Chapter 53
FIFTY-THREE
Rylan
I stand in front of the mirror, tightening the straps of my Celestaris uniform, straightening the greaves and pauldrons, my heart pounding in my chest. No crown prince’s robes for me tonight. Tonight is about welcoming our Aquilith to the fold.
My Aquilith. My Eirabella. I catch a glimpse of my reflection. My hands are steady, but inside, I’m a storm of emotions. She did it. She passed—no, she won the trial—and tonight, the kingdom will see her for the force she is, that I always knew she could be.
Pride swells in my chest as I remember surrendering the Aquilith stone to Melton, the Master of Ceremonies, earlier today after she beat Selene. The stone that had been mine to keep until she’d passed that finish line, my right after killing the last Aquilith. Now, it’s Eirabella’s.
She deserves it. She earned it. I think about where the stone will choose to reside on her body, and what extra powers it will bring her. I make a mental note to speak to the royal tailor early tomorrow, to make sure her Keeper uniform is perfect. I’ll have it resemble mine, except looser at the shoulders so she can move freely, as so much of her power is in her hands.
Another smile pulls at the corners of my mouth. She’ll be nothing short of utterly magnificent.
A knock at the door pulls me from my thoughts, and I turn to see Mathis open the door without waiting for my reply, leaning casually against the doorframe, his familiar grin in place. But there’s something unsettling behind his eyes tonight, even though he’s trying to mask it.
His eyes flick over my outfit, and he raises an eyebrow. “I was half expecting to see you in full pompous crown prince getup, but no… look at you. All Master Keepered-up. Thought you’d be strutting around in that royal cape and pretty, pretty sparkly tiara of yours tonight,” he teases, knowing how much I hate putting that fucking thing on my head.
I chuckle, shaking my head. “It’s not about the crown tonight. It’s about her.”
Mathis steps further into the room, closing the door, eyeing me. “Can’t say I blame you for wanting to impress.” He pauses, crossing his arms with a mock-serious look. “But seriously, Rylan, when are you going to stop setting the bar so high for the rest of us? You’re making me look bad.”
I grin at him and give his shoulder a playful punch before straightening the cuffs around my wrists. “Trust me, you do a good enough job of that on your own.”
Mathis lets out a laugh, a low chuckle that echoes through the room. He’s always been the joker, always the one to keep things light. But tonight, something seems to be weighing heavily on his mind.
“You alright?” I ask, hoping he’ll tell me that everything is fine. I don’t really have the extra attention span right now .
He shrugs. “Uh, sure. Just a little tired, maybe. It’s been a long week making sure that all the extra precautions we took for the trial were in place, considering all the extra people coming into Aetherhold this morning.”
It really had been quite the operation, with pretty much every currently active guard stationed. Everyone has been on high alert since the attack a few weeks ago. As Captain, I imagine Mathis has gotten less sleep than anyone.
“Well, it went off without a hitch. Job well done as usual, man.”
“I guess,” he says, not sounding so convincing. “I did just get a report from the King’s Guards saying there was a small disturbance by the reconstruction at the East entrance. Turns out it was just some drunken lost tourists who had heard about the trial and were trying to see if they could find their way to watch Eirabella’s binding ceremony.”
“I’d be curious too, if I hadn’t been to a hundred of them. And that’s not even including my own Emberon and Celestaris ceremonies,” I point out. “But this one definitely feels more special than usual.” I finish adjusting the bronze cuffs around my forearms and pull down my sleeves. “Any word from Yosef?”
“Yes, he confirms what we learned after the attack from the two we captured. Their numbers are at least 50% more than we’d approximated and have been heavily recruiting in the last six months. Also, there’s a cell in the town over from the one where we stationed him last week, and he’s already befriended the widower who owns the building they meet in. He should be getting more information to us soon.”
Yosef always pulls through. “Great. Tell him I’ll have a whole keg of his favourite ale ready for when he comes back.”
