Chapter 85
Following the messenger through the crumbling stone, scorched and shattered debris from what was left of the Lightbourne's many possessions, Sana felt nothing for the priceless heirlooms and trinkets she imagined her half siblings and their father would've cried and mourned over, but nothing in this once grand estate ever truly belonged to her.
The Gods and fate worked in mysterious ways and maybe the destruction of the Lightbourne estate was karma bestowed upon Sirius for the way he treated her and taught his children it was okay to treat her the same way.
Nearing her brother and Sirius standing over a weathered table with charred scrolls littering the surface while deep lines of worry were etched over their brows and fear swirled in their eyes.
"Lord Sirius, Lord Kai, I have returned with Lord Rhyel and Lady Sana who have decided to answer your request for an audience," the messenger said, bowing.
Sirius looked up and the fear and worry that clouded his eyes morphed into relief mixed with contempt.
Sana nearly flinched from his hardened gaze.
"Well, it's about time you came to our aid," he said, waving his hand over the wreckage as he scoffed.
"We shouldn't have had to threaten you and Barshaa with war to get you to uphold your end of our alliance. "
A low menacing growl rumbled from Rhyel's chest as a snarl curled over his lips. "Sirius, you have no right to speak to us like that after your daughter was the one who–"
"Don't bother, Rhyel," Sana said, digging her nails into his arm to silence him. "Sirius nor Kai will believe you or care that I nearly lost my life last night." She scoffed, waving her hand over the smoking estate. "This is all that matters to them, right?"
"Of course rebuilding our House is what matters right now," Kai said, crossing his arms over his chest. "And by the looks of you, It doesn't seem like you suffered worse than the friends and family who actually perished last night."
"Kai Lightbourne," Rhyel said, his muscles bulging and straining against his silken robes as if his dragon was preparing to burst from his skin. "I will not tolerate the disrespect or belittling of the Lady of Darcanos. Speak your next words very carefully."
"Or what? Are you going to scorch the rest of our lands with your destructive dragon's breath?" Kai said with his eyes deepening to indigo as his hands contorted into sharp talons. "You and that other monster are to blame for destroying most of our estate."
How dare he speak like that about our dragon, our kin and our warriors?
Ember seethed as anger and rage flooded Sana's veins at Kai's audacity to shift the blame of destruction on her House.
"Rhyel, Lord Vassan and the warriors of Darcanos are the reason you and most of the guests survived last night," she said, stepping in front of Rhyel as if to shield him from her brother's disdain and Sirius' disgust. "You should feel grateful that we are giving you the grace of answering your request for an audience when we don't have to. "
Sirius let out a bark of laughter. "Is that so?
" he said, gazing at her with a patronising gaze and a menacing fire burning in his violet depths.
"Have you spent so much time living as the Lady of Darcanos that you've forgotten that I will always own you, Sana Lightbourne?
" He grasped a blackened scroll lying on the table and unfurled its charred contents.
"Lord Rhyel and the people of that northern land may have filled your head with grandiose ideals far above your station, but this alliance grants me the right to take that comfortable life away from you as well as lean on House Darcanos as much as I and the future head of House Lightbourne wish. "
Before she went to Darcanos and was blessed to be surrounded by people who saw her worth just as she was, the menacing gaze Sirius was boring into her would've made her cower in fear.
He would've made her bend to his will and she would've accepted his belittlement, his beatings and his patronizing of her.
She never would've found the courage to stand in defiance of him and speak the truth burning to burst from her heart.
"I see." Sana nodded. "But aren't you curious why that contract signed in gold and in good faith by both parties is capable of being burned?" she said, turning to Rhyel. "I thought contracts of that nature couldn't be tarnished because a seal of truth and honesty can't be broken, right?"
"That is correct, my Lady," Rhyel said, tugging out his scroll detailing their alliance from his robe pocket. "Unless one or both parties wasn't signing in earnest."
Kai frowned, glancing at the table full of scorched scrolls and the color of his brown skin turned a slight shade of ashy gray before he looked at his father. "That...that can't be true, can it father? S-surely they're lying. Our alliances are intact, right?"
"Th-they're speaking nonsense!" Sirius said, tapping their golden signatures unblemished by fire.
"The seal is still intact and if anyone wasn't signing this contract in earnest, it was you, Lord Rhyel.
" He thrust his arm out, pointing an accusatory finger in Rhyel's direction.
"General Zena brokered this alliance for you.
How do I know you didn't sign this without ever intending to uphold your end of the bargain?
We have already made good on our end. Kai supported Colonel Einar in renegotiating trade between the north and the eastern border lands. "
"Yes, you did and that is very much appreciated, but you had no obligation to do that," Rhyel said, standing beside Sana with a smug grin splayed across his lips as he untied the scroll, unfurling its contents. "And I'm sure, my Lady would love to show you why that is."
