the Day Realm if Kazimir and his crew were going to show up like the scorned dogs they were?
“No, it is not,” I replied, chest heaving. “I am the emperor, and it is my duty to make an appearance for those who bow to me. But Icannotandwill notrisk your life for theirs. Not when Kazimir is fucking insane and might try to kill you again in a fit of jealousy. Especially since no one knows you are awake.”
Her aquamarine eyes drank me in, filled with so much love that it made my heart ache. This was the love I had always sought, the love the Goddess had gifted me. And I wasn’t going to risk it for anything.
No, we would not be going to the Day Realm.
We would be preparing our soldiers for war and attacking the Night Realm while its monarch was away trying to pretend that he still mattered.
19
The festivities in Zheka were audible from miles away as the Day Realm celebrated the announcement of the little princess. Other than Izidora, who was believed by most to be dead within a few years of her birth and kidnapping, a royal babe had not been born in over a century.
That fact was no longer true, given that Ruslan was King Azim’s son. But he was a bastard and usurper, and an illegitimate monarch in my eyes. And a mongrel to top it all off.
Day Fae raced in every direction like golden blurs, already in full celebration despite the fact that their princess would not make an appearance until late evening. After far too long spent on the road, Endre, Viktor, and myself were arriving just in time for the announcement. The Night Crown perched atop my brow, and as the diamonds glittered in the sunlight, attention fell over me exactly as I deserved. I was a fucking monarch on this continent, and it was nice to finally see some of the other Fae acknowledge that.
Whispers behind hands started while we were on the outskirts of the city, and by the time we had ridden halfway into town, a legion of spear-wielding warriors waited to greetus. Yanking on Fek’s reins until he halted, I waited for the Day Realm’s soldiers to speak. A blanket of silence fell over the onlookers, and I stole a glance at both of my friends.
“King Kazimir of the Night Realm, please follow us,” the male standing front and center said, his deep voice booming out around us. His legion split in half, allowing us to pass through, and once again, we were surrounded by foreign soldiers.
I gritted my teeth but plastered on a smile, nodding to the Fae around me like our armed escort did not bother me in the slightest. We were herded directly toward Aress Keep, the shade of the giant tree in the center casting dappled light on all the buildings surrounding it. But instead of walking through the front entrance, we were directed around to the side and shuffled into a small courtyard where more soldiers waited.
There was no sign of Queen Viktoria or King Consort Geza. Instead, High Lord Domon, who had traveled with us to Béke, waited, arms crossed over his broad chest.
“King Kazimir, High Lords,” he dipped his head the barest amount in greeting. The slight didn’t go unnoticed. “I’m here to show you to your accommodation. I’m sure you’ll want to wash up before the festivities.” His dark eyes raked over us, his expression betraying nothing. The golden braided locks of his hair tumbled down his back as he spun on his heel, retreating out of the sun and into the covered walkways of Aress Keep.
Endre, Viktor, and I dismounted, leaving our horses drifting in the courtyard as we hefted our bags and followed the Day Realm’s High Lord. We didn’t have to travel far before he opened a door, revealing a small room with one adjacent bathroom. He ushered us inside, hovering in the doorway as our bags hit the ground in three successive thumps.
“Unfortunately, this is the only room available. We didn’t know you would be coming, and my queen sends her apologies. Please knock on the door when you are ready to leave.” Withthat, he shut it, and a lock clicked behind him before his footsteps retreated, only to be replaced by two more sets of them.
“Fucking Fates,” I swore, balling my hands into fists and punching the nearest wall. Pain laced across my knuckles, but I shoved it away. We’d not even had a chance to speak, and it was clear this would be an uphill battle.
Viktor and Endre whispered furiously behind me, and I spun on them, ready to lash out at something – someone. “What?” I snapped, nails curling into my palms.
Endre glanced at Viktor, raising an eyebrow like he should be the one to speak. Smoothing his hair, Viktor said, “I didn’t think we’d have this much issue, but Endre disagrees and says we should have expected nothing less.”
“I am a monarch on this continent, and I will be treated as such,” I hissed out, and my friends flinched, agreeing with my assessment.
