Page 17 of Wrath of the Dragons
“We thought it a fool’s errand.” Nessa’s voice shakes as Sorin’s head looms above mine.
“It appears the only fools are you.”
With nothing left to say, I turn my back on them, but Zander speaks before I get far, keeping his voice low as I did. “Do you truly think you can build a future with a man who hates the blood that runs through your veins? Your father will always be his enemy, and when you have heirs, those children might look just like him. Go back to your father and do your duty, Princess.”
The plea isn’t coated with condescension, it’s genuine. His last gift to the Atarah line before he leaves this world. I clasp my hands together to keep him from seeing the tremor that travels through me. “The future shouldn’t concern you; you have no place in it.”
“Elowen, wait!” Esme cries.
But I don’t.
Neither do Sorin or Venatrix as their jaws unhinge and flames spill on either side of me.
Chapter
Nine
Cayden
My head pounds in theaftermath of spending the day surrounded by people. War meetings are currently pointless considering we haven’t heard anything of Imirath’s or Thirwen’s movements, and yet my generals insist on meeting. If they weren’t good soldiers, I wouldn’t bother attending, but unfortunately for me, they are. Though I brought forth the matter of Aestilian after what transpired, and included Finnian in the discussion since he’s Elowen’s most trusted advisor. My generals needed to be warned that she and I will be leaving the kingdom when war is breathing down our necks.
I don’t want to lose more soldiers in another fruitless skirmish on the border, and I don’t want to advance the army before Thirwen arrives. If they dock in Vareveth while we’re in Imirath, we risk fighting a war on two fronts. I’ve walked the path to war since I was a child, and I will not be outwitted by a king who orders his army from behind castle walls while my sword is raised on the field.
I shove open the door to the suite and relish in the silence. Elowen only just got back an hour ago after flying all day, and I forced myself to listen to my generals ponder strategies to grant her some peace and privacy. I’ve made it clear that she’s welcome to join the meetings, but her time is best spent learning her dragons and testing commands. Knowing how gruesome battles can become, I’m relieved she won’t befighting on the ground, though picturing her hundreds of feet in the air doesn’t exactly ease my nerves.
A fire crackles in the living room hearth, casting a warm glow over the dark blue and golden upholstery. I stride past the couch, but rather than turning left, I veer right, bringing me to the rooms that were once my chamber in this shared suite. Tucking my hands into my pockets, I lean against the doorframe. Dark wood shelves line the walls wherever windows and sconces don’t interrupt. I kept the seating area by the fireplace and added stained-glass lanterns on the end tables to provide more light.
If Elowen knows I’m here, she doesn’t make it known and continues gazing through the balcony doors. The dragons fly above the icy lake as snow falls, casting a thicker blanket over the forest that stretches between here and Ladislava.
“Elowen,” I murmur while stepping forward, not wanting to startle her if she’s lost in her mind. “El.” My fingertips glide along the soft fabric of her lavender gown, and she sharply inhales when I slide my hand beneath her hair and rub the column of her neck.
“Aestilian.” She takes a choppy breath. “It must be evacuated.” I remain quiet to give her time to finish her thought. “We both know Garrick will try to hurt me however he can, even if it means killing an entire kingdom. Aestilian doesn’t have the power to face Imirath.”
“They can come here.” During the meeting, I compiled a list of houses in Verendus vacated by those loyal to Eagor or who have fled to the countryside to escape potential conflict as a result of the coup.
“If anyone chooses not to follow, I need you to promise me you’ll let them go. Don’t threaten them. They’ve been through enough.”
You’ve been through enough,I want to say.Too much.She’s been treated so poorly that she’s confused by kindness. Ailliard’s belittling treatment of Elowen was apparent from the moment I met the bastard. I’d have killed him that very day if I’d been sure it wouldn’t have turned Elowen against me.
“I won’t undermine you,” I state as she turns into my hand. “But I will act if they show signs of treachery or aggression toward you.”
I don’t know how to deal with those who stood idly by while Ailliard hurt her. Even if someone only watches a murder, they’re still an accomplice. Aestilian is practically defenseless, and we can’t afford to send soldiers to defend the north while we’re at war. Now that Imirath has united with Thirwen, we’ll need to start pressuring Galakin to take our side. Feynadra and Urasos are notoriously neutral and given Garrick’s conquering nature, as shown by the raids in the southern isles, they will likely remain so. Our best chance is Galakin. Not only do they have a terrible relationship with Imirath, they despise Thirwen.
Thirty-five years ago, the Crimson Tide War broke out between Thirwen and Galakin. Queen Cordelia, a princess at the time, had two sisters, not only one as she does now. The king didn’t have a son and named Cordelia his heir with the stipulation that she retain the Ilaria name instead of taking her husband’s. He promised his second daughter, Nasha, to the crown prince of Feynadra who currently rules the kingdom. But it’s unknown what truly happened to his third daughter, Cyra.
Galakin claims the second-born prince of Thirwen, King Fallon’s younger brother, stole her away after falling in love with her at a banquet, but Thirwen claims the late king of Galakin killed them both for their rebellion. Some people believe the pair of them escaped entirely and made a life for themselves. One of the bloodiest wars in the history of Ravaryn was fought over a misunderstanding that still isn’t solved. It’s called the Crimson Tide because for leagues, the sea ran red. Neither side was declared a winner considering the immense casualties.
Though the war ended, their hatred has only grown.
Imirath is a peninsula, and with the added force of the conquered isles, their navy is formidable. Thirwen is an island kingdom, as is Galakin, and both draw their power from the sea. Vareveth is landlocked in every direction but west, and though I’ve spent the last several years building my navy, the other kingdoms dominate in that sphere.
My first instinct is to keep Elowen here where the army surrounds her. The well-being of the people of Aestilian doesn’t keep me awakeat night—but Elowen will find a way to help them with or without me, and I need to be with her for the sake of my sanity.
She tries to drop my gaze, but I tilt her chin up. “What’s wrong?”
I saw the way she shifted when Zander spoke his final words, but I couldn’t hear him over the wind. If she weren’t still icing me out, I’d have found a way to keep her from flying away. I don’t know how to navigate this. I’ve never cared about someone’s reaction to my actions, but I’d rather Elowen scream at me than disappear into her thoughts, slipping through my fingers like grains of sand.
A knot forms between her brows, and she pushes away from me to face the window again. “I’ll command two dragons to guard the border between here and Imirath and two to guard the castle in our absence. Asena remains in the kingdom, and I sought her out before I returned to the castle. Ophir, the leader of the water cult, also entered the kingdom after we lifted the bans on magic. They combined their camp within the woods near Ladislava and said they can open a portal for us with their combined strength.”
