Essence of the Throne (Shadows of the Crown #2)

17. Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Seventeen

Caspian

T he silence between Ariella and me feels charged as we walk through the castle halls. My muscles are still sore from our sparring session yesterday, but the physical discomfort pales compared to the storm in my mind. I glance at my wraith, her bright hair catching the morning light. She hasn’t spoken much since her encounter with my mother, and I can’t blame her.

The way my mother looked at her…there was recognition there, mixed with something else I couldn’t quite place. And that comment about Valyria—Ariella’s mother. I’ve never heard my mother mention her before, which only adds to the growing list of questions I have.

My jaw clenches as I think about the children being taken from their families. The peoples’ anger haunts me. What could my father want with them? The guards won’t tell me anything, and the castle staff avoid eye contact whenever I pass. Even Gavriel seems on edge, though he insists he knows nothing.

I should have seen this coming. The signs were there—the increased security, the whispers among the nobility, my father’s growing paranoia. But I was too focused on other things…namely Ariella, but I cannot be blamed for caring for the woman .

My hand flexes at my side, remembering how she nearly released her forbidden essence yesterday. The raw vulnerability in her eyes before she ran. I’ve never seen her like that, and it terrifies me how much I want to see more. To understand every part of her.

But that will have to wait. My mother wouldn’t request a private audience without reason. The fact that she’s choosing now, after everything that’s happened, is not a coincidence. My stomach turns as I consider what this could mean. Where do my true loyalties lie? With my family and the crown I’m meant to inherit? Or with the woman beside me who’s shown me just how corrupt that crown has become?

And why does it matter so much to me? The king is the problem, not the queen or princess. I need to take care of him and do my best to leave my mother and sister out of it.

I steal another glance at Ariella, her face set in that carefully neutral expression she wears like armor. Her strength is so beautiful.

I pause outside my mother’s study, turning to face Ariella. “Wait here.”

She crosses her arms, leaning against the stone wall as her eyes form slits. “If there’s even a hint that something’s wrong, I’m breaking down that door.”

“Didn’t realize you cared so much about my wellbeing, angel.” I smirk, unable to help myself.

Her eyes glisten dangerously. “I don’t. But I need you to figure out what’s happening with the Accord and your father. You’re no use to me dead.”

“Your concern is touching.” I lean in to kiss her, but pull to the side at the last moment so my lips graze her cheek instead.

I do not miss her irritated expression before I enter my mother’s study. The familiar scent of jasmine tea fills the air as I find her perched in casual elegance at her desk, hands folded in front of her.

“Mother.” I bow my head before taking a seat across from her.

“My darling boy.” Her voice is soft, but there’s tension around her eyes. “I’ve been worried about you.”

“I’m fine. Though I’m more concerned about what’s happening here. Father’s behavior is worrisome.”

She releases a sigh from the depths of her soul, reaching to pour us both tea. There are lines on her face that weren’t there just months ago; lines that surround her eyes and mouth, deepening when she frowns. She’s just as stressed as me, and I’ve been a terrible son. Have I once asked how she’s doing? “Yes. He’s…changed. Grown more secretive. Even from me.” I note the slight tremble in her hands as she sets down the pot. “He spends hours alone, won’t tell anyone what he’s doing. He’s so temperamental that I’m afraid to even speak around him. This isn’t the man I married.”

I study her. My mother has always been politically savvy, choosing her words with precision. No matter the current events, she’s always insisted as being a united family through everything. The fact that she’s openly criticizing the king means something is very wrong.

“The other day,” she continues, voice dropping lower, “I saw him heading down to the tunnels beneath the castle. He was different when he returned. Almost feverish. I’m very worried about him, Caspian.” My chest squeezes at the pain in her voice. She shouldn’t have to worry this much, and while I won’t reveal mine and Ariella’s plans, I can at least try to alleviate some of her concern.

I nod, leaning forward to grab my tea. “I am looking into it. You can trust me to figure this out,” I promise.

“Be careful, my love.” She reaches across to clutch my hand for a moment before settling back. “Your father is not himself. I couldn’t bear if anything happened to you.”

