Sagan
Darren didn’t want me to know about the Alphas warning him that I better pick multiple candidates or there would be problems. He wanted to kick that particular can down the road and we could deal with it later.
I thought it would make things much worse. Velle and Myriam had mentioned a few times that several of the candidates had made comments that, especially after what happened with Lori, the best plan was to keep their heads down and just be one of the last six or seven and then they’d be my mates.
Fuck.
That.
Shit.
Part of me wondered if they were just being stupid men talking trash and out of their asses that they weren’t worried or because they really didn’t want to be there. Or if it was advice from their fathers or uncles—whatever their relationship to their Alphas.
Either way, it was dangerous and toxic in my home.
And I wasn’t about to allow idiots who ran their mouths like that to become my mate. I deserved better.
Thovudin deserved better.
The pushback started with the monthly Alpha meetings.
It shouldn’t have been pushed back for my introductions to candidates.
But it also made sense and helped my side because we were neck-deep in corruption—guards and handling the elder interrogations.
People viewing security footage around the clock and—pushing it back was good for me too.
Except too many Alphas in their bluster saw it as their win, not just logic or normal adulting.
Then everything else that happened and the monthly meetings I said would happen were getting brushed aside and things were fine. Handled.
My input was unneeded even.
Input? I was the fucking boss.
So no, I didn’t think this was something to push back. On the contrary, it was something to push on… And hard.
I thanked Maple when she told me and promised I wouldn’t tell Darren that she’d snitched.
It gave me a lot to think about during my morning workout, and I really didn’t realize that I was focused so much on Thorn until Zev got in my way.
He brought up a good point, and I was glad he was going to discuss it with Toni… But then I was annoyed again.
These men really needed to be put in their place. He was annoyed I didn’t know his dragon?
I was running a fucking nation.
I didn’t want this fucking contest and bullshit.
And they also picked the wrong issue to try and flex their authority on. Droughts and food shortages? They were lucky I didn’t beat them to death for not reporting it when others did and hiding what was going on in my fucking nation.
Basically, it was time to stop playing so much fucking defense and show them why I was the boss and that they answered to me—were in charge for only as long as I allowed it.
“This could blow up in your face or be a serious problem later,” Treena warned, Myriam and even Velle looking nervous.
“So be it. I’d rather go down swinging than let them think for one second they can push me around. I accepted any of this for peace, not to have a different set of masters instead of the elders,” I seethed, glad when they were with me.
I started with Prince Olwen, who was second in line to the throne of Danyl, a griffin I knew well from school… And who apparently had feelings for me. His sister, Princess Orla, was helping spruce up some De la Rosa properties that we were going to rent out.
But also as an excuse to get her out of being forced to mate. The royal family trying to pressure her into mating their son had more influence than their family.
Not as much as Thovudin though, so they stopped their pressure campaign the moment she landed inside my borders. Funny, right?
I was honest with him that I needed to smack some Alphas into place and needed to flex a bit. So basically, what did he need to make this work?
Not much. He was beyond grateful—his whole family even—for helping with his sister. Olwen personally wanted to solidify his idea of becoming a minister to help the legal system in Danyl and that gave me an idea.
“What about—I don’t want to be dismissive and call it a field trip, but that,” I muttered after debating it. “I have that authority in Nerthus. You’d have to be escorted, but I could make that happen.”
“For what?” he hedged.
“Court cases and to see our legal system in action. It wouldn’t—your legal system is great too, but it’s the education. We don’t let many in and that’s the change. I can here.”
“Done. I even know the group. Seasoned attorneys that are soon eligible to become judges—it’s curious how your system works with truth dragons versus what we do. That would be—yes, amazing. Something to even think of continuing. For more favors of course.”
“Of course,” I purred, knowing the huge win it would be for him to help Danyl’s legal education program.
But he came through big-time. They actually had huge surpluses of the grains needed for cattle and animal feed. Which was part of the issue we were facing and why I was so annoyed certain Alphas were trying to flex on this and freeze me out. They were being flippant about people eating other things
And the animals we ate? Could they just suddenly change their diets? Stop being herbivores and needing specific things and maybe just eat tofu?
