Page 109 of The Forsaken Heir
“Oh,” I said, understanding dawning on me.
In truth, Delphine and I most likely wouldn’t have felt comfortable there anyway. My brother and the rest of my family had already shown they were willing to kill me. Who knows what they might do now?
“I kinda like it here, honestly,” I said after a moment.
“That’s good to hear,” Cassius said, and the expression on his face told me that he meant it.
I chewed at my lower lip for a second, not sure if I wanted to broach the subject, but after a bit of indecision, I went ahead.
“Your Majesty, I know?—”
“Cassius, dear. No need for the formalities.”
“Sorry, uh,Cassius, I know you said you didn’t want to talk about political things, but I’m really worried about Aurelius. Can you tell me what’s being done about the kidnapping?”
He sighed heavily. “I figured you’d ask. Truth? We’re sending word to everyone. You heard me when I gave the order. Envoys have been sent to every single dragon house on earth. We’re amassing the biggest force we can muster. Still, it won’t be anywhere near as big as the wolves’ forces. All of us together won’t number what the Laurents can call up from the western portion of the U.S. and Canada. We’ll do what we must, though. For my boy, I would move heaven and earth.”
“Aren’t you worried about the consequences? The Laurent forces will outnumber you, and any fighting will probably take place in and around their land. The way everything is set up, a lot of innocent people might get hurt or killed. Your numbers will be depleted even more than they are now. Humans might see or hear the fighting. It will be a disaster even if you’re successful in getting Aurelius back.”
“It is something I’ve weighed heavily,” Cassius agreed. “But it must be done. Bastien has shown that he’s willing to escalate things to a higher degree each day. Things have been like a tinderbox between our races for decades. My relationship with your parents was already strained, but ever since your brother took up the reins, it’s grown much worse. I have no doubt that if we do not fight now, he will bring the fight to us. My son is quite fond of diplomacy, as am I, but things change. When they’ve struck your cheek, you can turn the other, but what do you do when that cheek has also been struck? A person can only be pushed so far.”
We walked in a sweeping arch through the woods and angled back toward the castle. What Cassius said was true. Any animal would lash out and fight if they were backed into a corner.
A distant cry echoed toward us, drawing my gaze toward the sky. A dark gray dragon swooped through the clouds overhead, its wings outstretched and flexing with each flap.
“Who is that?” I asked.
Cassius glanced up and grinned. “Titus. He likes to fly when he’s stressed. It’s one of the benefits of living here at the estate. We can fly here without human eyes spotting us. Although, we do still have to be careful.”
“How do you think the fighting will go?” I asked as we made our way back to the castle.
“Badly, most likely. Though, I doubt many leaders in history sent their people to war without knowing the cost.”
“That’s a pragmatic way to look at it.”
“I am nothing if not a realist, Brielle, but I’ll do anything to bring my son home. If we don’t respond now, your brother might do something else even more brazen. I take no joy in it, but this must be done. Unfortunately, it falls to me to do it.”
When we got to my room, I realized I didn’t want to be alone anymore. Talking to Cassius was strangely comforting. The king was so fatherly, and for years I’d been craving that emotional connection of having a father. It made me both happy to have met him, and bitter about my own dad.
“Would you like to come in? We could chat some more,” I said.
His eyebrows rose in surprise. “Are you sure? I assumed you wanted time alone. Wasn’t that why you went to the library?”
I sighed and rolled my eyes. “Well,yeah, but now I think I’d rather not be alone.”
The smile that broke across his face actually made my heart ache. That this man, who had lost his son and was on the verge of a war that would most likely devastate his people, could still enjoy the company of a person he barely knew baffled me. But then I realized I was helping him cope as much as he was helping me.
“I would enjoy that,” he said, then held a hand up to a passing servant. “My dear, could you have a full tea service for two brought up to Lady Brielle’s room?”
The servant bowed her head. “Of course, Your Majesty,” she said before hurrying off.
“I hope you like tea,” he said.
“Well, it’s no pumpkin spice Frappuccino, but I think I can manage.”
Within minutes, two housemaids arrived. One carried a tray with a tea kettle, cups, saucers, and a selection of teas with accoutrements. The other, a three-tiered tray with small finger sandwiches, pastries, and tiny cakes.
“Thank you,” Cassius said as the women vanished out the door. He poured steaming water over the teabags. “Clotted cream with your tea?”