“How is Vespera handling everything?” I ask, sipping the jasmine tea. The warmth helps ease some of the tension in my shoulders, and I relax back into the cushioned chair.

Mirroring my position, Mother’s face softens at the mention of my sister. “She misses you. Though she’s been keeping herself busy with her studies. That new tutor you recommended has been wonderful.” Her smile is bright as she moves to sip from her cup. “She’s already reading in three languages.”

“ Three ? Last I checked, she could barely get through one without complaining.” I chuckle, remembering how she used to hide her language books under her bed. The girl hates schooling and would much rather spend her days shopping her way through the kingdom. She is interested in fashion, and I believe she’s begun to make some of her own clothing.

“Oh, you should see her now. She practically lives in her textbooks! Though…” Mother pauses, her lips turning down as a crease forms between her brows. “She asks about you every day. Wants to know when you’ll be back for good. I think she’s lonely without you here.”

“I should visit her more.” Guilt gnaws at my stomach. Between the competition, Ariella, and everything else that’s arisen, I’ve neglected my little sister. “Maybe we could have dinner together soon? Just the three of us?”

“I would love that.” Mother’s smile reaches her eyes this time. “Though you’ll have to suffer through her latest obsession; she’s convinced she’s going to train drakes now ever since she’s learned the history of Invalle.”

I nearly choke on my tea. “Drakes? Where did she get that idea?”

“Those stories you used to tell her about the griffin riders in the mountains. She found some mention in her texts that claim drakes are far friendlier than griffins, and now she’s determined to be a rider just like in your fables.” She shakes her head, laughing while a hand caresses the braid of her dark hair.

The mental image of my proper little sister chasing the beasts around the cliffs makes me laugh genuinely for the first time in days. I'm told the miners have a hard enough time securing their aid in relocating metals. While the drakes prefer solitude in their caves, they have been helpful to miners in recent centuries, accepting food offerings and inheriting newly forged caves after the metals are extracted. “That sounds like her. Remember when she tried to tame that fox that got into the garden?”

“Oh Angel, don’t remind me. The groundskeeper still hasn’t forgiven her for releasing all his chickens as ‘bait’.” We laugh together as she sets down her tea. Her scrutinizing gaze sweeps over my features before settling on my eyes, and I know she’s about to reveal the real reason she wanted me here today.

Mother’s expression shifts as she sucks in a breath before speaking. “Now, about the girl.”

I tense, though try to keep my face neutral. I don't need to ask to know who she's speaking of. “What about her?”

“I must admit, I’m rather curious. The rumors say she’s a very deadly and deranged woman, yet here she is, following my son around like a stray animal.” Her tone isn’t unkind, but there’s an edge to it that makes my skin prickle.

“She doesn’t follow me around,” I counter, perhaps too quickly. “We’re working together.”

“Mm.” Mother studies me over the rim of the cup she holds once more, almost as if she needs some way to occupy her hands. “And what are you working on that requires the Silver Wraith’s particular skills?”

I choose my words with care. “We share similar concerns about recent events.”

“I see.” She pauses, something flickering in her eyes. “She looks so much like Valyria. The same silver hair, same fierce spirit. Though Valyria was more gentle. Less,” she pauses, waving her hand through the air, “hardened.”

My curiosity peaks, and the question comes out before I can stop it. “You knew her mother?”

“We were close, once. Before.” She pauses, pressing her lips together. “Tell me, does she have her mother’s affinity for fauna essence as well?”

The question seems innocent enough, but there’s a glimmer in mother’s gaze that makes me wary. “Her records state just the flora strand from her living affinity.” Curse my vague answers—she will catch the half-truths.

“Yes, I suppose that’s true.” She sighs, a sort of sadness crossing her features. “And you…how do you feel about her?”

I blink. “What do you mean?”

