Page 14 of The Night Prince

Elasha flushed.“Only in the beginning!But when he heard Uncle’s rousing words about saving mortal lives, he came around!”

That had not been what hadrousedVesslan.It had been the possibility of ruling over yet another world and yet more people that hadrousedhim to take Aquilan’s side of things. But Rhalyf actually agreed with her about the miraculousness of what Aquilan had done in convincing the council.

The Radiant Council was the governing body underneath Aquilan in charge of the Empire. While the Sun King could make most decisions unilaterally, a determination to go to war–let alone reveal the Sun Elves’ existence to mortals and leave the Lieran Plane–had to be approved by the council.

The council was made up of the most stuffy and self-important of the Aravae noble Houses along with a few token members of the other species.Not that they mattered as they gotonerepresentative.While those Houses with more members had more representatives on the council and; therefore, more votes.Aquilan had focused on these big Houses to join him in saving humanity by promising them future land and riches on Earth as their own.Rhalyf had been surprised at Aquilan’s ruthless strategy,

“My king, I am impressed that you would use the property ofothersto pay for your allies’ loyalty,” he’d joked after Aquilan had made his presentation to the first big House.

“The humans will surely share with us if we save them!”Aquilan defensively responded, his cheeks heating.

But Aquilan had known very well that he had not promised to ask the humans tosharetheir land with the Aravae.No, the Houses wouldownthat land.They mightallowhumans to remain upon it, but that would be their choice.Not humanity’s.

“I am not criticizing you at all!”Rhalyf held up a hand to indicate that he did not mean to offend.Truly, Aquilan was showing the sort of political leadership that Vesslan only dreamed of having.“It was the right call.”

“Yet why do I have a feeling that youshouldbe criticizing me?”Aquilan sighed and shook his head. “Maybe I am criticizing myself. I gave away what is not mine to give.”

“Land and riches are of no use to the dead.”When Aquilan looked more grim at those words, Rhalyf put a hand on his king’s shoulder.“Aquilan, it was the only way enough Houses would agree to vote for your proposals.You recognized that people aren’t like you: willing to put themselves out there for the principle of the thing.You did what had to be done.”

“Did I do it for the principal, Rhalyf?Or because I undermined the delicate balance of the Under Dark in the first place and must atone for it?”Aquilan asked grimly.

“You didn’t.Wedidn’t.”Rhalyf’s hand tightened on his shoulder.“We only killed a handful of the Kindreth. How could that account for the Leviathan streaming into Earth?It couldn’t!”

“Rhalyf, nothing has ever passed between the Under Dark and Earth untilnow.Do you honestly think the Kindreth returning to the upper world for the first time in millennia and the breach between planes are not connected?”Aquilan’s expression was disbelieving.

“I have no reason to think they are except for the timeframe and even that is questionable.It’s not like the Leviathan came pouring out when we killed the Kindreth.It was over a decade later!”

“Perhaps killing them is what shifted the balance in the Under Dark, which slowly but surely undermined things.And if that is the case, then I…” Here, Aquilan screwed his eyes shut before he whispered, “Then I am responsible for the deaths of millions.”

Rhalyf shook his head.Normally, he would not speak so openly of the Kindreth, let alone admit to knowing so much about them.But the king’s distress caused him to drop the pretense of ignorance.So he plowed headlong into it.

“The Kindrethwardsare what has kept Earth safe. Not an army of Kindreth, or in the case of those we killed, a mere handful of them,” he argued.

Aquilan was shaking his head, but his eyes were open again so that was good as he answered, “We cannot know this.”

“On the contrary, I think we can.Or, at least, I can offer you a far more logical alternative as to what happened,” Rhalyf patiently explained.“Twenty or so Kindreth–no matter how powerful or determined, unless they were Vex himself–couldn’t keep the Leviathan horde in check, could they?”

Aquilan shook his head again, but he appeared far more thoughtful and less stiff.“No, I admit they could not.”

“We certainly wouldn’t have been able to kill them so easily if they were such a threat–”

“It was noteasyto kill them, Rhalyf,” Aquilan pointed out dryly.

“Maybe not.But it wasn’t the most difficult battle we’ve faced either!”

Aquilan crossed his arms over his chest.“Fair enough.It was not.”

“So the wards are the more likely cause of keeping the Leviathan at bay, yes?”Rhalyf looked intently at Aquilan.

A slow nod.“Yes, I suppose that is more likely than not.”

“All right then!So since the Leviathan got through then something happened to thewards, but we didn’t touch those.But someone might have.And who is most likely to have done that?”Rhalyf rubbed his hands together, warming up to his argument.

Aquilan’s left eyebrow rose.“The Kindreth we fought and killed?”

“Exactly! These rogue Kindreth came up to the surface of the Under Dark.They might have even gone into the old cities where the wards are anchored. Isn’t itmorelikely that they disturbed the wards–likely unintentionally–and weakened that protection?”

Aquilan frowned and admitted, “I suppose that could be possible.”

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