Chapter 4
Lake had been waiting for this moment practically all his life. From a young age, he’d been groomed for this position, told time and time again that one day he would wear the crown.
One of his earliest memories was of the coronation of the late emperor.
He’d only just turned four years old and had been made to stand at the head of the room with the rest of his family.
He’d spent most of his time daydreaming—not about toys; even at that age, he’d already been taught how an Imperial composed themselves.
He’d pictured his ceremony. What it would look like when he took the stage, and the people who would be up there with him.
At the time, there hadn’t been many, and his child's mind could only conjure up so much. To a four-year-old, his parents' deaths weren’t even a possibility. The crown would pass to him from his father—because it also hadn’t occurred to him that the emperor would need to have died for his father to take the throne next, since Lake was third in line, not second.
West had been there, and Yejun.
“We’ll start at eleven sharp on the day,” High Council member Kori explained. “Is there anything specific you would like added, future Majesty?”
Aside from having his best friends there with him, it would be nothing like what Lake had imagined.
“My Royal Consort,” Lake said, flipping through the information packet on the tablet he’d been handed at the start of this meeting. “I want something added for him at the end. Something proper, befitting his station.”
“A Royal Consort?” Franz, a member Lake would do away with the second he had the crown, furrowed a bushy brow. “Are you certain you want to name one so soon? You’re young, and taking on the responsibilities—”
“Let’s not pretend you aren’t all aware of the rumors,” Lake stopped him, not willing to waste time on such frivolous nonsense. They didn’t get a say, not in this, and soon, not with anything.
They’d called him here, during a holiday, to discuss the events of the past week. Truthfully, it did need to be discussed, but Lake had almost turned them down anyway. He hated leaving Nix, knowing his Songbird might need him.
Since they’d returned to the Roost yesterday, Lake had yet to see him.
Nix hadn’t come out of his room, and Lake hadn’t wanted to intrude with his cousin in there with him, so had spent the night in one of the unused bedrooms instead.
He hadn’t gotten the chance to talk to him that morning before leaving either, and knowing that both West and Yejun would stay there was only a small comfort.
It should be him. He’d found Nix. Had claimed him for them first. He should be his shoulder in times of need.
But he was here.
Listening to a bunch of old council members grumble and repeat things he’d known all his life.
“With all due respect, you’re the only one left in line.
Taking unnecessary risks at the start of your rule is unwise.
” Geri, seated at the other end of the table, had taught Lake when he’d been a kid, and clearly had never shaken the role.
When Lake’s father had been alive, he’d put up with it, and Demitrious had advised him to keep the peace all this while.
But Lake was done.
Nix was nonnegotiable. After years of compromising, forcing himself to sit still and listen to others tell him what was best, Lake was over it. He wouldn’t give up his Songbird for the world, and fortunately for him, he didn’t have to.
No matter how much they complained and tried to counsel him otherwise.
“It’s as you’ve said, I’m the last in line.” His gaze hardened. Once he was crowned, he’d be able to tell even the High Council members off. “I’ve bitten him as per the old ways. Phoenix Monroe is mine, and he’ll remain mine. He’ll be up there with me. That’s not up for discussion.”
“We can have it at the end,” Zabs agreed, giving a pointed look around the table to the other five members who remained silent. “It’s a good way to end the ceremony. It’ll start off your rule on a good foot.”
“Everyone is a fan of romance,” Kori quickly added, clearing her throat as soon as Lake’s eyes landed on her.
Everyone were afraid of these people, including those in Club Essential.
But they all feared Lake.
They’d tried to hide it, but it’d always been apparent to him and those closest to him.
Hendrix had tried so hard to woo the Order for that very reason, knowing he’d have no luck convincing the High Council to side with him.
They were too invested in bloodlines and tradition, but even the late emperor had worried about Lake, just a little.
That was why she’d sent him away. He’d been shipped to the planet Vitality under the guise of a peace treaty, but in actuality, his relatives had noted the greed growing within him. They’d known he wouldn’t be able to wait decades for the emperor to pass peacefully.
But still. He hadn’t killed her.
How…ironic.
