The Untold History
“The king has another son?” Acton asked, surprise written all over his face.
I watched the others to see their reaction, and what do you know, Porvan was the only one who showed fear at this news.
I sat down, leaned back in my chair, and stared Porvan down until he decided to share what he knew with the rest of us.
I was tired of having to ask and drag information out of these men, but something told me the others wouldn’t like that he kept this from them.
“He was banished deep in the lands of Utros, carefully guarded and locked in a tower,” Porvan blurted. “How could he have gotten out?”
“His Birthright,” Gavin spoke up. “Henry can get in people’s heads and make them do what he wants them to. I watched him do it countless times to his soldiers and anyone he needed to control.”
“How do we know your brother is not controlling you at this very moment?” Xio growled, narrowing his eyes at Gavin. “It would be the perfect strategy.”
Gavin just shook his head. “If he took over my brain, then my Birthright would be canceled out, and he needed me to get information out of people without damaging them. His gift destroys weak-minded people, turning them into babbling idiots who should be killed to put them out of their misery.”
“This is why you wanted him in here… to get us to spill all our secrets!” Porvan roared, slamming the table, shoving his chair back, and storming toward me.
Dayson and Abbott created a wall of muscle, blocking him from getting close to me as May came to stand right behind me. Cole looked like he wanted to murder the man but hung back with Payson, watching the situation, ready to move at a moment’s notice.
“Do you really think that is what’s happening, Porvan?
Because to me, it seems you have all been keeping your mouths shut tighter than a bear trap.
If Gavin were using his powers, you would be singing like a bird.
Now, sit down before I make you sit,” I ordered from where I remained seated in a show of confidence I definitely didn’t feel.
Abbott escorted Porvan back to his seat but stayed behind him to ensure he didn’t pull a stunt like that again.
“How did you know about the king’s bastard?” Garold asked.
Porvan shifted in his seat, clearly knowing what he was about to say would not go over well. “The king paid us to take him since he couldn’t let anyone in the kingdom know. It was before his marriage, and he couldn’t have anything stop that from happening.”
Garold flinched back like he’d been slapped.
“How dare you sit there and tell our queen that she isn’t fit to rule us when you’ve had a hand in something like this!
Treachery will always come back to bite you in the ass, Porvan, and now it’s your time to bend over and take it.
Enough with the pussyfooting around. Tell us everything you know about this bastard who snuck his way onto our lands. ”
I had to hand it to Garold. He didn’t mince words, but I agreed with him on all fronts. It was time we all came clean about things.
“Richard, a member of the Raven Rose clan, was his inside man and is also the one who kidnapped me. They wanted to smuggle me into Errit and lock me up. For what purpose, I don’t know, but my guess is that it would be tied to the fact I can speak to Vasin and access his knowledge.
Gavin was also abducted to be used by the Lost King as he grows his army of Errits and our own people who have been brainwashed or forced into it.
This is no longer just a matter of the mercenaries trying to survive.
If the Lost King takes Royal City, then all will be lost, and we will need to flee,” I admitted, watching the faces of all the people in the room and the understanding they now have.
“I propose that we reach out to Queen Mary and let her know that Gavin is safe and with us. If we can get the king and queen to work with us, then we have a greater number of fighters and dragons.”
The room fell quiet at my words, and tension filled the air at my proposal.
I knew I was asking a lot of them, but we didn’t have the luxury of wasting time fighting about who’s right or wrong.
Porvan needed to share what he knew, giving us something to work off of, even if it was from so long ago.
Knowledge was power, and the Lost King had decades to plot this revenge, and having the Errit kingdom behind him added to his power.
“Are you sure that is wise, Your Majesty?” Acton asked, resting his chin on his hand. “Wouldn’t keeping Gavin’s presence here a secret be more to our advantage?”
“Not if we are working to combine forces. This is the perfect time to mend the divide between our people, and Gavin is the perfect person to help. If he is willing to play the middleman and convince his mother to talk to us in a neutral location, then we have a chance to share part of what we know and give her son back if he chooses to return,” I elaborated.
“You want him to stay with us?” Xio interjected, apprehension written all over his face.
I turned and spoke directly to Gavin. “Prince Gavin is his own person, and I believe everyone should have a say in their future. If we manage to make an agreement with the king and queen and Gavin would like to remain here as their ambassador, I will happily accept. Likewise, if he decides to leave and return to the palace and his role as crown prince, I wish him all the best.”
The astounded look on Gavin’s face told me what I already knew—never had someone let him choose his own fate.
I had firsthand experience with this, and I would never take that option away from someone if I could help it.
I couldn’t explain it, but I felt a connection to Gavin on a level I don’t know if any of the people around me understood.
Gavin understood the obligations of the royal court and the lies and viciousness of the people in that world.
I would never have to make him understand why my mother did what she did to me, no matter how horrific it was, because that’s what you did to get ahead in our world.
Now I had the chance to give Gavin what Cole and Ballard gave me—a choice of where your fate took you.
So as not to force his answer, I turned my attention back to the clan leaders. “Tell me all you know about what’s currently happening in our kingdom. Then I would like Porvan to share the rest of his story involving the king and his son he smuggled away.”
It took far longer than I would have imagined for us to cover everything the clans had been keeping an eye on.
Much of the information wasn’t useful to our current situation, but it did give me a feel for the rest of our country.
