Daniel stared up at the sky, dark and foreboding. The sun, a black stain on the once luminate heavens above them. He could hear snarls and monstrous curses from all around him. The screaming of people, old and young, tore at his soul, yet still he gazed above, unable to tear his eyes from the horror of what he saw. Locusts and flying beasts that brought violence and death to everyone around him. He couldn’t breathe, for the fear that gripped him was too heavy upon his chest. How could this happen? He gnashed his teeth in futility at the wrath that bore down upon the world. It’s vile festering now too obscene to ignore. “I… must… save them…” He croaked through a dry throat. “I can’t… let them…”

  Daniel’s eyes opened as he woke with a heavy breath. He sat upright, wiping his drenched forehead, and sighed in relief. “Just a dream…” He whispered to himself, the last vestiges of the horrific and vivid nightmare he had, fading to his subconscious. He turned to his open balcony, noting the early hour, as the sun was barely peaking over the distant hills. He shook his head, knowing that sleep would be nearly impossible now, and resigned himself to starting the day.

  After bathing and donning his Rexunii Hego’s cloak, he made his way down to the lower floors of his new accommodations within Rexun. Alektor had seen fit to name him Hego of any territory he wished within Rexun. He chose the furthest northern city, more of a fortress than a city, really. But droves of Rexunii clansmen flocked to the territory when word had spread that a Spirit-Sent would be leading them. Daniel grumbled at the thought; he wasn’t a leader, or didn’t feel like one at least. The position had been thrust upon him, but whether he liked it or not, he had a duty to these people.

  He opened a heavy stone door that slid to the side, granting him access to his breakfast hall.

  “My Hego.” The monotone voice of his ward rang like a dull scrape.

  “Morning, Seth.” Daniel replied, being rewarded with the slightest twitch of annoyance at the use of his abbreviated name for the man. Seruthos, was just too much of a mouthful to say every single time.

  “There are a great many things we must attend to today, my Lord.” Seruthos turned and made his way to a large table, laid with a sparce assortment of food and drink. Daniel couldn’t help but feel slightly guilty with the constant abundance of food that was on the table when he first arrived here. He made it a point to tell the cooks only to prepare meals for people who were present; so as not to waste. It was a futile gesture, but it made him feel a bit better.

  He sat with a grunt, said a silent prayer, then began eating. As he did, he waved his hand to get Seruthos to start with the morning’s report.

  “As the week before, my Lord. We have another large group of pilgrims who have arrived from the South.” Seruthos lifted a scroll, his light blue face a mask of pure indifference. “Only this time there is a rather large group from Visgo territory. Nearly four hundred. Most likely an entire town that decided to migrate.”

  Daniel nodded along. A whole town just uprooted themselves and left to come here. For me? He thought, shaking his head. “How many in total?” he asked around a mouthful of food.

  “Altogether, they are numbered three thousand two hundred and forty-seven; Men, women, and children, my Lord.”

  “Do we even have room for them all?” Daniel sat back in his chair, wiping his mouth with a cloth. “Or jobs? Or food? Last week there were two thousand, fifteen hundred in the three weeks before that. We need some help here.”

  “As much as it pains us all to see such things, my Lord.” Seruthos shrugged, examining the scroll further. “This was not unexpected. Might I suggest appealing to the High King for artisans and builders?”

  “No.” Daniel shook his head. “I don’t want to call Alektor just yet. Let’s try and figure this out ourselves. If we can’t, then we can reach out.”

  “I fear that by the time we finally decided to do that, it would be too late… my Lord.” Seruthos gave Daniel a blank stare, but he was right.

  “No pressure.” Daniel chuckled, taking a sip from his morning brew. I know how to delegate, he thought. I mean, it was only a platoon of Marines, but I was able to train, maintain, and care for them. What’s the difference between thirty and thirty thousand?

  “I want you to reach out to the migrants, Seth.” Daniel spoke with determination and authority. “Assemble any and all Dae-Voh craftsmen or builders they have with them. The first thing we need to do is establish permanent housing. As for food and supplies?” He tilted his head to the side, a slight grin appearing on his face. “We’ll open a trade route straight to Vul De Rah. It’s only a few days travel from here, and they’ve got plenty.”

