Chapter 18
Therian Palace, Morning, Monday, December 31, 2012
Luca rose with the sun, eager to start the day. An army of artisans had worked around the clock to complete the new palace in weeks, and the unveiling ceremony would be held later that day. That would be followed by him bestowing awards and officially welcoming Zia to the Therian empire as its first vampire.
She didn’t know it yet, but Luca planned to grant Ivanna a title. He wanted to build the foundations of the new Therian empire on the idea that one’s actions made one noble, not an accident of genetics.
Luca was delighted by the prospect of leaving his traumatic memories behind and starting fresh where the walls weren’t saturated with pain and frustration. His people would change this place and fill it with hope and life, but it would always be a prison to him.
As his last act in this compound, he would reveal the memorial Euan had carved into the marble wall, officiate at the ceremony to honor those who’d lost their lives, and lead the procession to the new palace. While he sat in quiet contemplation, someone knocked on the door.
“Enter,” he called as he donned the crown he wore for official events.
Mikhail walked in and smiled at his grandson. “I hope I’m not disturbing you. Do you have a moment?”
“Of course, Grandfather. Please, come in and sit down.”
Mikhail shook his head. “I come to you this morning as a former Therian king addressing the new one. We are only separated by one generation, but my son became a stranger to me and a monster who nearly destroyed us all. I’m not sure what an old man’s opinion is worth, but I want you to know I will help in any way I can.”
Luca aimed a sarcastic look at Mikhail. “You will never be ‘an old man,’ and I have always valued your opinion. You are the voice of wisdom and experience, and I’m counting on you to guide me away from the mistakes of the past. I’ve never needed your advice more than I do now, which was why I appointed you to lead the large and small councils.”
Mikhail’s face showed his joy. “I can’t tell you what a relief it is to hear that. Your trust means a great deal to me, Luca, and I am tremendously proud of the man you’ve become.”
“Thank you. I’ve always looked up to you, and you were more of a father to me than he ever was. I’m proud to have you at my side,” Luca stood. “Are you ready to get this day of endless ceremonies started?”
Mikhail gave him a knowing grin. “The pomp and circumstance might seem pointless to you, but to your subjects, this is the start of a new, brighter era in Therian history when they can finally allow themselves to hope.”
“A fresh start,” Luca agreed. For everyone except Ash and me.
Mikhail knew what he was thinking. “Your time will come, but now you must sacrifice for your people. Let them see you put their needs before your own so that when you ask them to challenge long-held beliefs, they will trust you enough to see her, not what they think she is.
Luca’s shoulders slumped, and he let his grandfather see how much pain and frustration the separation was causing. Having lost his mate long ago, Mikhail understood what being unable to protect the other half of one’s soul did to a dragon.
“Not soon enough, but you’re right. If I’m to be worthy of our people’s trust when I make Ash my wife, I need to do right by them first. How do you deal with the protectiveness? It’s hard to think sometimes. I only get the barest flashes through our mating bond, and they all set my blood boiling with the need to see her and touch her and assure myself that she is alive and well.”
Mikhail patted him on the back. “Your situation is different. You chose a mate who is more than capable of protecting herself.”
“Your mate was a dragon.”
“It didn’t stop Nadya from taking her.”
Luca shook himself and tried to focus his mind on the ceremony ahead. “I’ll think about it later. Right now, I have duties to attend to. I can’t wait to be done with this place.”
He led the way to the throne room, which was packed to capacity. An enormous curtain covered the memorial wall, and a narrow aisle through the center of the room allowed Luca to reach it. Nikoli’s throne was gone.
Luca stood on the dais to greet his people. “It warms my heart to see so many of you here. We have been through so much in a short time, and I believe it is vital to honor those we lost as we remember the mistakes of the past. The tragedy that occurred here can never be allowed to happen again, and one of the best ways to safeguard against that is to remember.
“The effort it took to get to this point so quickly was mind-boggling, and it would not be possible without our people coming together. My sister Viktorija and one of our most precious artisans, Euan Frazier, worked tirelessly to design this memorial.”
Luca gestured at the two responsible and gave the crowd a moment to cheer them before he continued. “I know you didn’t come to hear me speak, so without further ado, Viktorija and Euan, please reveal your masterpiece.”
Viktorija smiled at the alpha. Euan stepped back with a gallant bow and gestured for her to pull the rope that dropped the curtain. Grinning, Viktorija pulled, and the cloth fluttered to the floor.
Luca stepped off the dais and walked far enough away to take in the memorial with everyone else. The formerly empty space now held an intricately carved white marble wall. At the center, Euan had painstakingly etched the names of those who’d fallen to Nikoli’s madness, human and Therian, under a moving inscription.
Fallen to the mad king’s rage on Friday, November 16, 2012, these innocent souls met an end they did not deserve. May their deaths inspire a new Therian age and never be forgotten.
He’d carved a tree on both sides, and their branches formed a canopy over the names. Animals that represented the Therian clans also adorned the piece, facing the center as if they mourned the lost souls, too.
