Page 60 of Kingdom of Embers and Ruin

Herrick could only stare at his mother. The only feeling in his body was dread at her words.

“Even if Maude would have me, the treaty bans us from being together?” Herrick asked, his lips feeling thick and numb.

Despair was quickly following his panic; it saturated every nerve in his body. He felt time slow and then stop around him. His mother nodded, concern lining her features.

“The treaty does not allow royal families to mix bloodlines because the offspring of such a union would inherit the ability to channel all the elements through them. That child would be substantially more powerful than other pairings would allow. They would be able to rule all of Ahland with that power based on our laws,” she explained. "There is a reason our kingdoms operate so independently."

His mother avoided looking at him now. Herrick usually did not hide his emotions from his family; they knew him better than most.

“I’m sorry, my love. After I saw you two together last night, I knew I had to tell you to stay away.”

Herrick quickly buried all emotion deep into himself. Once he felt he could speak normally again, Herrick said, “There’s nothing to be sorry about, Mother. Maude and I are not anything for you to worry about. We fight with each other too much for anything else.”

His mother only eyed him for a moment before reluctantly accepting his words.

“I hope you’re right, son. Now, there is one other matter I need to discuss with you this morning. It’s time for me and your father to step down as rulers of this kingdom. We are going to be holding Hakon’s Betrothal Ball in a few days now that he has returned. We would’ve done it sooner, but your brother took off with you for your mission to Dagsbrun,” his mother said, changing course from one unpleasant topic to the next.

Herrick was still reeling from the news about the new barriers between himself and Maude that he had completely forgotten about what Hakon was trying to outrun.

When he and his friends were preparing to leave for their mission, which was still a secret to the Queen, Hakon had come to him and begged that he could come along. Herrick had agreed, thinking nothing of it until they were halfway to Logi and Hakon revealed his reason for fleeing.

The Betrothal Ball had been planned to take place while Herrick had been gone. Hakon, refusing to marry for the sake of his crown, had fought as hard as he could against it to no avail. Herrick had been furious at the duplicity but understood why his brother ran from this particular responsibility.

Now Herrick could see that Hakon was running from his fate the same way Maude was. He had sympathized with his brother, as Hakon had always expressed the desire to marry a partner that he could love and not just one that was appropriate for the Heir of Rivers. And then Hakon met Eydis in Logi.

Herrick had told Maude that Hakon and Eydis would never make it, and he had meant it when he said it, but after seeing Hakon storm out of his father’s office, Herrick knew there was conflict in his brother's heart.

“How does Hakon feel about this?” Herrick asked carefully, reaching for his coffee again and finishing it.

He needed this breakfast to be over so he could go plan their departure for Dagsbrun with Gunnar and Liv. He needed to get out of this stuffy room and breathe the salty air of the ocean. He needed to find a way to live with the idea that Maude could never be his.

Anguish flooded him again, and it took every ounce of strength to maintain a stony face.

“Hakon has pushed this off long enough; it is time for him to marry and ascend his throne,” the Queen spoke again.

Herrick had lived most of his life with his parents flipping their roles between loving parent and ruler in a single conversation to get theirway. This was how he managed to be such an effective general while also maintaining good relationships with his soldiers.

He’d learned from the best—gods, how he hated it.

“That doesn’t answer the question, mother. He isn’t too keen on picking a bride in one night. He's not built that way,” Herrick reminded her.

“When you are born to be a ruler, you learn very quickly that life isn’t always what you want it to be. There are more people to think about than just those in your life and more decisions to be made that only you can handle. Your brother may not want to be King, but that is the world we live in.”

With that speech, his mother stood and excused herself, her day filled with preparations for the ball. Before she left the room, she called over her shoulder to Herrick and said, “I’m holding the people’s court tomorrow; I expect you and Hakon to be there.”

She left without waiting for a response.

Herrick thought back on what Maude had said about outrunning her fate and how adamant she had been about running away from her position. He felt that Hakon was doing much the same now.

Thoughts of Maude now sent a pang of longing through him. She would not have him anyway, despite how her body reacted to his touch. Maude had been clear that she belonged to no one, and she would not be changing that. Now that he knew who she was, her reasons for staying alone were much more apparent to Herrick. It didn’t lessen his heartache, though.

He couldn’t see her again so soon after the madness of last night in the hall. The news he discovered this morning had forever put them out of arm's reach, and he knew he would break every rule for her if she asked him to. He turned down the hall that led to the grand staircase, passing smallalcoves with trickling water fountains and various plants growing up the walls.

He decided to avoid the training yard, assuming that would be the first place Maude would head to, and instead turned to find his brother's quarters on the third floor in the opposite wing from him.

Rather than knocking, Herrick opened his brother's door and walked into the ample living space that led to his bedroom. His brother's room mirrored his own, only slightly larger.

Where Herrick had piles of books and weapons littered throughout his space, Hakon was much tidier, with his belongings placed in the appropriate places and not a speck of dust on them. Hakon’s walk-out balcony faced the ocean, the rising sun still blasting warmth through the large window of the living space.

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