  Seruthos raised an eyebrow at his last statement. “Are you sure the Lokkadonians would freely trade with Rexunii merchants? It hasn’t happened in quite some time.”

  “They better.” Daniel chuckled. “My fiancé is the princess after all. She’s got some weight behind her. I trust her to make it happen. Besides, we’ve got lots of new and exotic things the Lokkadonians have never seen before. They’d love to trade with us.”

  “I’m sure…” Seruthos drew out the last word. “They will be lining up to purchase our finest furs and bone trinkets…”

  “Sarcasm does not do you justice, Seth.” Daniel stifled a laugh but gestured for him to continue.

  “As you command...” Seruthos’ eyes fell back to the rolled parchment in his hands and began again. “Next is the matter of your betrothal to Princess Avria. King Telmos has suggested a date of later this year, but High King Alektor is pressing to have it done within the month.” His eyes lazily lifted to meet Daniel’s. “The final decision is yours, my Lord. Princess Avria has apparently left it to your discretion.”

  “What was Telmos’ reason for pushing it back?”

  Seruthos took a slow breath, before squinting at the scroll again. “Something along the lines of… having time to warm the seat you now sit upon before moving. And High King Alektor’s argument is that high courtly matters are far more complex than the area you now find yourself in. He believes the experience you gain here will be… a waste of time.”

  Daniel shook his head, a bit of guilt creeping in. “It kinda sucks though; me taking off, just as a bunch of people are leaving everything behind.”

  “In all honesty, my Lord. If they came all this way to live in an underdeveloped town… They would most likely follow you to Vul De Rah as well. Which, I might add is a far better place for them than here.”

  “You’re probably right, Seth.” Daniel stretched as he stood. “Is that everything?”

  Seruthos blinked lazily and let a large portion of the scroll unravel to the floor. “I’m afraid not, my Lord.”

  ~

  It took another two hours or so for Daniel to finish with his testy ward. Seth was a very capable Dae, but had never fully adapted to Daniel’s arrival here. This was something he was more than familiar with. Any time he was promoted in the Marines, or moved to another squad as a squad leader or a platoon as a platoon sergeant; It always rattled some cages. He wouldn’t have to deal with it for much longer though. Daniel would be gone soon, back in Vul De Rah where he belongs, and Seth could again resume his governorship of this territory.

  He made his way to the practice yard, going over forms and blade exercises before he could be pulled away for another meeting. Things always seemed simpler when a weapon was in his hand. After another hour he sat on one of the surrounding stone benches, letting his thoughts wander before a familiar voice intruded upon his solitude.

  “Just barely given a chair of authority and already running away to hide?” Daniel turned around to see the grinning face of Delmos of house Regios, sauntering toward him with an exaggerated gate. “What would my poor sister think of you?”

  Daniel shot from his seat and clasped Delmos’ arm in greeting. “I was wondering when your lazy ass would make it out here. You were supposed to be here days ago.”

  “Days?” Delmos reeled. “I recall our last communication was along the lines of, ‘I’ll see you next week.’ Technically, I am still honoring that commitment.”

  “Well, at least you’re here. I’m dying of boredom with all this.” Daniel gestured around. “There isn’t anything to do anymore except listen to Seth mule on about bullshit, and practice my forms out here.”

  “Dan, it’s only been a couple months since the battle.” Delmos’ face went more serious than usual, which was significant for the man. “We’re rebuilding in Vul De Rah, and the people expect us to show them that peace can prevail. Boredom is the least of your worries.” He placed his hand on Daniel’s shoulder. “Besides, Katrina is fitting into her role as Hego far better than you are. She and Avria are speaking daily on many issues; She’s a natural.”

  Daniel chuckled. “I’m not doing a bad job out here, Delmos. The people have been happy so far. It’s just after everything that happened. Adjusting to peacetime is difficult. I’ll manage though; I always do.” Daniel looked at Delmos, a bit unsure if he should even ask his next question. After several moments, he decided to just go for it. “How’s Ambrosia doing?”