Now that he was set to take the throne, that fear would work in his favor, but before now, it had been the strongest mark against him. The Council might not be the Club, and their sole purpose was meant to aid the emperor, but people were all the same at the end of the day.
They all craved power.
“The sooner we make this official,” Lake said, “the better. For all of us.”
“Agreed,” Zabs bowed her head slightly.
“Terrible business,” Kild, one of Lake’s mother’s friends, said then, “What happened in front of your consort? Hendrix surprised us all with the level of violence he was willing to stoop to.”
“How is Demitrious holding up?” Franz asked. “It was his son who took the bullet. Has he recovered?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Kori rolled her eyes. “He was just shot the other day.”
“Medical advancements are a wonder in this day and age.”
Lake let them gossip for a bit. It wouldn’t hurt to allow them to remind each other why Hendrix sucked, though he wanted to be sure the other threat didn’t fall through the cracks.
“Demitrious couldn’t care less about what happens to his son,” Lake answered, voice filled with ire. He wanted them to know how he truly felt. It was time to plant the seed. In the future he envisioned, there was no seat at the table for Demitrious.
At any table.
“He’s paid particular care toward you, however,” Franz pointed out.
Zabs grunted. “Surely no one here is naive enough to believe that wasn't purely out of self-interest?”
“Taking in an orphan is hardly his style,” Kild joined in. “Of course he only did it because it was Lake who needed a home. You were still at an impressionable age as well.”
“It didn’t take,” Lake drawled, and the tension in the room went up.
His seat in the club was well known. As soon as his foothold there was established, he’d have full control over the planet in its entirety. Ruling both the crown and Essential. He’d be unstoppable, and no one would be able to hurt his people ever again.
Not even whoever stood behind Juri.
They knew there was more to the story than that, but Lake was willing to let it die, the same way Juri and Dew had died.
The same way Hendrix would the second he got his hands on him.
Yejun didn't agree. He thought they should keep searching, that the truth was too important to let go. He worried that whoever had taken out the last emperor would try for Lake, and the only way to prevent that was to discover their identity.
But Nix…Lake didn't want him close to this anymore. According to West, he was taking Juri’s betrayal to heart. While it was unlikely the person behind all of this was also someone Nix had befriended, it wasn’t impossible.
Though… the list was rather small now, as far as Lake knew.
And he did know. He knew everything about Nix Monroe, including those he’d talked to at Foxglove.
“What about Beck?” Kori asked suddenly.
“What about him?” Lake drawled. Beck’s father shooting a Demon had automatically removed Hendrix from the line, but his son… “There are no blood ties with the late emperor.”
“I wasn’t suggesting what you think. I believe I can speak for everyone here when I say you have the full support of the council. Your claim won’t be challenged moving forward. I only mean, as is typical with most regimes once they’ve changed hands, it sounds like you have a plan to clean house.”
“It would be best to remove the whole bloodline, if you ask me,” Kild answered before Lake could.“It’s as you’ve stated. Their ties are through marriage. They should never have been allowed a place here to begin with. Let them stick to the Club. The seedy underbelly is where they belong.”
Beck wasn't a part of the picture, but Lake had to acknowledge his cousin had been helpful, and West and Yejun also weren’t as impartial toward him as Lake was. Getting rid of him would be unnecessary, but that didn't mean he was comfortable with leaving a potential threat unattended.
“We’ll see,” he said, his cool tone putting an end to the conversation before anyone could run off with it. He wouldn’t be pressured into anything. “Friday.”
“What?” Franz frowned.
“That’s when you’ll send the official paperwork to the Intergalactic Conference. Friday.”
“That’s two days from now…”
Lake pushed his hair back and stood with a flourish. “I’m glad we’re on the same page.”
There was still a state of mourning on the planet, one that couldn’t be overlooked, despite everything else going on.
Since they were a part of the Intergalactic Conference, a protective organization that worked to instill peace and order throughout the known universe, there was no fear of attack from outside forces during this stagnant time.
Without a ruler in place, operations had gone to default, with things like important trade and dealings continuing based on the late emperor’s orders. This would continue until Lake took the throne at the end of the mourning period, which wasn’t for a couple more months.