“I think he’d prefer a naked woman jumped out of that keg, man. ”
I laugh. “Well, the only naked woman I have contact with these days is Eirabella, and she’s not available for parties.” I turn to my nightstand, pulling out a small, velvet-lined container from the drawer. I slip it into my pocket, feeling the weight of what I’m about to do settle in.
Mathis watches me, his grin fading just a little as realisation descends. “Is that what I think it is?”
I glance at him. “Depends. What do you think it is?”
He whistles low, shaking his head as if he can’t believe what he’s seeing. “Rylan. I think it’s a sign that you’ve officially lost your mind. Tell me it’s not what I think it is. Tell me you’re not going to do what I think you are.”
I shrug, though my chest tightens, my defences activating. “And why shouldn’t I?”
Mathis’s eyes harden, his voice taking on a rare note of seriousness. “You know why, Rylan. Don’t be stupid, man.”
I stop, the teasing tone between us fading. “When have you ever known me to be stupid?”
“Never!” he hisses. “That’s the point. But ever since…”
A warning narrows my eyes. “Step so fucking carefully, right now. Choose wisely what you say about Eirabella,” I growl, my voice low, almost hurting with the rough way it leaves my throat. “You’ve always had a problem with us,” I say. “Why?”
“You know I’d never say anything bad about Eirabella. I think she’s…” his words taper off and he actually looks insulted.
“What? She’s what?”
“Well, she’s incredible.”
“Yes. She is. But there’s more to it, isn’t there?” The words come out sharper than I mean them to, but I can’t stop now. “I see the way you look at her. And you do have a problem. Not her, but with us . Man up, and admit it. Admit what you feel for her.” His mouth opens at the accusation, but the truth is already in his eyes, and a flicker of guilt. A bitterness rises in my chest, and I let out a short, humourless laugh. “Wow. Thirty seasons of friendship, Mathis. Thirty, and we’ve never fought over a woman.”
“We’re not fighting over her now, Rylan,” Mathis says quickly, his tone careful, trying to rein me in. But it’s too late. When it comes to Eirabella, I have zero restraint.
“Good.” I step closer, my eyes locked on his. “Because she’s mine. She always has been, and she always will be. The sooner you understand that, the better for you, and the better for our friendship.”
Mathis’s jaw tightens, and for the first time, I see the hurt in his eyes. He holds my gaze for a second longer, then shakes his head, his voice quiet, steady as he holds his emotions in. “Yeah, and don’t we all know it. You never took a moment to think, did you? Maybe… maybe she could have wanted to be with someone else? But you never gave her that chance. Never gave… someone else a chance.”
Incredulity scalds my expression. Is he really trying to suggest that I should’ve stepped back and watched some other man try to take what was mine? “Is that what you wanted? A chance with her?” My voice is rising now, harsher than I intended. Jealousy burns as the doubt starts to creep in, knowing he’s right. I never even gave her a chance to explore any possibilities with anyone else. Why would I? I’ve wanted her from the first moment I saw her. “Is that what all those little walks into town were about? Telling her that scarves matched her eyes? Yeah, I know about that.” Fear takes the place of doubt. Any woman would be lucky to have Mathis’s love and devotion. Who would she have chosen given the chance?
Mathis’s eyes flash with anger, but he takes a moment to calm himself. He takes a breath, shaking his head. “You’ve lost your damn mind, Rylan. All I am saying is that the moment you saw her in Larilea, it’s like you’ve become a different person. And I’m not sure you’re understanding the implications of everything that you’re doing.” He cricks his neck. “As for Eirabella, yes, of course I enjoy spending time with her. Anyone would.”
I step even closer, my voice dangerous now. “Don’t act like that’s all it is, like you weren’t trying. You think I didn’t see it?”
“I was trying to be her friend. Something you barely gave her a chance to have,” Mathis shoots back, his voice sharp now, the calmness cracking. “You’re too possessive, Rylan. You’ve always been that way with her. And it’s going to kill everything that makes her… her.” He clears his throat as if stalling while he ponders a thought, and then he decides to say it. “You’re pulling her into your world. It isn’t the place for her. She will not thrive here. It will stifle her. If you really cared about her… you’d let her go.”