  Delmos tensed at the question and his demeanor changed completely. “She’s recovering still. After you healed her, I thought things would go back to normal. But she is haunted by that night.” Delmos shook his head, letting out a deep sigh. “She’s here with me if you’d like to speak with her.”

  “I would.” Daniel said, patting Delmos on the shoulder. “Lead the way.”

  Ambrosia was still sitting in the stone carriage that had brought them. As Daniel approached, she made eye-contact with him, and much to her credit, she exited the carriage, bowing at the waist. “Spirit-Sent.” She began; her voice far more subdued than Daniel remembered. “It is a great honor to see you again.”

  “And you, Princess.” Daniel said, smiling at her. “Glad to see you’re moving around again. I’d like you both to join me inside; maybe grab a late lunch?”

  “Of course.” She bowed again, raising her arm up. Delmos dashed forward, locking it within his own. As they began moving, Daniel noticed a very distinct limp from her. During the attack, she had apparently defended Demessa with all she had. Before the demon crushed her body against the stone wall and sliced her leg off. Daniel did what he could to heal her when he returned, but there wasn’t anything he could do about her severed leg; at least for now.

  They made their way back into the keep and sat in the dining hall for their late lunch. A healthy assortment of food was placed there already. Daniel took his seat at the head of the table, after Ambrosia and Delmos had found their own.

  There was very little conversation between the three of them while they ate, a morbid atmosphere seemingly too thick around them to breach. Daniel cleared his throat, getting their attention before breaking the awkward silence. “I have been told that you are having trouble sleeping, Princess.”

  Ambrosia’s hands stopped mid-motion while trying to finish the last of her plate. And her eyes darted toward Delmos, then back to Daniel. “I… am still recovering from my… ordeal, Spirit-Sent. As you can imagine, there are some things we wish we could forget… but can’t.”

  “I can imagine.” Daniel nodded, “and we all have our own, personal, demons to battle. That used to be a figure of speech, where I’m from, you know? But here, it’s a dark and horrible reality.” Daniel could see her start to squirm under the scrutiny but pressed on. “You cannot allow them to win, Ambrosia. They will claw at you, taunt you, curse you, and try to break you at every turn. If you let them, they will absolutely devour you. More than the scars of the body are the wounds within the mind. Wounds that I know all too well.”

  “Why are you saying these things to me, Daniel?” She asked, her uneasiness turning to irritation. “I—”

  “You fought against a demon, Ambrosia.” Daniel interrupted her, leaning forward on the table. “No matter the odds, you stood between IT and Demessa and her baby. An act, so brave and selfless, it would put any of the Dae heroes of your past to shame.” He locked his eyes with hers, seeing the emotion building behind them. “That strength doesn’t just disappear; it’s who you are. Use it to win your mind back.”

  “You make it sound so simple.” Ambrosia bristled, but it had no bite. “How do you stop the visions? The flashes of memories that appear when you least expect it?”

  “There is no definitive answer.” Daniel replied, sitting back in his chair. “Everyone has their own way of getting past it. But it does help to talk about it. And you will always have an ear for that with me. And with your dutiful fiancé here.”

  Delmos placed his hand on hers. Genuine sincerity in his expression.

  A single tear spilled down her cheek, before she wiped it away quickly and her steely expression returned. “I thank you for your kind words, Daniel. They mean a great deal to me. And I am happy that my mate-to-be is so concerned that he would discuss my wellbeing with his friends.”

  “We need to look out for each other.” Daniel continued, an air of warning coming from him. “Because our enemy is still out there. Waiting for a chance to strike against us, and if we’re not prepared? We lose everything.”

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

  ~

  Katrina let out a burst of laughter, nearly spilling the contents of her wine bowl all over her evening dress.”

  “Don’t ruin your dress, Kat.” Nasha teased, trying desperately not to laugh at her own joke. “It looks fantastic on you. I’d hate to see it destroyed.”

  “Oh, it’s fine.” Katrina waved her off, then wiped a wayward tear from her eye. “God, I’m so glad you decided to come up here with me, Nasha. I’d be dead meat if you hadn’t.”

