Page 65 of Spring Guardians & Songbirds

The Regent didn’t budge, only faced her head on. “He deserves where he sits. After all, you married him, not me.”

She huffed a little laugh. “Why am I being persecuted for the hard choices I had to make to save my lands, Alaric?”

“He will sit by you as he is rightfully king of this kingdom,” Alastair said.

What?

Snow burst in a loud cackle. “You’ll be with one leg on the grave and still crack some good jokes, old man.”

The Dravan leader gave her a crooked smile. “It has been voted on.”

While my confusion intensified, my wife’s amusement died off and she glanced at every face in the room before settling on Caiden. “What?”

The friend rubbed a hand over his eyes. “It was proposed this morning. Majority won.”

Thunder cracked outside. Each strike of lightning matched Snow’s furious breathing. “You know he is living under a ticking death sentence, right? You all know he killed my mother, your queen, right? You all are aware I have spent two long years sabotaging his lands and starving his people and I will ultimately make their younglings crackling for eudemons, right?”

“We know,” Alastair said. “Till then, he serves as king. Till you two are not bound by sacred marriage he will serve as king.”

“You make wise decisions, my queen,” Lazarus, the winged male said before standing. “Told you that wasn’t a good one.”

Caiden and Nia snorted at the same time and the general gave the two a glare before leaving.

The meeting room slowly emptied after everyone had made sure to pass their greetings and introductions to me, leaving only Snow, her friends, Alaric and I present.

It was the Regent that spoke first, “Finish off what you got going on in the dungeons and bury this hatchet.”

Snow leaned back in her chair. “Yes, right in their skulls.”

“Snow,” the older man said. “When I went there last night, there was no human left in them. Only empty, bleeding shells. You’ve done it, you’ve gotten to rip their souls out. End them. Now and fast. You’ve done enough.”

I saw something falter in Snow’s golden stare. “Perhaps I ought to chain them to the Valley.”

What valley?

“No,” Nia said this time. “Please.”

Cai stood and left without a word. He hadn’t even spared her a glance the whole time. Something felt wrong between the two. I knew I had been right when Snow’s expression softened to sadness when he left without a single word.

“It’s sunset,” Alaric said, standing, too. “Fetch your bride away before she dirties my corridors again.”

Nia remained behind, nervously fiddling with the ends of her gloves. “Have you killed him yet?” So much distress flitted around her.

Snow looked out of the windows framing a heavy thunderstorm. “Yes.”

Nia sucked in a sharp breath and jade relief floated around her along with a string of sadness. “Alright.” Before she left, she stopped at the door, turning to Snow one more time, her eyes wet with tears. “Thank you. Thank you for freeing me. Both times. And I am sorry. I am sorry that the man who took part in killing your mother was…my father.”

Snow’s attention jerked to her. “He was not your father. Never say that again. You're the daughter of Alaric Drava, heiress of Drava. That is who you are and who your father is.”

Nia gave her a small nod before leaving.

“That little act with your court was almost perfect,” I said. “Who were you trying to convince exactly?” I’d seen real anger in her. Whatever she had shown moments ago was not even remotely close to it. A good facade—one I’d seen her put up with her father several times before.

She blinked slow. “Bayrd, the Volant tribe leader. I can’t put you willingly on the throne, not only because I’d rather pluck my own heart out, but because he has intentions of pulling all his tribe away as his own lands and I am sentenced to only bid my people best wishes. Volant is the biggest city after Taren, their kind is one of the rarest in this realm. Volantian soldiers make for a good part of my army, they are skilled Aura and their lands are some of the most fruitful, I cannot afford to let them go, open a civil war with them or to lose their support, not now at least. Alastair and Alaric both helped arrange the meeting this morning where they won sixteen to two in favour of crowning you king. By my order.”

“Why would you need me as king?”

She sighed with true anger. “Alastair believes this will help my people. The Fogling and the Isjordians at our borders, they’ve lowered morale. The land beyond the mist was made a safe haven for them and my people are running away from it because of all that is happening. My people still rely on and love to believe in relic and archaic beliefs. But if it is what keeps them hopeful, then so be it. If they want the Night King by my side, then a Night King I shall give them.”