Page 121 of Oath of War
My anger slowly subsided, but it didn’t mean I was going to let them off the hook for blindsiding me like this.
‘Annika, will you care to answer our new king?’ Ari’s amused voice broke through my stream of thoughts. I look down to see Orm on one knee, holding up a beautiful ring with a red gem the exact colour of my soul’s aether.
‘This land needs more than a king,’ Orm said, his voice steady but filled with emotion. ‘It needs hope. From the moment I saw you fighting at the lake in Grey Stone Valley, alone and determined, you became my ray of hope that brightened my darkest days. I can’t do this without you.’ He looked up at me, a shy, boyish smile tugging at his lips. ‘My tenacious Nivale, will you be my Queen?’
The bear of a man had knelt in front of all those people, leaving Ozar’s future in my hands. He would make an excellent king, that I was sure of, but I certainly wouldn’t make a good queen.
‘Oh, for fuck’s sake, say yes. I want my new forge!’ Bryna’s voice broke the tension, and the gathered nobles started laughing.
‘Yes!’ I said, letting Ormond slide the ring onto my finger. ‘You’ll all end up regretting it. I’m not the best choice for the queen, but yes!’
Orm stood and turned to face the crowd, his voice carrying authority as he spoke.
‘According to the old laws of Ozar, there can be only one king. But while I have chosen my queen, there is also a man who holds my heart, without whom this country wouldn’t be free. Alaric’va Shen’ra will stand by our side. This will not be a monarchy, but a triumvirate. I will dedicate my life to restoring Ozar to its former glory, but Alaric will stand with us as our equal. That is my only condition, and it is one I won’t forfeit.’
Reynard looked at us, clearly surprised by the turn of events. He studied the three of us for a long moment before he smirked, raising a fist to his heart in salute.
‘You make your own rules, King Ormond. As long as they benefit your people, I doubt anyone will question them,’ he said, backing away to leave the three of us on the dais.
Orm addressed the crowd again. ‘The day my heart chose my queen, there was a big celebration in her town. Today, we will celebrate again. A winter solstice and a new beginning. Eat, drink and be merry. The time of grief is over.’
Ormond’s words were met with cheers, and I chuckled quietly as I nudged Alaric. ‘Our illustrious king forgot to mention that on the day he so-called chose me, I wanted nothing to do with him and got so drunk I could barely stand,’ I whispered.
Ari only smiled softly, his gaze filled with devotion as he looked at Orm.
‘I didn’t expect that,’ he murmured.
‘What? To become a king, or the celebration?’
‘Acknowledgement. I would be happy living in his shadow as long as we were together, but this ...’ Alaric said, a slighthitch in his voice. ‘Even in my empire, the second male is but a silhouette, rarely seen and almost never heard.’
I reached for his hand. ‘You are a warrior and a mage. I wouldn’t let you hide in the shadows. Orm did the right thing, and if this is to be our home now, we can rebuild it as we see fit.’
I stepped closer to Ormond, and he wrapped his arm around my waist, pulling me into his conversation with an elderly Moroi nobleman and the young woman beside him with a vaguely familiar face.
‘My lady. Err ... I mean, Your Majesty. I was just—’ the Moroi man stammered, his alabaster face flushed with panic.
‘Call me Annika,’ I said with a smile. ‘I’ve lived long enough as a peasant mage to feel uncomfortable with titles.’ I raised an eyebrow. ‘So, what you were discussing?’
‘Lady Annika, I was asking the king to grant mercy for the corrupted Moroi. There are ways to reverse the bloodlust, or at least control it for those too far gone,’ the woman said, looking between Orm and me, the spark of hope dimming the longer we remained quiet. ‘So many of us were lost. If there is any chance ...’
‘If there is a chance, then we’ll take it. I will honour my promise to you, Lara,’ Alaric finished for her as he turned his attention to us.
The woman beamed at him with such a beautiful smile that I felt a pinch of jealousy and reached for his hand, instinctively staking my claim. She bit her lip as I raised my chin, knowing nothing would hide the blush that crawled up my cheeks.
‘Very well, we won’t hunt your corrupted brethren, but I won’t make exceptions for those who kill to feed,’ Orm said, unknowingly saving me from further embarrassment. ‘Until you deal with the problem, find them a willing donor and ensure they can restrain themselves.’
Lara nodded, pulling the older man into a bow. ‘We will, Your Majesties. Thank you for your time.’
As soon as they left, Bryna took their place.
‘What about the soldiers? Those from Varta want to stay here, or at least a large portion of them do. They’ve asked for land to settle, and this kingdom needs farmers and workmen ... fuck it needs everything,’ she said, placing hands on her hips as if daring Orm to argue with her.
‘As long as Reynard grants them leave, they are welcome to stay and claim any land they feel they can manage—as long as it doesn’t belong to any human or fae already living here. They’ll also be obligated to return to service if the need arises—either they, or their children or grandchildren,’ Orm said.
Bryna frowned. ‘Only one per household,’ she insisted, her tone sharp. ‘You can’t strip farms and shops of every pair of working hands.’
‘Fine, you got them a deal,’ Ormond agreed, then smirked. ‘What would you like for yourself, Mistress Blacksmith?’