She smiles, giving me a look that says I know exactly what she means. Perhaps I do. “I am not ignorant to the ways of young people. I’ve seen how you look at each other. How she watches you as if her life depends on it.” She purses her lips, considering. “I’m just curious. Whatever you feel must be strong enough to illicit such reactions toward her.” I didn't realize she'd been paying so much attention to Ariella.

I shrug, idly running a hand through my hair. “I suppose you are correct, yes.” I’m not sure why my body feels so uncomfortable.

“Has anything happened between you two?” The question catches me off guard and she sees the confusion, chuckling. “Not intimately. But, anything that has felt strange? ”

Yes—too much. “No, nothing. Unless you’d consider her threatening my life at least once a day strange, that is.” She sees right through my miserable attempt at deflecting. I know she does. She watches me for a moment, humming to herself before smiling once more.

“Just be careful with that one, Caspian. Her mother had good intentions too, in the beginning.”

“What are you alluding to?”

“Nothing, darling.” Another smile, though this one doesn’t eclipse her eyes. “I simply worry. A mother’s prerogative, you understand. Though I must admit, the way she watches you is curious.”

Heat creeps up my neck. “Mother—”

“Oh, don’t look so embarrassed, Caspian. I’m just making an observation.” Her smile turns knowing. “Though perhaps we should discuss your rather interesting choice of training attire yesterday?”

I lurch to my feet, more than ready to leave. Without answering, I lean forward to kiss her cheek and say my goodbyes before exiting the study. Opening the door, I find Ariella and Gavriel in what appears to be a heated but whispered argument. My guard’s face is red, flushed with blatant anger. I’ve never seen him this enraged before—well, aside from yesterday. He storms off before I can ask what’s wrong.

“What was that about?” I ask Ariella.

She shrugs, dismissing the inquiry. “Nothing important. What did your mother say? ”

“Let’s talk somewhere more private.” I lead her toward the back gardens. We need to discuss investigating the tunnels, but first I want to understand what has Gavriel so upset.

The sun beats against my neck as we walk behind the castle. The late morning heat is already making the air thick and uncomfortable—strange sensation when it should be chilled outside, regardless that I now know it's the balance's doing. I direct us to a secluded corner where stone benches rest beneath flowering vines, neither of us speaking the entire way. The sweet fragrance of blooming lavender and myrralyn settles my mind and eases the tension from my shoulders.

Ariella moves with that conditioned grace of hers, choosing to lean against a pillar rather than sit. Her eyes scan our surroundings—a habit I’ve noticed she never breaks, even in supposedly safe spaces. It's moments like these I find it difficult to look away. When a pull in my chest implores me to close the distance between us.

“My guard seemed rather upset.” I watch her reaction for an answer, regardless that I know her expression will not grant me one. Her jaw tightens almost imperceptibly.

“Gavriel has opinions about things that do not concern him.” Her tone is clipped, warning me to drop it. But I can’t. Not when his behavior has been so erratic as of late.

“He’s never acted like this before.” I step closer, close enough to catch the inviting warmth that always seems to cling to her skin. “What did he say to you? ”

Her steady gaze meets mine. “The usual. He believes I’m a threat to you. I’m manipulating you against your father.” A harsh laugh escapes her. “As if you needed any help seeing what kind of monster sits on that throne.”

I run a hand through my hair, frustrated. “And what did you tell him?”

“That he should worry less about how many treats you’ll give him later and more about keeping his head attached to his shoulders if he continues to question me. Fuck your demands. I’ll drive my blade so deep in his heart that he’ll feel it in the next life.” Her fingers tap against her thigh, just above where she keeps one of her countless blades.

I sigh, reaching for her hand. She allows the touch, which still surprises me every time. “I love your murderous inclinations, I do, but he’s just trying to protect me.”

“I know.” A brief vulnerability flashes in her eyes before she masks it, pushing from the stone to continue walking. “But he will understand that I’m not the enemy here, otherwise I’ve no qualms about becoming his.”

The words hang between us, heavy with meaning. Because she’s right—she’s not the enemy, not truly. But admitting that means accepting everything else that comes with it. Including what we might have to do to my father. The thought of which is treason in itself, so maybe we’re both the enemy.