"I certainly would," Sana said, matching his smile. "Not only am I Rhyel's fiancee which would negate your power over me as I now have complete autonomy over my life to do as I wish."
She tapped the clause in the alliance that granted her those rights and revelled at the sweat beading on her father's forehead as she slipped her dagger from the scabbard tied against her hip. Holding out her finger, she made a small slit against the pad of her skin.
"W-wait!" Sirius cried, holding up his hands before he dropped to his knees. "Sana, please, wait. I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything," he said, clasping his hands together as tears welled in his eyes. "Just please, don't touch that scroll."
"Father, what are you doing?" Kai said, grabbing his shoulders.
"Why would you cower to her? What does it matter if she touches the alliance?
House Darcanos owes us." Kai glared death and daggers at Sana and Rhyel.
"They have to rebuild our House. They wouldn't want to incur the wrath of the south, our friends in the west or the threat of House Issian's army. "
Sana shook her head. She never realized just how dense and entitled her brother was.
He was only a few months younger than her, but she'd always looked up to him as if he were the strongest, brightest and savviest of the Lightbourne children, but he wasn't any of those things.
He was actually quite stupid having not figured out why his father had become so afraid of her.
"House Darcanos doesn't have to do anything because I'm not, nor was I ever, a Lightbourne," Sana said, placing her finger against the scroll. "I'm Sana Zarathos, daughter of Cyrillia Zarathos, Lady of Darcanos and fiancé of Alpha Lord Rhyel."
The moment her blood bled into the parchment, both scrolls crumpled and burst into a pile of blackened ash. She looked up from the ash at Kai's shocked face and the fear welling in his eyes. "I was never your father's daughter and Sirius never had the right to broker a deal with my life."
"No," Kai whispered, slipping to his knees beside his sobbing father. "H-how is this possible?"
"Your father lied to you," Sana said, threading her fingers together in front of her. "And aren't you glad it's true that I'm not a Lightbourne like you? Isn't this what you, Aneera, and Lyra always wanted?"
Kai looked up from the ground, following the ash billowing in the air as he scanned the remnants of the home he was so proud of and the House he planned to turn into an empire.
"Not like this," he whispered as tears rolled down his cheeks.
"S-Sana, Lady Sana," he said, leaning forward, bowing his head against the floor.
"Please I-I implore you and Lord Rhyel to help us.
W-we can't survive without the aid and wealth of House Darcanos. "
"Mm, it would seem so." Rhyel sighed. "Seeing as how all the other alliances you've brokered have been in bad faith, judging by the absence of them and the state of those scrolls.
" He chuckled as he looked over at Sana with a teasing gleam in his eyes and a gratifying grin splayed across his lips.
"But I'm going to defer this decision to you, my Lady.
You should be the one to decide whether or not our House should support the Lightbournes. "
"Thank you, my Lord," Sana said, looking between Sirius and Kai's tearful eyes and pleading forms. She thought she'd feel a sense of righteousness being the one looking down on them, holding their fate in her hands for once, but she didn't. All she felt was pity for them.
The Lightbournes weren't as strong or noble as they believed.
And when it mattered, she was the only one to come to their aid.
Not Lyra who was too upset to be treated like the ungifted Lightbourne to offer her love and support.
Not Aneera who didn't care that her actions ruined her home and her family's livelihood, all because her jealousy got the best of her.
"Sana, I'm sorry," Sirius said, looking up at her with remorse, guilt and shame swirling in his violet depths.
"I never should've taken out my anger for losing your mother on you.
It...it wasn't your fault. It was never your fault.
" He wiped the tears rolling down his cheeks.
"And if you...if you can forgive the past, I promise I'll never look down on you and I'll treat you with the respect and love you should've always had from me. Please just help us."
It was almost as if he truly meant those words, but that kind of affection she'd always hoped for was lost on her now. It was far too little and too late for her to accept any apology or reconciliation from him.
"Sirius Lightbourne, Kai Lightbourne, I'm truly sorry for what has happened here.
Last night should've been a joyous occasion of Lyra and Troya, but it was tarnished by a heinous attack from someone who held an unhealthy grudge against me and is the person you should be hurdling your unconscionable threats at," Sana said, closing the gap between them and standing above them.
"Your daughter and sister, Aneera and House Issian are the ones you should be pandering to and begging for help.
" She smirked. "Although I am enjoying seeing you kneeling at my feet. "
"We've already asked for their help." Kai shook his head, heaving a shaky sigh.
"They've refused because of what Aneera did to you and Lord Rhyel in Asterfall.
Aneera is nothing more than their servant and now she doesn't have a home to return to.
" He hung his head in shame. "And now there's nothing we can do to save her from servitude if you can't find it in your heart to lend us your aid. "
"Well, that is truly a shame," Sana said, sighing.
"Because the only reason I came here was to inform you that I don't want anything to do with House Lightbourne and as Lord Rhyel has left this decision to me, that also means that House Darcanos will not be using our coffers to help you rebuild this house. "
"Sana, please!" A garbled cry left Kai's lips as he grasped her hands.
