Epilogue
Nemiah
King Alluin walked with Nemiah, head held high, as they paced the halls toward his laboratory. He’d expressed interest in seeing it and having a private conversation. A matter needed to be discussed, and he felt that Nemiah was the perfect male to approach.
Nemiah doubted whatever it was would be worth leaving his mate and child so soon, but whatever it took to keep peace and appease the source of his newly found finances.
“I have a matter I need handled.” Alluin’s face soured as he turned his gaze toward Nemiah. “Our summer castle at the border of Croatens has been raided. As you know, we do not participate in war and do not have those sorts of faculties.”
“Raided by whom?” Nemiah detested what Alluin was proposing, but he decided to hear him out.
“A dusk kingdom much like Tibitz of your southern border, but they’re goddessless, forsaken by both. They took something that needs to be returned.” King Alluin frowned at his feet.
“I’d ask what you consider to be more important than your son in recovery from your first grandson, but your priorities have seemed low in regard to Virion unless the goddess herself spoke.” Nemiah took a seat at his desk and crossed his legs, offering a dusty stool, usually Virion’s, to him instead.
“It’s no secret that my wife died in childbirth.” King Alluin sat and primly folded his hands in his lap. “But I don’t speak much that the child born was a dusk child. Quite obviously, not my own.” Alluin sighed. “The child survived, and I sent him to Croatens with a small retinue, a nanny and the likes. After the whole situation with the…” Alluin waved his hand a bit. “With Virion and the goddess.”
“Yes?” Nemiah raised a brow, liking Alluin a little less by the moment.
“I received word that the castle had been invaded and they took the boy.” Alluin fidgeted anxiously, as uneasy as he’d been when Virion returned to bless the springs. “And when they went to investigate, it was not the conditions I was paying to keep the child under. And now I’m afraid that he’s missing.”
Nemiah took a deep breath, curling his fingers tight. “For how long?”
Alluin hung his head and cleared his throat. “I don’t know.”
With a shuddering breath, Nemiah tilted his head back and closed his eyes. It was all he could do not to lash out in rage. As a bastard child himself, he’d been made legitimate, and could have easily been such a discarded creature.
“I’ll send a political party out first, see if we can bargain him. Any idea who has him?” Nemiah clenched and unclenched his fists.
“None. Word from their king is that I should forget he exists and move on, but I cannot.” Alluin’s face twisted in misery.
“And why is that?”
“The goddess has demanded it so.”