I watch Ariella as we proceed through the gardens, her steps silent even on the gravel path. The weight of everything settles deeper into my being with each breath. Even the air feels dense, pressing down on me like a physical manifestation of my stress.

“We need to investigate those tunnels,” I say, breaking our pleasant silence. “Something’s happening down there and we need to know what before the week is up. Mother mentioned seeing Father emerge from them looking feverish.”

Ariella’s eyes narrow. “Your mother notices more than she lets on.” Her tone carries a hint of suspicion, but I ignore it. The woman is suspicious about everything. “But yes, I agree. Though we need to be strategic about this; the king is not exactly leaving them lightly guarded anymore.”

We reach the lake at the far end of the gardens, its usually peaceful surface reflecting an overcast sky. The water appears almost metallic today, reminding me of Ariella’s hair. I lean against the old oak tree that’s stood sentinel here for over a century, its thick trunk offering some privacy from prying eyes, though I haven’t seen the normal abundance of faces mulling around today.

“What if we—” I start, but Ariella holds up a hand, silencing me. Her head tilts as she studies the lake’s surface.

“What is that?” she murmurs, approaching the water’s edge. I follow her gaze but see nothing unusual at first. Then I notice it—small droplets of water beginning to rise from the surface, and a sinking feeling drowns out all other thoughts. The drops hover like suspended tears before falling back down, creating ripples that spread across the lake’s surface in circular patterns.

More water begins to rise, forming floating spheres that catch what little sunlight breaks through the clouds. It’s beautiful in an unsettling way, like watching smoke curl into impossible shapes. The display reminds me of the stories my mother used to tell about the Aether realm, how sometimes strange things would occur and defy the normalcy we’ve come to know in this realm.

“By the Angel…” I breathe, unable to look away from the preternatural display.

"What in the Aether." Ariella’s voice is subdued, her usual sharp edges dulled by what almost resembles concern. She trails off, her gaze fixed on a particularly large sphere of water rising to the height of the tree. Whatever force holds it falters, and the water crashes back into the lake with a resounding slap. I frown at the noise, turning to my companion as she bristles beside me.

I want to reach for her, to pull her close and shield her from whatever is coming. But I know better—she’d likely break my arm for trying. Still, the protective urge burns deep within me. I’ve watched her fight griffins, take down multiple attackers while poisoned, and face my father without flinching. Yet something about her expression now, as she observes the water go against nature itself, makes me want to gather her in my arms and never let go.

She pivots to face me, the usual hardness returning to her eyes, though there’s more there too—determination maybe? Or fear? It’s sometimes impossible to tell with her as she’s seemed to have perfected her mask of emotions over the years. “I need to speak with Marek.”

“I’ll come with you,” I offer, already knowing her answer .

She shakes her head, a hint of amusement crossing her features. “No. You have that meeting with your father, and I need to handle this alone.” Her tone leaves no room for argument, though that’s never stopped me before.

But the mention of the king sobers me. I would do just about anything to keep from going to this meeting—another discussion about securing the kingdom’s future that is promised to be more justifications for stealing children from their families. My stomach turns at the thought. I don’t know if I’ll be able to hold in my raging thoughts, but I must try. Especially if Ariella will be away for a while. Who knows what my father will attempt to do to either of us. He seems hesitant to try anything when we’re together, but he’s right to fear the woman next to me, even if he doesn’t know her secrets.

“Fine,” I concede, though everything in me rebels against letting her go alone. “But promise me you’ll be careful. Father’s men are everywhere in the city now, and after what happened with the crowd earlier, I do not trust anyone around you.” Hopefully, the people of Valoria still have enough sense to not provoke the Silver Wraith.

The lake’s surface continues its unnatural display, and my hands itch at what it means. We've already seen the effects through the unnatural weather phenomena. Ariella stands at the water’s edge, too close for my comfort, no doubt doing it deliberately just to get under my skin.

“I don’t like this,” I mutter, moving to stand beside her .