  “You would have survived, Kat.” Nasha batted her eyelashes, taking a sip of wine. “Albeit, not as easily. Ruling a territory is hard work, you know? And the dry old nobles that live up here are dreadful.”

  Katrina smiled, then took a moment to look over the grand hall, where the party that she had organized was in full swing. Dae lords and ladies were dancing in the center of the hall to a very sophisticated piece of music. Servants weaved in and out of tables and groups of nobles who sat or stood, locked in conversation.

  She let out a breath of satisfaction. The last two months had been a verifiable nightmare of logistics and on-the-job training as Hego of the Northern provinces of Lokkadonia. But Vul De Mar was a magnificent city; just a bit larger than Vul De Rah, the new capital of their clan. However, King Yomin, the previous ruler of Lokkon, had spent decades transforming this city into the quintessential hub of culture and wealth within the clan. He was a fool and a tyrant, but Katrina could appreciate his accomplishment.

  “Gone somewhere again?” Nasha asked, pulling her from her thoughts.

  “No, I just… it’s amazing what we’ve been able to do here.” Katrina recovered, pulling her bowl of wine up to drink.

  “You have done a wonderful job, Katrina.”

  “Please, me? Not a chance.” Katrina laughed, “I just sat here losing my mind while you did all the heavy lifting.”

  “My success is your success.” Nasha joked, shrugging her shoulders.

  Katrina took a tentative look at the entrance to the main hall. Then brought her attention back to Nasha.

  The Dae noble narrowed her eyes and grinned a sinister smile. “Who are you waiting for?”

  “I’m waiting for, you, to go get us some more wine.” Katrina laughed, pushing the empty jar toward her.

  Nasha waved down one of the serving girls, then handed her the jar. “It wouldn’t have anything to do with the fact that our High King is due to join us tonight, but is fashionably late, would it?”

  “No.” Katrina narrowed her eyes warningly. “And I wouldn’t go around spreading any rumors either, Nasha.”

  “I’m not the only one who has noticed, by the way.” She said, wistfully stirring her wine with a finger. “Turak has been telling me all~ about it.”

  “You’re still seeing him?” Katrina was genuinely surprised at that. Turak was usually far away from a woman once he had gotten what he wanted from them.

  “Is that so surprising?” Nasha asked, “He is actually quite the charmer, once you get past the Rexunii savage aspect of him. And as for his fascination with me? Let’s just say, I am more than capable of making sure he has nowhere else to look, when I’m through with him.”

  Katrina raised an eyebrow, her interest peaked. “Gross,” she said with a smile. “Tell me more.”

  “Trade secret, I’m afraid,” Nasha pouted, “but he has been talking about you and Alektor’s sudden interest in you lately. Our esteemed High King doesn’t have many confidants now that Reku has isolated himself, and Turak has been traveling up here every month. I noticed you two were getting a bit closer after the battle. But I thought it was just my imagination. It turns out my intuition was right once again.”

  “Don’t stretch too far to pat yourself on the back yet, Nasha. You might pull something.” Katrina shook her head, but smiled at her ward’s jabs. As much as she hated to admit it, she had found herself thinking about the man more often than she would have liked. But something romantic with him? It was out of the question. “He and I are friends now. Is that so bad?”

  “Men don’t have ‘friends’ that are women, Kat.” Nasha rolled her eyes. “You’re always a prospective mate to them. No matter who they are. Trust me.”

  “I don’t think I will.” Katrina shivered at the thought. “I’d like to think the world isn’t so black and white as that.”

  Nasha smirked and opened her mouth to answer, but the large doors at the grand halls’ entrance slid open, revealing a Dae man, clad in fine velvet clothing and an elaborate grey royal cloak wrapped around his shoulders. Trimmed with thick white fur, and with golden embroidery that traced the edges. He wore a thin crown of bone upon his head, and strode into the hall with the confidence of a true warrior.

  “High King, Alektor of house Roh!” The announcer called, before every occupant turned to face him, and bowed deeply at the waist.