His words slam into me, but instead of backing down, I feel the jealousy and anger rise higher. “She’s Aquilith now. She’s already in my world.” No, more than that. She is my world.
When he speaks again, his voice is almost pleading for understanding. “That is not what I mean, and you know it. You think you’re doing what’s best for her, but you’re not. You’re trapping her here, the place you’ve always tried to escape from yourself. How is that fair to her?”
My chest tightens, the weight of his words pressing in, but I refuse to back down. I step forward, my voice low and fierce. “That’s not for you to worry about. Eirabella is mine. And I will be the one looking out for her best interests. And you need to remember your place, Captain Corvane.” My voice sounds cold even to my own ears.
Mathis’s eyes flash again with hurt, and for a moment, I see something raw, something I’ve never seen in him before. Betrayal. “You think pulling rank is going to change anything? You think that title of yours means anything to her?” He scoffs. “Maybe you don’t actually know anything about her after all. So used to women falling at your feet because you’re Prince-fucking-Rylan. You’re about to find out what it takes to keep a woman of value.”
We stand there, nose to nose now, the air between us charged with tension. I can feel the heat of the argument coursing through me, my heart racing. Neither of us says a word for the longest time, and when I finally speak, my voice is quieter but no less possessive. “And you think you know what it takes?” I let out an empty laugh. “Someone thinks highly of himself.”
“I think that if she were with me, she’d never have to worry about not knowing me, about wondering where she stood with me. Can you promise her the same?”
Fuck. Straight for the jugular. The problem with arguing with someone who has known you your whole life is that they know just where your weak points are.
I square my jaw as well as my shoulders and stare at him front on. “Eirabella sees who I am, more than anyone else ever has. I’ve shown her who I am beyond the crown. And she still wants to be with me.”
Mathis doesn’t move, doesn’t even flinch. “I hope you’re right. For your sake,” he says, his voice tight. “Because once you lose the trust of a woman like Eirabella, you won’t get it back. I hope that’s not a lesson you’re going to have to learn the hard way, Your Highness .”
We stand there, glaring at each other, both of us knowing we’ve crossed a line that can’t be uncrossed. The words hang between us, sharp and hurtful, things we can’t take back. Thirty seasons of friendship, shattered by something we never thought would come between us .
Neither of us moves. Neither of us speaks. But the damage is done, and it’s a wound that might never heal.
The hallways are quiet when I hurry my way through Aetherhold Keep a little while later, alone. Brienne had answered when I’d knocked on Eirabella’s door to walk with her to her Aquilith binding ceremony, only to be told that Caelum had whisked her away over half an hour ago, and they’d disappeared somewhere, and now the whole castle was looking for her.
Wonderful.
As if fighting with my best friend over Eirabella wasn’t enough, it feels like my cousin is going to perpetually be the third wheel in our relationship. I shake my head, resigned. Teach me to fall for the realm’s most incredible woman. Keeping her to myself was never going to be easy. I just didn’t expect that I’d be fending off the men closest to me. Which is why I’m about to make it crystal clear to everyone, just who she belongs to.
Rolling my shoulders, I try to rid myself of the nerves, but my mind is echoing with the words Mathis threw at me. Every line, every accusation still circles like a vulture. Normally, I would’ve told anyone else who talked to me like that to go to hell. But other than Astoris, Mathis is my oldest friend, the one who has been with me through every stage in my life. Usually, when he talks, when he criticises me, I listen. So why am I so reluctant to heed what he’s saying about how I’m treating Eirabella now? Instead, I’d lashed out, blinded by the possessiveness that seems to tighten its grip on me when it comes to her. The sheer thought of losing her makes me break out in a sweat, in fear.