A murderous growl burst from Rhyel as he conjured a sword of molten fire and lightning in his hand. "You don't have the right to touch the Lady of Darcanos," he said, snarling and pressing the tip of the blade against Kai's neck, singing his skin.
"F-forigvie, my Lady," Kai said, releasing her and holding his hands up in surrender. "B-but I have to fight for my dignity and what's left of my House."
"It's alright, my Lord." Sana pressed a hand against Rhyel's arm. "Kai's right. He's fighting for survival and he hasn't harmed me."
"No, but he still believes you're beneath him." Rhyel seethed, baring his sharp white fangs. "I can smell his scorn for you, my Lady."
The sight of his rage on her behalf made her heart thump and simmer for him.
Mm, yes. It is quite an alluring sight to see.
Ember purred.
Hurry up with this farce so we can revisit that kiss from the carriage.
Sana bit her cheeks and cleared her throat to wipe her phoenix's lustful eagerness tingling through her veins for their dragon.
But Ember was right. She'd had enough of this. She didn't owe Kai or Sirius anything anymore and it was time that she, Rhyel and the rest of the Darcanos went home.
"It doesn't matter if the Lightbournes continue to harbor ill will toward me," she said, turning her gaze from Rhyel to pin her brother and Sirius with a glare. "This House is not my responsibility anymore."
Turning in the direction of the carriages by the road where Troya and Dante were standing waiting for their cue.
"However, I'm still not that terrible and heartless to leave you without any options," she said, grinning at her sobbing brother and his woeful father.
"Lucky for you, House Barshaa has kindly agreed to take over your lands and allow you to become indentured servants for as long as I've been your servant.
" Her grin grew wider. "And they have promised to treat you as kindly and as wholesome as you've treated me. "
A whimpering sob left Sirius' lips as he crumpled against the dusty floor while Kai cringed, clenching his hands into fists. "And what happens after those twenty-one years, my Lady?" he said through gritted teeth.
"I'm not sure." Sana shrugged, laughing as she thread her fingers through Rhyel's.
"I'm sure Lord Troya will discuss that with Rhyel and I when the time comes.
For now, you should focus on being the best servants you can.
I'm sure you'll enjoy it," she said, looking up at Rhyel.
"I'm done here. I think it's time we go home. "
"Agreed, my love," he said, bringing her hand to his lips. "But I believe you are owed some thanks from these servants' lives you just saved." He turned his warm gaze from her to pin Kai and Sirius with a deadly glare. "Isn't that right?"
Kai lowered his eyes to the ground just as Sana always did when in his presence. "Thank you for your kindness, Lady Sana," he said as if the words were souring on his tongue as he spoke, but she didn't care. This was exactly what he and Sirius deserved.
"Yes," Sirius murmured, sitting up and daring to look up at her. "Th-thank you so much for your kindness, my Lady. I-I hope one day you will find it in your heart to forgive us."
"I have forgiven you for my sake which is why when I leave this rubble, I won't think of you, but you'll always think of me," Sana said as a joyful, relieved smile curled over her lips as she stared into his pitiful, grief stricken eyes.
"And you'll always wish you were the father you promised my mother you'd be to me. "
Sana looked up at Rhyel and her heart fluttered at the adoration swirling in his depths and the pride glowing around him. "Are you ready, my Lady?"
She nodded. "I am," she said, as he slipped his arm around her waist and guided her away from her brother and his sobbing father.
That was it. She'd finally said what was on her heart to cut ties with the Lightbournes and the last remnants of the meek and unworthy woman they tried to force her to believe was all she was.
Tilting her head to the brilliant sunny blue sky, a smile graced her lips as a laugh tumbled out of her mouth. This was the first time in her life she finally, truly, and deeply felt free.
Because we are, Sana. We're free.
Ember trilled with joy.
And we can do anything.
"Sana," Rhyel said, turning to her as they neared the carriages. He slid his hand to her cheek, caressing her skin as his eyes glowed in a kaleidoscope of blue, red and gold making her joyful heart beat faster. "I'm so proud of you."
"Thank you," she said, sliding her hands against his hard chest as she leaned into him. "I'm proud of myself too," she whispered. "I'm glad your vision for me came true."
"It was such a beautiful moment to witness," he murmured. "You were amazing, my Lady," he said, catching her lips with his and she let herself drown in his soft sweet lips. She didn't care that they were letting the newness of the bond between their hearts overcome them.
She was free and she wanted to allow herself to experience all the things she never thought she was allowed to.
Wrapped in Rhyel's tender embrace, she could almost feel the last pieces of the shell she'd always hid herself in melt away.
It was time for her new life to begin.
It was time for her to take her place as the Lady of Darcanos, the General of the mighty Darcanos warriors and Erius of the Zarathos.
And it was time for her to learn how to love the man in her arms too.