  Katrina stood from her seat at the royal platform, an unintentional smile creasing across her face.

  Alektor walked forward, parting the partygoers as he moved past them, straight toward Katrina and Nasha’s elevated position.

  As Alektor ascended the steps, the music and festivities continued. “Hego, Katrina.” He said, nodding toward her in greeting. “It is wonderful to see you again.”

  “High King, Alektor.” She bowed, her smile growing. “Likewise.”

  Alektor removed his cumbersome cloak, handing it to several serving girls who practically ran over each other to get it. “I must admit, you have done a truly admirable job in organizing this territory. The council members are all impressed.”

  Katrina pointed toward Nasha, whose eyes widened in surprise. “I couldn’t have done any of this without her. Nasha has been invaluable to my efforts here.”

  “I see.” Alektor shifted his gaze toward her. “Then you are also due praise, Nasha of house Adomo. Thank you for your assistance and loyalty to the Spirit-Sent.”

  “Anything for the crown, and the Spirit-Sent, your majesty.” Nasha said, bowing her head.

  “I am pleased to hear it.” Alektor replied, “Would you mind allowing me to speak with the Spirit-Sent in private, Lady Nasha?”

  “Of course, your majesty!” Nasha sputtered, standing quickly and excusing herself from the table.

  Katrina placed her elbows on the table, steepling her fingers. “So, what brings you all the way out here? It couldn’t just be something as simple as you missed my company?”

  Alektor nodded, his stoic expression barely hiding his fatigue. “I wish it were as simple as that, Katrina.”

  “Are you alright?” She asked, more sincerity and concern in her voice than she intended. “You don’t look like you’ve been getting any sleep, Alektor.”

  Alektor waved her off with his hand. “Things have been hard to manage back in Vul De Rah. Or in Thule, for that matter. Multiple assassination attempts, on not just, my life, but Telmos and Avria as well.”

  “The Espi-Dae again?” Katrina growled.

  “We believed so at first. But upon further investigation, we determined that it was made to look like them for a reason. The source is outside of our borders, I’m afraid.”

  “Out… outside?” Katrina asked, puzzled. “Who? Why?”

  “We believe it is from our Eastern neighbors.” Alektor lifted his hand to gain the attention of a serving girl, who poured him a bowl of wine. “The Visothian empire has long been our rival. Going as far as to meddle in our political affairs from time to time. But to attempt to assassinate kings and high kings? It is far beyond anything we believed them capable of.”

  “What’s the history there?” Katrina asked.

  “Visoth is a temporal neighbor.” Alektor started, “They’ve been a thorn in our side for many centuries. But the last true war against them was nearly a thousand years ago. We’ve had border skirmishes and violence since then; quite often actually. But never a full-scale war. Something else has spurred this on. I think you know where I am going.”

  “Dio’Mar.” Katrina spoke the name like a curse, feeling a deep anger rise from within her. “That demon has caused so much death already.”

  “And, if it is indeed her, will likely cause a great deal more.” Alektor shook his head, letting out a deep sigh. “You are the first I have told of this, Katrina.”

  Katrina was taken aback and looked at him in astonishment. “Really? What about Turak?”

  Alektor made it a point to glance at Nasha who was across the hall, conversing with several noble ladies. “He has been quite occupied as of late. A strange development, given his nature. But a welcome one, I assure you.”

  “Well.” Katrina smiled again. “I appreciate your confidence in my ability to listen, and keep this information. But we need to tell the council about it, right?”

  “We will.” Alektor pulled a small bit of parchment from his pocket, and handed it to Katrina.

  “What’s this?” She asked, taking it and looking at the royal seal that was stamped on it.

  “It is a royal summons.” He said, finishing off his wine and lifting his bowl to have it refilled. “Our first full council meeting since before the battle. I wish to bring these findings up fully, during the meeting.”

  Katrina broke the seal, and pulled open the rolled paper, reading its contents. “So, it’s going to be next week?” Her eyes widened as she continued to read. “Right before Daniel’s wedding? He’s getting married to Avria so soon?”

  Alektor nodded. “It was his choice. Avria left it to his discretion, and he followed my advice to make it as soon as possible.”