Mathis was just looking out for me, like he always has. And even more importantly, he was looking out for her. I should be fostering that, appreciating it. I should be trying to surround her with even more people who care about her. I run my hand through my hair. I should’ve known better than to turn on him like that. Guilt gnaws at me, but I shake it off. I’ll talk to him later, apologise for losing control. For now, I need to concentrate on Eirabella. She said once she wanted someone who could prioritise her now and then. And tonight I’m going to be that for her. She deserves that. She deserves the absolute best of me.
The thought of her immediately grounds me, centres me, and all thoughts of Mathis, Caelum, and the impending rebellion fade away.
As I approach the great hall, my pulse quickens, anticipation threading through me. And when I turn the corner, the sight that greets me has my heart stuttering, and my feet freeze for a moment as I take her in.
She’s standing by the ballroom doors, her face tilted toward the light spilling from the ornate chandelier above her, but the glow surrounding her comes from her own aura. Radiant and utterly spellbinding. She glimmers in her new royal blue Keeper robes draped over her shoulders and cascading over a stunning pearlescent silk dress that Brienne must’ve tailored to her exact measurements. She’s the very image of strength and grace, yet there’s a hint of nerves in the way she fiddles with her sleeves. A rush of pride fills me, almost dizzying.
Look at her.
This is the woman who not long ago flinched from the lack of her own power; now she commands it with enough mastery to rival my own. And she’s mine—no longer my disciple, but my equal.
My love.
The word infuses my being with warmth, and I want to rush over and say it to her right away. But I don’t. The time will come for that. Instead, I tap the small velvet box in my pocket as I slowly make my way to her, feeling the weight of it pressing against my palm. The thought of what’s inside, of what I’m about to do, has my heart pounding like a war drum.
She turns as if sensing me, catching sight of me, her eyes lighting up with a smile that makes everything else fall away. I close the distance between us, my gaze never leaving hers.
“You look every bit the Strength warrior I knew you would be,” I say, reaching for her hand. “I’m so proud of you, Eirabella. More than I can say in words.” She blushes, and I feel that familiar pull again, fierce and unwavering.
She takes another step forward towards the ballroom entrance, but I pause, pulling her aside, just steps from the ballroom doors. The weight of Mathis’s words presses hard on my chest, and I know if I don’t say what I need to, I may always regret it. She looks up at me, a little confused, and for a moment, I can barely find the words. How do I even ask this? After everything I’ve dragged her into, every decision that forced her hand. But I have to know—I can’t just go on pretending that this was somehow fair to her.
“Eira,” I start, my voice low, hesitant. “Is this… is this what you want?”
She frowns, her hand tightening a little around mine. “What do you mean?”
I exhale, searching her face. “All of this. Being Aquilith, the court life, being stuck at Aetherhold, being… with me, this whole life—it’s not a choice I gave you. You were thrown into it, and I’ve never really stopped to ask if it’s what you want.” I pa use, the weight of my words thick in the air. “But now, before it’s too late… if you want something different, tell me. I can, I will take you away from all this. Give you the chance at the life you wanted.” My voice falters slightly as I watch her reaction. “No obligations. No binding ceremonies. No promises to the king.”
Her lips part in surprise, and I can see her eyes soften. “I wouldn’t want to leave you.”
I exhale, relieved and almost laughing at my own desperation. “Silly Eira. I’d never suggest a life for you without me in it.”
“Then what are you saying, Rylan? You can’t just leave your kingdom, your position as Celestaris—you’ve told me yourself, it’s everything you’ve ever known, everything you’ve ever wanted. The only thing you said that means more to you than your role as a protector of the realm is the duty you were born into.”
A soft smile pulls at my lips as I brush a strand of hair from her cheek, lingering on the way her skin warms under my touch. “I’ve since discovered something more important than birthright.”
Her brow furrows, her heartbeat quickening under my fingertips. “And what’s that?”
