Page 51 of Lady of Ashes

“Sorin, you cannot be serious,” Eliza hissed from where she sat between Cyrus and Nuri.

Callan had no idea why the general was jumping into the conversation at this particular point in time. He had no idea why any of them were coming to his aid in this. Sorin had a point. Marriages among royalty were rarely for love. He had been an idealist to dream of ever having something like that.

“The issue of Veda can be handled later. The main concern here is the fact that I need to go home. Tonight,” Callan said. He glanced at Finn and Sloan. They were standing near the door, their arms crossed, looking grim.

“Not until this is ?gured out,” Sorin replied, barely glancing at Callan before his eyes went back to Arianna.

Callan’s jaw clenched at the obvious dismissal yet again. Sorin was saying something to Arianna, but the Shifter’s eyes were on Callan, a small smile playing on her lips.

“Destiny is a ?ckle thing, isn’t it?” Arianna said, interrupting whatever Sorin had been saying.

“This is not the time, Arianna,” Sorin sighed, leaning forward and bracing his elbows on his knees, his head falling into his hands.

“Is it not?” she asked. “Maybe this is the queen’s destiny,” she continued with a shrug.

Sorin was on his feet, with Rayner and Cyrus jumping to their own in case they needed to restrain the prince. “Herdestinydoes not lie withthem.”

“And if the Fates have declared it so?”

“She will crawl into the space between the stars and use her darkness to give the Fates physical form for the sole purpose of cutting them apart piece by piece for even trying to dictate her path, and I will be by her side handing her the blades wreathed in ?ames to do so,” Sorin snarled, his chest heaving. “Mention leaving her to thisfateagain, Arianna, and your assistance here will no longer be needed.”

“Defying the Fates is never easy,” Arianna said, unfazed.

“It is when you have every reason to defy them,” Sorin snapped in reply.

“Indeed,” was Arianna’s only response as she leveled her gaze on Callan yet again.

And he didn’t know what she wanted from him. What would ?ghting against Sorin accomplish? He was a ?re-wielding Fae prince with an entire Court of Fae backing him, not to mention a Witch and vampyre. What would he possibly be able to do against that?

“Prince Callan needs to go back tonight, Sorin,” Tava cut in. “Cassius’s life clearly depends on it. Scarlett will never forgive you if something happens to Cassius.”

“She will also never forgive me if I let Callan willingly walk into danger and enter into a union with a Maraan Lady,” Sorin countered, slumping back into his seat, his hands going through his hair again.

“So we do not send him back alone,” Tava said slowly.

“He won’t be alone,” Sloan chimed in from the doorway. “We’d be with him, but the two of us against the king and his Lords … That does nothing against Lady Veda.” He trailed off, clearly thinking what everyone else was.

Everyone else except Tava.

“So he goes back committed to another,” she continued. “Committed to another who has Maraan blood and is of nobility. Someone who would be acceptable and dif?cult to argue against.”

The room fell completely still at what she was suggesting. No one said anything for a full minute.

“I appreciate your loyalty to Scarlett, Tava. Really I do, but—” Sorin started.

“I do not offer this out of loyalty to Scarlett,” Tava interrupted, her lips pursing slightly. “I do this out of loyalty to my own kingdom. I do this out of loyalty to the children I have spent the last six months serving and protecting in any way I could. I do this because everyone should have a choice about their destiny, not just Fae Queens and Princes.”

Callan could only stare at this Lady who was willing to risk her own well-being for him.

No, not for him.

For innocent children. For her kingdom.

And some form of guilt and shame slithered down his spine as he admitted to himself he had been sitting idle and stagnant these last few years. For his entire life if he was being completely honest. The entirety of his life had been someone else deciding his every movement. From his father’s grooming to one day rule, to his mother’s constant pushing to meet every Lady in the kingdom to ?nd a bride. Even Scarlett taking him to the Fire Court for his safety, had been someone else deciding for him. He’d been sitting back. Letting it all happen to him. Content to just … let it. Content to let everyone else make the decisions. Content to wait for someone else to ?x things, to tell him what to do. Of course he was eager and willing to help in any way he could, but, despite once telling Scarlett his greatest desire was to take care of those already in their charge, what had he done to make any sort of difference? What had he ever done to prove to anyone that he meant those words and sentiments?

And what will you do when you are king, Callan? Will you wait for someone else to ?x things for you?

What would he do when he sat on the throne? When he was the one responsible for making the decisions? When thousands of people were looking to him to lead them?

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