  “Wow…” Katrina let the parchment fall to the table, a stab of emotional pain finding its way into her heart. “I’m happy for them.”

  “I know it is difficult, Katrina.” Alektor said, reassuringly. “What you did was admirable.”

  Katrina let out a sarcastic laugh. “Yeah, he chose her over me. And I let him go with the person he really wanted; really admirable…” She caught herself, then hung her head in embarrassment. “I didn’t mean that… I’m sorry.” She brought her hands up to her cheeks and slapped them a couple times, regaining her composure. “Forget about all that stuff. You and I need to relax a bit.” She stood, and made her way around the rather large table to his side. “Let’s go.” She extended her hands to him, and he looked at her skeptically.

  “Go, where?” He raised an eyebrow.

  “To dance; this is my song.” She smirked.

  “I don’t dance, Katrina. And I don’t believe you do either.”

  “Slander.” She giggled, “I absolutely have been learning. And I know you’re all tough and too cool for school. But you need to relax a bit. Shake off all this stress that’s killing you. Come on.”

  Alektor seemed to grumble inwardly while preparing his next protest, but Katrina reached down and grabbed his hands. Then she lifted him to his feet and began dragging him down to the dance floor.

  There were gasps and murmurs from all the surrounding nobles who frantically made space for them. Katrina quickly fell into step with the dances she had been learning, or, the dance that went along with this particular song at least. And was pleased to find that Alektor did, in fact, know the steps as well. The music was slow and emotional as she held on to him, allowing him to lead her. She felt a warmth in her chest as he did so, noting the cologne he wore, and how it sent a slight shiver down her spine. She wanted to tell herself that she was just searching for someone to hold onto, after Daniel had left her. But in truth, after the battle, she had been thinking about him quite a bit.

  “You seem very tense, Katrina.” Alektor commented, as he took her through a twirl.

  “It’s fine.” She laughed awkwardly. “You’re pretty good at this.”

  “As a member of the royal house, it is my duty to know these things. Though I would prefer never to set foot on a dance floor.” He grumbled.

  “You’re fine. Just live a little. Enjoy this with me.”

  They danced together for nearly an hour, making light conversation as they did so, until finally they both decided it was time to take a break, and moved back to the royal platform.

  Katrina sat with a huff next to Alektor, and before she could even raise her hand, serving girls brought them chilled wine to cool off. She drank deeply of the refreshing beverage and let out a breath of satisfaction. “That hits the spot.” She tilted her head towards Alektor, who was enjoying his own chilled wine. “Feel better?”

  He took a long breath, before nodding. “I will say that it was… pleasant.”

  “Good.” Katrina smiled, then leaned back in her chair. “You know… I’m glad you came out here, Alektor. I didn’t realize how much I missed our little conversations. And now that I know you can dance?” Her smile broadened.

  ~

  Robert winced at the sharp pain that shot through his left arm.

  “How’s that, your highness?” The physician asked, standing back from him to observe his work.

  Robert lifted the prosthetic arm, flexing it and moving his fingers, amazed at the strange sensation of feeling again. “It’s very good.”

  “Excellent! I am so pleased you like it, your highness.” The physician practically bounced with joy. “It was made to fit your body specifically. My team and I worked tirelessly on it for weeks.”

  “I appreciate it.” Robert said, standing and putting his leather shirt back on. “My attendant will take care of the payment.”

  “A thousand thanks, your majesty! Please keep us in mind if you have any issues, you would like tended to in the future.”

  Robert left the facility, a renowned physician’s office in the center of Vul De Rah, where he was referred by King Telmos. Guards fell-in beside him as he made his way back to the Palace, but he hardly noticed them. Each step he took was hollow, much like he felt after the battle. Demessa’s death had broken something within him, turned his thoughts from pain to indifference. And he would have fallen completely into darkness were it not for his children, who needed him, now more than ever.

  He had almost made his way back to Pontos the month before. At the request of Queen Athica, who was very homesick at this point. But after the attempts on Alektor’s life, as well as Avria’s and Telmos’ near assassinations, he decided to air on the side of caution and stay in Vul De Rah.