“Happiness,” I answer simply, the word holding more weight than I ever thought possible. “So, Eira, I’m asking you… what would make you happy?” She’s still for a moment, her brow creasing as she takes in the meaning of my question. I watch every flicker of thought cross her face, my own heart frozen in suspense, waiting for her answer, knowing I’d walk away from it all if she wanted me to. All it would take from her would be a single word.
Her hand tightens around mine, her voice soft and full of that steady, unwavering warmth I’ve come to crave. “I want… I wa nt you to have what you want, Rylan. I wanted that for you before I even really knew you. That’s why I made the deal with your father.” Her gaze softens, filling with a tenderness that makes my heart ache. “So… what do you want?”
I smile. “You.” The answer is easy, clear as day. “You are the single spark that has set my soul on fire, utterly consuming me whole, and all that remains of me now yearns only for you…”
When our eyes meet again, a single tear glistens in the corner of her left eye, and I brush it away with a soft kiss.
Her hand rises to cup my face, and the comfort of her touch is everything. “You have me,” she whispers. “And you can have all the other things too, because I want them just as much as you do.”
Before I can say more, the herald clears his throat from the ballroom doors, reminding us both where we are.
Eira rolls her eyes, and she laughs in that glorious way that only she can, and it’s a sound full of brightness and all things pretty and sweet and sunshiney. “So let’s go get me a big, giant gemstone, shall we?”
I laugh, and together we turn toward the ballroom doors. But before we step inside, I feel her tug gently on my hand, stopping me for one last moment. She gazes up at me, her eyes bright, unguarded.
“Rylan,” she murmurs softly, “if there was nothing else, nobody else in the world but you, I’d be perfectly happy too.”
My chest tightens as I lean down to brush a kiss against her temple, savouring this last quiet moment with her.
“You ready?” she asks, as if everyone gathered here isn’t here for her.
“To have you by my side? I’ve been ready longer than you can even imagine, mea valora.”
The doors sweep open with a grand flourish, and the herald’s voice rings out, announcing our entrance. I lead her forward through the parted crowd, her arm in mine. As we reach the dais, my father descends the throne, in his, as Mathis had called it, sparkly tiara. Gods, does he never tire of all the pompousness of being king? He stops when he arrives next to Eirabella, something dark and shadowy lurking in his expression, as it always does. He raises his eyebrows at me, but I don’t move, not wanting to leave her side. Not wanting to leave her with him.
My father’s voice booms out, carrying to every corner of the hall. “As Celestaris, I understand you’re thrilled to finally have a full Essensari Council, Prince Rylan.” There’s a mocking tone in his voice, but it takes my ears to hear it, ears long accustomed to being ridiculed. “But perhaps you can let go of your disciple now so she may be properly bound as Aquilith?”
The crowd’s laughter ripples through the room, and I force a polite smile, though a simmering irritation rises in me. My father knows exactly how to charm them, how to bend their gaze to his will. And they never see the truth beneath the surface. I step back with a respectful nod, not wanting to make a scene on Eira’s special day. “Of course, Your Majesty.”
Eirabella faces him, shoulders squared, her focus sharp, fearless. The master of ceremonies steps forward on my father’s cue, a square white velvet box in his hands. He opens it, revealing the Aquilith stone—a brilliant blue diamond that seems to pulse with life, casting glints of light across the hall. It’s been polished since it left my possession this morning.
The master’s voice fills the hall, his words rich with tradition and reverence. “Eirabella Kaye of Larilea,” he calls, each syllable pronounced with solemnity. “You stand here before us as Aquilith, bearer of Celador’s strength and shield of its people. Do you vow to serve this realm, to defend its people with every ounce of strength, loyalty, and courage within you? ”
Eirabella stands tall, her gaze unwavering as she meets his eyes. “I do.”
His tone grows deeper, reverent. “Do you pledge to face whatever may come, to sacrifice all comforts and personal desires, to place the safety and honour of Celador before your own?”
She hesitates for the briefest moment, then lifts her chin, her voice steady. “I do.”