Fucking morons.
I made it work and then got on the phone with the head prosecutor of Nerthus who I had butted heads with. I was crystal clear that this was his chance to not only make sure I put his missteps behind us, but to secure his future because this was going to be a success.
He was on board. Completely on board and asked if there was a chance for a reciprocal program because Danyl especially had some legal practices that he thought could be implemented well in Thovudin.
Glad he was coming around because I didn’t want to replace anyone else… For a few months at least.
Treena’s dad said to come to him last with whatever was left and he’d handle it and we could make up whatever reason. He didn’t care. He made it clear he owed me a debt that couldn’t ever be repaid with the way I was helping their family and keeping Treena safe.
It was honestly touching, but I told him that I wouldn’t take advantage either so to tell me what he needed.
A dragon aide. He wanted one there or at least someone at court to be intimidating.
I promised I would talk to Belinda and she would find an ancient who would take up the mantle of what elders were supposed to do and it would benefit both of us. He was beyond thrilled.
“So you’ve had as lovely of a fucking time taking over as I did,” King Galan greeted when I got through to him.
I chuckled darkly. “It’s not a competition, but you still win, Galan. How are you doing?”
“Apparently, I’m mating soon. One of the ministers announced it was a done deal with his daughter.” He sounded so defeated it killed me. “These fuckers are just—some days I wish I was home when it happened—you know?”
“Don’t say that,” I rasped, Treena looking just as upset. “Don’t ever say that, Galan. Okay, now I’m glad I’m in trouble. We can help each other.”
“Yeah, whatever you need, Sagan.” He let out a dark laugh. “Take it all because I won’t have it much longer. She’s horrible and they aren’t even hiding she’ll be queen ruler and I will just—it’s bad.”
“Tell me you have some food surplus or can get me some perishables and I’ll figure out a way to help, I promise.”
He was quiet several moments and then burst out laughing.
Like laughing. Apparently, that was a huge issue for him at the moment and it was intentionally done so the economy was tanking and all blamed on him.
It was how the ministers were trying to control him and say he was unqualified to do more than wipe his own ass.
But we would need to buy it. We could get it for cheap, but we had to buy it.
Buttttt the royal family of Zeslyn had money and no place to stay.
No safe place to stay for most of their family because they were in a war they were winning, just their palace was mostly destroyed a few weeks ago.
I called Princess Adelheid and offered one of my castles for them to quietly stay at if they covered the contract with the security company Maple worked with.
She was the “first” child of the king but really had a twin brother. For security reasons, they didn’t know who was born first… Not even the twins. I couldn’t even imagine that, but they rarely spent time together, and—every royal family was pretty much a mess most days.
Being in charge and with that much power was a joke.
Done. They would pay the contract and buy Galan’s surplus.
Like all of it. They just wanted an open invitation and two of my properties so they couldn’t be taken out all at one spot using what happened to Galan’s family as the example even.
Yeah, fair enough, but also ouch.
Princess Vanna—who was cousins with the King of Kenley—desperately needed lumber. Like it was a serious problem for the foxes and something used against them always asking too much since they were a small country. Plus, animal shifters looked down on those who turned into little animals.
Whereas dragons just looked down on everyone.
And Thovudin had the same market problem as Galan with too much lumber currently available. So I talked directly to the CEOs of three different companies and negotiated the deals. They would make more than the current market in Thovudin and deal with transport to Kenley.
However, they would use some of that extra to purchase a lot of their excess rice that Vanna was going to handle with her farmers.
Fornax needed meat, so I got on the phone with Prince Ryu, a black bear and the uncle of the queen who I used to study under. Tjark had a surplus… But they were at war with Fornax.
So that was awkward.
Princess Leilana, the first princess of Tjark, made it clear that if I bought a bunch of meat to help their economy, she didn’t care where I sold it to as long as it wasn’t public. And both were willing to pay for the solution.