  As he made his way into the palace, a servant approached him, bowing at the waist and handing him a small piece of parchment, rolled and sealed. “Highness, your presence is being requested in the council chambers.”

  Robert took the scroll from the servant, then made his way to the council chambers, finding several people already there. King Telmos, Princess Avria, Lord Turak, and Queen Athica all sat at the large table in the center of the room.

  “Reku.” Telmos said, raising his hands in greeting. He grunted in pain as he attempted to stand, but Avria put her hand on his shoulder, keeping him in his chair. “How did it go with Dego? He’s the best physician in Vul De Rah for that sort of thing.”

  Robert lifted his new prosthetic arm, flexing his fingers for Telmos. “He did a fine job. I appreciate your recommendation.”

  “Wonderful.” Telmos gestured to an open seat. “Now, I’m sure you’re wondering why you’re here. As you might know, that little letter that you got, we all have. It’s a council summons from the High King. Who is currently on his way back from Vul De Mar, with Hego Katrina. He wants to have the meeting before or after Avria’s and Daniel’s wedding.”

  “I didn’t expect him to jump on it so quickly.” Avria huffed. “There are so many things that we need to do in preparation. But Daniel is anything but patient when it comes to things like this.”

  “It was your decision to leave it up to him, my dear.” Telmos chided. “I told you to wait for some time.”

  “Regardless, here we are.” She waved her hand in frustration, then turned to Athica. “Have you been in contact with Lord Rymo in Visgo?”

  “We have,” Athica gave Robert a tentative glance. “All reports from Pontos seem to be well in order. What about from Daniel? How is he faring in his new position?”

  “A position he won’t have for much longer.” Turak commented, earning a chuckle from Telmos.

  “Why is Alektor calling this meeting?” Robert asked, his voice gruff and tired. Everyone looked at him, seeming to take note of his foul mood.

  “We were going to get to that, Reku.” Avria said, narrowing her eyes. “It most likely has to do with the attempts on his, and our, lives. Our findings were disturbing, and he is most likely trying to prevent another war.”

  “They think we’re weak.” Robert said, tapping his finger on the table. “They believe that killing one of us will destabilize us enough for them to invade, right?”

  “That would be my conclusion, as well.” Avria agreed, “but we must be sure. The Visoth are a powerful people. Their empire has been breathing down our neck for centuries.”

  “So, why now?” Robert asked, looking at each of them. “Why not attack when we were in the middle of a civil war? It would have been much easier to do then.” His gaze intensified, as each of them shifted uncomfortably. “This has Dio’Mar written all over it.” He clenched his fists in anger. “If she’s pulling the damn strings, there isn’t any hope for peace.”

  “If that is the case.” Avria met Robert’s eyes. “Then we will have to defend ourselves.”

  Robert said nothing for the rest of the meeting, allowing the others to make the decisions for him. He didn’t care about the little things. There were far more qualified people on the council for things like that. Afterward, he made his way to Athica’s chambers. Passing a dozen royal guards, he entered her room, and saw his children in the hands of two wetnurses, who were pleasantly chatting with one another. As soon as he entered, they both shot up and bowed to him.

  “Highness.” They both said in unison.

  Robert nodded, approaching them slowly. A smile creased his face as he looked down at his children. “How are they doing?” He asked, the weight of sorrow being lifted the moment he saw them.

  “James is well, your highness. Hungry and strong.” The wetnurse said, holding his and Demessa’s son up so he could see him more clearly.

  Robert gently brushed the child’s head, then turned to the other.

  “Diana is faring exceedingly well too, your highness.” The other nurse said.

  Robert peaked into the bundle, seeing his daughter with Athica, sleeping soundly within the comfortable blanket. She had been born only three weeks ago, and Robert made sure he was there for it. Nothing would have stopped him.

  The door slid open again, and Athica entered, stopping in surprise when she met his eyes.

  “Reku.” She said, stepping forward slowly. “Is everything alright?”

  He nodded, looking again at his children, feeling the warmth of love in his chest. “Yeah, everything’s great.”