Page 133 of Duskbound

"Fia?" Vexa's voice had lost its edge.

I opened my mouth, closed it. The silence stretched uncomfortably.

"They need to know," Aether said quietly, though something in his tone suggested he understood my hesitation.

"She's the daughter of Prince Andrial Valtýr," he said finally, his voice carrying weight but not dramatics. "Heir to the throne of Umbrathia."

"How can that be?" Vexa's voice cracked. "Prince Andrial died of illness before bearing any heirs, before he even had the chance to marry."

"No." Aether's eyes had turned sharp. "That was the story we told the public. Urkin and I were together that day, when Riftdremar burned. When the Prince refused to leave." His jaw tightened. "The reports show he'd been splitting his time between realms in the months before. Nine months before her birth."

The room stilled as understanding rippled through them. My heart thundered in my chest as I watched their faces transform—confusion giving way to shock.

"A forbidden affair," Raven breathed. "Between realms."

"You're both—at the same time," Vexa said, studying me with new eyes. "Aossí and Kalfar."

"She is," Aether finished.

"How long have you known?" Vexa asked, her voice barely above a whisper. The question seemed directed at both of us.

"Since this morning." Aether looked back at me once more, a softness in his eyes.

"That's why Urkin..." Rethlyn trailed off, understanding dawning on his face.

"You outrank him, Fia," Effie managed, her voice barely there.

"So what should we call you now… Princess?" Rethlyn furrowed his brow as his eyes scanned the room.

"Of course not," I said a bit too quickly, my voice not as confident as I would have liked. “I'm still me. Fia… just Fia.”

"The Council will have to listen now," Mira said. "With Valkan's attack on the heir to the throne–"

"If they believe it," Theron cut in, though his earlier hostility had vanished. "This changes everything."

"It changes nothing." The words came out sharp. Suddenly, I felt as though I could move, breathe. I stood from my chair and walked to the center of the room. "We still need to get to Riftdremar. We still need to find that arcanite. My blood doesn't make our mission any less urgent."

"No," Aether said quietly. "But it gives us an edge we didn't have before." His golden eyes met mine across the room. "And right now, we need every advantage we can get."

Raven advanced towards me, that familiar glint returning to his eye despite the weight lingering in the room. He gave me a slight nod, something both playful and serious in his expression. "Well then. Let's go steal some arcanite."

The stables wereelectric with bodies rushing to prepare for the journey to Riftdremar. A woman in sentinel's armor stood near Vexa, her dark hair pulled back in a severe knot. The Umbra insignia glinted on her chest as she introduced herself as Dannika. Beside her, a thin man in Archivist robes shifted from foot to foot, looking distinctly uncomfortable among the Vördr. He gave a slight bow when Vexa introduced him as Tamir.

"Right," Vexa said, eyeing the two newcomers. "Dannika, you'll ride with me. Tamir..." She glanced around at the remaining Vördr.

"He can ride with me," Rethlyn offered, though his expression suggested he wasn't thrilled about it.

Tryggar huffed impatiently beside me, his wings rustling. The other Vördr seemed equally restless—Nihr pawing at the ground while Draug and Raskr shifted their massive forms.

I noticed the change in Dannika and Tamir's posture as I approached—how they straightened, their eyes dropping briefly before meeting mine again. The sentinel's earlier rigid demeanor softened into something like deference, while Tamir's nervous energy transformed into careful attention. News had spread quickly, it seemed.

Of course it had.

"Your High-" Tamir began, but Vexa cut him off with a sharp look.

"Just Fia," she said, and I shot her a grateful glance. At least my friends still saw me as myself.

"The rip hasn't been used in nearly two decades," Tamir said, clearing his throat and turning back to his map. "But based on the old records, it should be about an hour Northeast of Ravenfell, if we're flying, of course."

---