Royal City was the epicenter of our kingdom and the largest city we had.
There were other small towns and villages, but nothing much of note happened in them since it was mostly farmers and livestock.
The closer we got to the border of Errit and Utros, the towns died out, making it far easier to slip in and out of the country.
We had guards stationed at the major bridges connecting our lands, but even they had reported that things were quiet.
The only thing of note was the lack of vendors and merchants crossing to sell goods, which I’m assuming is where this talk of an arranged marriage came into play.
If Henry was using it as a ruse to get his brother into Errit instead of having to kidnap him, that failed when Gavin refused the offer, and his younger brother was promised instead.
“I believe we should take a break. I’m not as young as I once was to work through the night,” Ballard suggested, pushing back his chair. “It would be my suggestion to reconvene tomorrow since I believe we still have much to cover on this matter.”
Now that he mentioned it, and I gave myself a moment to actually notice what was going on with my body, I was thankful for the adjournment.
“Yes, I think that will be best. This is not a matter we will be able to fix overnight. We don’t have much time, but we need to be fresh and rested to come up with the best plan of action.
You are all dismissed. My dragon would like to greet you on the way out.
I promise he will not eat anyone… for now. ”
“Why would you tell them that? I wanted to see their reaction when they found me waiting for them.”
“We made good progress. Do I think they are loyal to me… no, but they are loyal to their people and need my help. So, we will let them live for the time being.”
Vasin huffed, and a plume of smoke wafted in from the open door, followed by a very unmanly gasp. I smiled to myself, wondering which clan leader it had come from.
Cole moved in as if he were going to help me out of the chair and carry me out of the room, but I rested a hand on his chest, stopping him.
“I think we all need a moment to talk about what just happened in here before we step outside this room. Please sit,” I said, motioning for my guardians to join me at the table.
Ballard looked at me with a raised brow, questioning if he should go or stay. “Join us, Ballard. You know these clan leaders in a way the rest of us do not.”
“As you wish, Your Majesty.”
I gave it a few more moments, knowing that Cole wouldn’t be able to keep silent much longer.
“What the fuck, little mouse… why didn’t you let us kick their asses? What they did would be considered treason, and you would have been well within your rights to kill the bastards!” Cole spat, his fists clenched.
“You would really have me kill their fathers because they didn’t like me?
They have been the leaders of their people for a long time, and I’m an outsider who just became their queen.
I was expecting pushback, though I didn’t know it would be quite so aggressive,” I pointed out, rubbing my temple to ease the growing dull ache.
“My goal is not to be a tyrannical leader, but I know through all my studies that I can’t let them think I’m a pushover…
hence, why I brought in Vasin. It was my hope the threat was big enough that they wouldn’t force me to act on it. ”
“It was a smart move, Your Majesty,” Abbott assured me.
Groaning, I hid my face behind my hands.
“Please don’t do that, Abbott. I know you all feel it’s the proper way to address me, but I can’t handle it from you guys.
” I lifted my head and looked at all of them.
“When we are alone or with Ballard, I need you not to use my title. I refuse to be a queen who will sit at the top and look down on her people… that’s not how this is going to work.
I intend to make sure everyone knows they matter to me, and I am one of them.
No matter what happens throughout this battle, I need you all to keep me grounded in Cassarah, the broken girl who chose her destiny.
The more they get to know me, the better I can help them. ”
May grinned at me while Becka shook her head with a knowing smile.
Jade surprised me by scowling as he looked down at the table, unwilling to meet my gaze as Payson looked confused.
As for Cole, Abbott, and Izel… well, they just agreed to my request, unsurprisingly, since two of them knew me the best, and Izel and I had already covered this issue.
“Why?” Payson asked. “Don’t you want them to respect you as our queen?”
I tilted my head a little as I rolled his question around my brain a moment before answering.
“Respect is a funny thing and can be earned in a few different ways. I want to gain their trust and respect through actions… keeping my word and walking alongside them through our hardships. If I do not understand my people’s needs, how can I help them?
Indirectly, this will help with the clan leaders as well.
Once they see I’m no different than they are, I think their minds will open up to working better together for our people. ”
“Damn, if they could have heard that answer, they would already be tripping over themselves to get your forgiveness.” May chuckled. “I certainly chose the right queen to pledge my life to.”
Everyone agreed, the atmosphere lightening up as they started to understand what I was trying to do.
“About the carrying thing—”
“Nope, sorry, little phoenix, but you have no say in that matter,” Abbott interjected, cutting me off.
“Alto told us you shouldn’t walk on it for a week to start, and that’s what’s gonna happen.
We could always put you in a cart and pull you around if that makes you feel better, but I don’t think it would work very well in the cavern. ”
I glared at him, irritated he knew just what I was going to ask. “Fine, but I want you all to know it is not something I expect from you, so if you do not wish to be my pack mule, then I will not make you.”
“Who says no to holding a pretty woman in their arms?” Dayson asked with a wink.
Cole and Jade scowled at the big man while Abbott watched them both with a contemplative expression.
“Cassarah, I think we can call it a day. Let your guardians take you back to your rooms to read and eat something. It is far later than you realize. We have been in here for hours,” Ballard said as he rose.
“Tomorrow will be another long day of talks and planning. That is if we can get them to agree on anything.”
Sighing, I nodded my agreement, which was all the prompting Jade needed to pick me up and head out the door.