A soft murmur spreads through the crowd, a sense of awe rippling outward as Eirabella’s conviction rings out. The master of ceremonies gives a solemn nod and takes the stone from the box, holding it aloft in his gloved hands. A hush falls over the room, every gaze fixed on the Aquilith stone as it begins to glow, casting waves of blue light across the hall.
“Then let the Aquilith stone find its place, binding you to the council, to this land, and to its people.”
I hold my breath, flashbacks of my own Emberon ceremony coming back to me, as the stone starts to brighten, the air rippling with the pulse of magic. Light explodes outward from the heart of the stone, bathing the room in a pure white light so intense that everyone shields their eyes. Everyone but me. I can’t. I refuse to. I want to absorb every moment of Eirabella’s binding ceremony. I watch, fascinated, as the stone splits in two, and binds, one half on each of her shoulders, its energy wrapping around her like a misty mantle, her own expression a mix of awe and sanctification.
The master of ceremonies gestures for me to join her. I step forward, reaching for her hand, feeling the steady warmth of her skin beneath my fingertips. Giving it a squeeze, I feel the magic tremoring through her skin.
My voice is low as it carries through the silence. “With the strength of the essences and the unity of the Essensari,” I start to recite the ritual’s words, “I welcome you, Eirabella, Keeper of Water, as our Aquilith. May your spirit be as enduring as the tides, your resolve as unyielding as stone, and your heart as fierce as fire. Stand with us as a guardian of Celador, bound by honour and duty, to protect, to guide, and to serve. Together, we vow to safeguard this realm, to face every darkness, and to uphold the legacy entrusted to us. May you forever carry your Morath-given strength within you.” I look at her, my heart in my throat, and she gives me a quiet nod, her trust written plainly in her eyes.
The other Keepers gather around us, forming a perfect circle. Together, we raise our voices, the words of our oath echoing through the hall, binding us to her as she is now bound to us. Magic surges around us, a swirling rainbow of light emanating from our Keeper stones and connecting each of us to her Aquilith stone. Eirabella’s eyes widen as the light weaves between us, a shared energy, a bond stronger than any substance in the realm. The glow slowly fades, but she stands with a renewed strength and purpose, the Aquilith stone pulsing in her shoulders. She’s a part of us now.
And I realise, with startling clarity, that I’ll protect her with every last breath in my lungs.
I bring her hand to my lips, pressing a gentle kiss to her knuckles, my voice thick with emotion. “There’s no one I’d rather have at my side to protect Celador,” I say for her ears only.
Her gaze holds mine, and I feel the words I’ve been holding back pressing forward.
I reach into my pocket, fingers brushing the box, when—
The doors of the throne room slam open.
A collective gasp sweeps through the hall, every face turning toward the entrance. Murmurs rise as a woman strides into the room, each step purposeful, commanding. She’s dressed in a black leather dress, the colour absorbing any light that dares shine her way, her long white hair cascading down her back. The four guards bracketing her sides are grim and silent, only adding to the suspense.
I blink, trying to make sense of what I’m seeing.
Every gaze is locked on her, whispers spreading like wildfire as she moves further into the hall, her focus set on me, a knowing smile lifting her lips. With an elegance that borders on mockery, she drops in front of me into a low, perfect curtsy. Gasps rise around me, from my sisters, my cousin, some of the ladies-in-waiting, but I can’t process any of it. When she rises, her silver eyes gleam as they meet mine.
My throat tightens as she steps forward, every inch of her movement deliberate, as though she’s savouring the moment. Before I can move, she leans in, brushing a kiss against my cheek, her touch cold, like frost against my skin.
She pulls back, her smile twisting with satisfaction. “Miss me, precious?”
The ground drops out from under me, my mind reeling at the impossible reality of her presence here. I can’t speak, can barely breathe, the air around us heavy, thick with disbelief.
Finally, the name falls from my lips, a whisper torn from the depths of my reeling mind, my haunted past.
“Valynia?”