4. CHAPTER 4 #2
Emrys at least had the good sense to appear cowed as he bent his head toward our father.
In the king’s current state, there would likely be no repercussion.
He was weak and growing ever weaker by the day.
We had primarily taken over his council meetings already.
The commander of his army, Rensford Albright, now reported to me.
He also happened to be my oldest friend.
“My apologies, Father. My thirst for Myrosian blood got the better of me.” Emrys kept his gaze focused on the polished granite before the throne as he spoke.
“Yet another reason you are not first in line for the crown,” King Mavros spat.
He was hard on Emrys. Sometimes, too hard.
Emrys’s gaze tightened and the vein in his neck pulsed as he held his composure.
His crimson wings at his back twitched ever so slightly in annoyance.
There was fire in his blood, as there was for all of us.
The only difference was that Emrys had only barely learned to leash it.
His gaze snapped to mine with accusation clear in his expression.
As if his indiscretions and poor decisions were my own fault.
I suppose if I had never existed…it wouldn’t matter.
He would have the throne he so coveted despite his actions.
One day he would learn to take responsibility for himself, but today was not that day.
“If you cannot compose yourself in a manner befitting the crown and the Blackwater bloodline, you will be dismissed from these proceedings. Have I made myself clear?” Mavros gripped the throne with his fingers tightly enough that they turned white.
I pondered when the last time was that Queen Odessa had brought him to see the physician. He appeared long overdue for his tonic. Odessa spared him a concerned glance but returned to her stoicism, eyes forward.
“Yes, Father. I apologize.” Emrys always kept it short and sweet.
The more he said, the deeper he dug the hole.
Valerian remained silent at our backs. That was the way he preferred it.
To our father, he wanted to remain invisible.
The sooner he could return to his chambers, the better.
He hadn’t even bothered keeping his copper wings at his back.
He stood before the king and queen appearing as if he weren’t even a shifter at all.
It hardly took a large amount of common magic for them to remain; it certainly wasn’t taxing. It was a blatant show of disrespect.
If that were Emrys or me, we would have undoubtedly been chewed out.
But the baby dragon could do no wrong in his parents’ eyes.
“Tension has been thick these last months. Too thick. We cannot afford to anger Myros to the point of retaliation. Not before Sorin has taken his bride. Unrest has stirred in the northern kingdoms, something about an uprising led by the one named Morrathil. He covets power and will do anything to gain it. While it hasn’t made its way to Gothryn, it is only a matter of time.
We need to focus on the more immediate threats.
We have heard back from Ravenscar this night, and they have agreed to betroth the Princess Morwenna to Sorin. To unite our two kingdoms.”
“So soon?” I asked, my voice cracking despite myself. “I thought we had more time…” My voice trailed off as Odessa’s sharp gaze cut to my own.
“You are lucky to have found a bride with such title and influence. She will be the final piece in our alliance with Ravenscar. We need their army, and we need their allegiance. The Shadowed Order will never support you outright. Without wings at your back that don’t share your blood…
you have no hope of commanding this kingdom,” she said.
I swallowed hard, biting back the seething remark that floated to the tip of my tongue.
As much as I hated to admit it, she was right.
I was surprised that the King of Ravenscar had allowed his beloved princess to be betrothed to a halfling.
I had proven myself at every turn, but being the strongest dragon shifter in the realm had still only gotten me so far.
The shadow my mother Melantha cast over me was one that I could not, and would not, ever escape.
I was lucky Mavros had forged this alliance for me, but the curse lingered in the back of my mind.
I wouldn’t be able to keep it from them much longer.
Its dark magic was spreading through my blood, seeping into my flesh with every breath I took.
At first, it had been contained to the skin of my ribcage.
Now, it had spread up through my arm and across my back.
The mage who cursed me had said the only way to lift the curse was to find my mate. And what if I never found her? Many never did.
Not everyone had a mate. It was a bond bestowed by the fates; however they saw fit. One had no way of knowing if they had been gifted one until they met their other half.
Mating bonds in the realm of Aeloria were so rare they had almost been forgotten. A relic of the past. The chances of the Princess Morwenna of Ravenscar being my mate were…slim.
Would I be stuck with this insufferable, unhealing wound for the remainder of my days? Or would it simply take over my entire form, eventually taking my life before I even had the chance to rule?
As if it could sense my thoughts, another surge of pain washed over me and I buckled. My eyes pressed shut as I did my best to spread my wings and regain my balance. Emrys shot me a worried glance.
Emrys and Valerian were one of the few who knew about the curse. And Rensford, of course. The king and queen didn’t know…and I wanted to keep it that way. They would never allow such a weakness in the crown prince. Emrys had every motive to tell them, but he kept my secret, still.
“Sorin?” The king’s voice rang in my ears as I gritted my teeth against the pain, pushing it into the recesses of my mind with every ounce of strength I had.
“It’s nothing, I merely brushed into something while I was flying. I need to get it checked by the healer, that’s all.” My voice sounded strained even to my own ears.
King Mavros didn’t appear entirely convinced, but he continued on.
“Odessa is right. Morwenna’s betrothal is a godsend to this kingdom, and one we cannot afford to lose.
The sooner you marry her, the better. You cannot take the throne without first taking a bride.
You need to show this kingdom solidarity.
If you could forge a powerful dragon shifter heir before that, even better.
Princess Morwenna may not be a shifter in her own right, but dragon shifter blood is dominant.
The sooner she is with child, the easier things will be for you in this transition of power.
Myros is not our only enemy, and you would do best to remember that.
War lingers in every corner of this realm.
” His gaze locked onto mine meaningfully.
The thought of taking Morwenna to my bed made my stomach flip. She was a beautiful princess to be sure, but she was also cold and unforgiving. Brusque and formal. Nothing like the wife I had imagined for myself.
Despite my reservations, her icy composure would make for a fearful queen for Gothryn.
She was royalty in her own right, and our children would be heirs to both kingdoms. Though we shared a partial border with the last remaining kingdom on the continent, they did not see us as neighbors.
Sylvaris had been hesitant to ally with us thus far, as had the Witchwood.
Winning the mages to our side would be a battle hard fought.
King Faris in Myros was closer in his conquest to dominate the eastern continent.
But marrying Morwenna would secure an important alliance for us in the west. We would have an even greater army at our back, and there was no way that the Veytari fae could stand against us with those numbers.