She hums in agreement, her eyes tracking another sphere of water as it rises. “As if we needed another fucking reminder of the damn balance.”

“Just another thing my father’s to blame for.” The words taste bitter on my tongue as my fists clench at my sides.

“Precisely.” Her voice carries that edge it gets when she’s piecing something together. “Though this is more intense from the other signs we've seen. The other signs were more subtle, or what I’m thinking are signs, at least. This is”—She gestures to the floating water—“like the ground shaking.”

I chew on my lip before stuffing both hands in my pockets. “And you think Marek will have information?”

“Yes.” She finally tears her gaze from the lake to look at me. Her bright eyes study me, considering, before she continues. “I need to kill him, Caspian. This stops now.”

My chest tightens at her words. She’s right—we’d barely made it through the castle gates before witnessing his latest atrocity. The memory of those parents’ screams lingers in my head, mixing with the sound of water droplets falling back to the lake’s surface.

“I know.” I step closer, lowering my voice, though we’re alone. “But like you said, we need to be smart about this. There’s far more than just royal sentries here. I’ve seen many direct from Frostwell, which cannot be a good sign.” I pause and consider my words. “Actually, their bi-annual competition is supposed to begin tomo— ”

“I don’t fucking care.” She cuts me off, but there’s no real heat in her voice. “I will personally remove each of their heads if that’s the kind of show Thalion wants before I send him to the Angel.”

The admission shouldn’t warm my chest the way it does. Angel help me, I was truly fucked up to feel pleased that she’d chosen to murder my father instead of me, and now I feel warm at her increasing threats? Foolish.

“I want to ask you something,” I blurt before I lose my nerve. “The things my mother said about yours—”

“Not now.” She glances around, though I know she’d have sensed if anyone was near. “Your mother is far too perceptive. I trust her not one hair more than I do your father.”

I want to defend my mother, but we don’t have time to sit and argue about trivial opinions.

“Fine. But we will discuss it later.” Not a question, though surprising when she nods once, the movement sharp and decisive.

“After I speak with Marek.” Her eyes drift back to the lake as she bites down on that fucking lip. “You should go. Your father will be waiting. And don’t listen to a fucking thing he says, all the man seems to do is lie.” She frowns as her tone shifts to something harder, more familiar.

I swallow around the growing thickness in my throat. “I know.” And I do. The king sitting on that throne isn’t my father anymore—hasn’t been for a while, and I’ve ignored that fact far too long. “Will you come find me after you speak with Marek?”

She studies me for a moment, and I wonder if she can see how much I need her to say yes. Then, a single nod. “I’ll find you.” The confirmation is nice, but I hear the silent promise in her tone: always.

The words drive heat through my veins, remembering all the times she’s tracked me down. In the training room that first day, in my chambers after she was poisoned, when she trusted me with her entire life after the griffin attack…this little wraith has sought me out more than I think we both realized.

“Be careful,” I mutter again, knowing she won’t listen but needing to say it anyway. Why am I feeling so clingy? The thought of her leaving sours my stomach far more than it should.

A familiar smirk crosses her face. “You’ve clearly forgotten who I am, prince. The city was never safe.” She closes the distance between us, her heat brushing against my skin. “Now it’ll just be extra fun.”

I groan. “Angel, don’t talk like that right now. I have things to do, and unfortunately for both of us, you are not one of them.” Her answering laugh is dark and promising.

It takes everything in me to turn and walk away, especially when I hear her mutter something about my ass under her breath. But I must focus. Whatever my father has planned for this meeting, I need to be prepared.

Still, I can’t help looking back once more before I round the corner. She stands at the lake’s edge again, silver hair catching the light as the water appears calm once more. She looks ethereal, dangerous, and beautiful in equal measure.

And entirely mine .

The thought should terrify me. Instead, it fills me with a fierce sort of pride. Let my father try to separate us. Let Gavriel question her motives. Let my mother warn me about her.

None of it matters. Because somehow, against every odd and probably against the Angel’s wishes, the most feared woman in the kingdom has chosen me. And I’ll be damned if I let anyone take her from me now.