Chapter 4 #2
She took a step forward, her arms flying out.
“I have seen the ships myself. There are thousands of them, and their drums echo across the Eiatis Sea. And these Fae? They are not just ruthless! They have magic like we don’t.
If they’re connected to the earth: They.
Do. Not. Deplete. Do you hear me? It doesn’t matter that you can fight with flame or mind—they will not tire! And eventually… they will kill you.”
Iviry’s words whirled down Loche’s spine, prickling it, until he shook his shoulders.
He could tell several of the humans and Fae around him had started fidgeting, worried murmurs bouncing between walls and people.
“This is why we need to work together!” Loche was glad his voice carried strongly over the crowds, even with the unease knitting in his gut. “Elessia and her wyverns will fight beside us, but there needs to be an us first!”
“But how can we trust the Fae?” a man in the crowd called out. “They just tried to kill us! They were coming behind that wave, and if that half… if Elessia hadn’t killed their king, they would have followed him blindly! They wouldn’t have stopped!”
“He’s right!” another shouted. “How do we know they won’t turn on us if it suits them better?”
A concurring murmur from the humans followed until it grew so loud that a few of the closest Fae hissed, their sharp teeth glinting menacingly in the light.
“How do we know you won’t take the weapons we’ve made for you and stab us in the back?” a Fae called back, several behind her nodding in agreement.
Magic flickered in the air again, and Loche ground his teeth, casting a warning look at a human who broke from the crowd, as if planning to lead the way if the Fae attacked.
“We are creating a council of Fae and humans to make decisions!” Iviry had to scream to be heard over the voices now rising from every corner. “We’ll be voting on everything we do! It will be joint decisions that lead us, not one people or one person!”
“We know of your mind powers!” a woman broke in, her voice rising at the end. “What’s stopping you from tricking any human on that council into agreeing with you? You can just make us into puppets that you command!”
Loche had to fight not to twist his lips, even as apprehension rose in the room, the crackling of the current soaring through the crowds.
She had a point. Lessia had broken the treaty between humans and Fae too many times for him to ignore it.
“What about a true joining?” A tall blond Fae stepped up to Iviry’s side—a man Merrick had called Dedrick Reinsdor on the ship here—and despite Iviry’s violent shake of the head, he continued, his hand raising until the Fae behind him went silent. “You are mates, are you not?”
Dedrick’s words quieted even the loudest humans, and Loche cursed himself for swallowing so loudly in the silence, sweat starting to bead above his brow.
When neither Loche nor Iviry responded, Dedrick frowned, but his voice remained level as he continued.
“While Rioner never honored it, it is forbidden for Vastala Fae to harm someone’s mate and anyone they might love.
” He glanced between Loche and Iviry. “By your formal mating—or marriage, if you prefer, as I believe that’s what humans do—you’d protect the humans from any threat Vastala Fae might pose.
Everyone can see the love you have for your people, and as such, they’d all be protected. ”
Loche didn’t think his heart could beat any harder than it had before, but when people around him began nodding, it felt as if it would escape his chest.
Mating?
Marriage?
He’d barely spoken to her!
But as he met more eyes of his people and the fear in them faded, something akin to hope blistering there, he swallowed any and all arguments he’d had against it.
He’d pledged to do everything in his power to keep Ellow safe, and so far… he’d not honored that vow exceptionally well.
This? If this… marriage was what would keep his people safe—make them unite with the Fae to save their world… what choice did he have? It was his duty as regent, and besides… it wasn’t like the one he’d once hoped to marry was available anymore.
As he caught more of his people’s gazes, watching them evaluate how he responded to this suggestion, Loche thought that he and Lessia would never have lived this down—would have never found that happy ending.
He’d been so naive, thinking he could offer her to rule beside him.
While Havlands and Ellow had come far during his years as regent, they weren’t there yet. Today had made that very clear.
And for the first time… no stab of pain jolted him as he thought of it.
He still loved her. He always would. But… he’d let her go. He really had.
After seeing Merrick save her that day… after seeing what the Fae warrior was willing to sacrifice… there wasn’t anything left in Loche that believed she shouldn’t be with him.
Zaddock’s blue gaze was the only one amongst his people that filled with worry instead of hope as Loche’s touched it, but there was also something in there fighting the concern for Loche.
It was… fuck, it was relief—relief that could only come from being able to keep the stubborn blonde he chased after safe.
That ember of peace in his friend’s eyes made up his mind.
Turning toward Iviry, he pursed his lips, trying to read something—anything—in her face. But her beautiful features were void of emotion as she stared back at him, and when he raised his brows, the female only bowed her head.
In agreement or sorrow, Loche didn’t know.
He could feel both from her.
“Then we shall marry,” she stated when silence stretched on too long. “A true bond, mated leaders, and a joint council will unite Vastala and Ellow. All our people will be protected, kept safe, through the oath we will swear to each other.”
Loche took a step toward her when her voice shook—just for a second—but she placed a hand on his arm, and to most eyes it probably looked like a loving squeeze, but it wasn’t love at all.
Iviry gently shifted him so she was closest to the door, and she had already begun walking toward it as she declared, “W-we’ll take a break now to discuss how to set everything up—and what the implications of this will be for Havlands’ future.
We’ll… we’ll meet again tonight to discuss the prisoners. ”
Her luminous hair flew behind her as she stormed out into the rain, and Loche knew…
The door that thudded shut behind her wasn’t just to this old house.