The crowd gasped and cried out as they took in the tribute. Luca was overcome with emotion as he traced the names of his brother, sisters, and other family members. He’d seen the design Euan had presented, but it didn’t do the final piece justice. The wolf had outdone himself, carving the marble into a scene that seemed like it might come to life.
Luca heard people weeping. He too sorrowed for all they had lost, but his duties did not allow him to wallow in his grief. He was grateful since, at the moment, it could have swallowed him whole.
Luca received a surge of love and support through the mating bond. He fought the desire to tear across the world and take her in his arms since his life was now here.
Get hold of yourself, man. You’re the damned king, not a lovesick teenager or an overprotective ass who doesn’t trust her. This is how it has to be for now.
It helped to remember it wasn’t forever. Ash had things to do before she could take her place as his queen, and although it killed him to realize it, she didn’t need his protection. The best thing he could do to help Ash was support Zia’s entrance into Therian society. His people were far more likely to accept a good-natured vampire as a member of his mother’s guard than they were to accept one as their queen.
Time and patience. We’re not short on time, so focus on giving her a strong, balanced kingdom to come home to when the time is right.
Luca went back to the dais and motioned for everyone to quiet down, then ran his hand over Alessandra’s name. “I know you’re all eager to examine Euan’s masterpiece up close. Please find your loved one’s names or say a prayer at your clan’s representation. Honor the fallen as you will.
“Today, we mourn as one, and we take the next step into a brighter future. I hope I will see you all at the new palace later.”
He left the dais, and people surged forward to examine the memorial wall. As he made his way to Euan and Viktorija, Luca caught a strange scent. He recognized it as Therian, but it was unlike anything he’d ever encountered, so he went on alert and scanned the room threats. Viktorija caught the same scent a moment later and stiffened.
A short, thin man approached. He looked bony and frail, but he was light on his feet. The stranger had sandy blond hair and larger-than-normal yellow eyes that seemed to take in everything at once. He stopped a few feet from Luca and bowed deeply. “It appears I have arrived at a time of mourning and celebration. Please, let me offer my deepest condolences for the losses you’ve sustained.”
“Thank you, and welcome, stranger. I don’t recognize your scent. What clan are you from?” Luca asked.
The man smiled. “My people are owls, Your Majesty. My name is Benjamin Sciathian, but please call me Benji if you don’t mind. I’ve come to speak to you on a matter of grave importance, Sire.”
Luca nodded at Viktorija, who was making her way through the crowd with Euan trailing her. “Why don’t we move to somewhere quieter to discuss this, Benji?”
New Therian Palace, Afternoon
The new Therian palace was a masterwork of magical architecture. Nestled into the side of a mountain peak several hours’ flight from the old palace, it was an airy structure that welcomed the natural light. It instantly felt like home to Luca.
When he got there, the artisans proudly led him from the tunnels to the towers. He could see himself living here with Ash by his side, chasing the children they would raise together.
Every step he took in the old palace carried a lifetime of terrible memories, but Luca felt hopeful as he walked through these halls. His people could shift their axis and create real changes that benefited everyone, including revealing that the hidden world existed.
Thousands of Therians had gathered to view the new palace, and the servants had moved in before he arrived. In the immense courtyard at the heart, Luca addressed the crowd from a balcony off his office designed for that precise purpose.
“This palace represents many things. I hope that for every Therian, it represents a place where they can turn for help. In the past, the kings kept themselves separate from the people they ruled. I am not that type of king. I care for all my people, and I place the same value on a former slave’s life as I do on mine. This king loves you and holds your best interests at heart.
“Our Therian way of life is changing, and I will do everything in my power to guide us through the impending paradigm shift with wisdom and consideration for what benefits all of us. I’ll be asking you to accept a lot in the coming years, but I will be going through those same issues and living by the same restrictions.”
Luca gestured for the vampire and her small family to join him on the balcony. “Many of you have met her since my mother returned to the old palace, but it is my great pleasure to formally introduce Zia Lebedev, her father Ivan, daughter Adrianna, and companion Skye Warren. Today, we officially welcome them into Therian society.
“Zia gave me permission to share her story since it illustrates how wrong we are about a long-held belief. You wouldn’t know it since she’s in the sun, but Zia is a vampire. She stood up to Nadya as a human during the Yelizovo attack. She was turned and left inside a vehicle with her helpless human daughter. Nadya wanted her to feed on the girl when she awakened.”
Many in the crowd gasped in shock. Some muttered in disgust, though its target was unclear. “Zia was turned against her will because she dared to defy the vampire queen. Before she was changed, Zia had vowed to pledge her allegiance to the queen of the Therians and to stand alongside them when Nadya was struck down.”
A few cheered, then quieted, eager to hear more of the story. Luca smiled at Zia and his mother before he continued. “Nadya does not understand the strength of a mother’s love or the willpower that someone with a pure soul can demonstrate in the face of true evil. When she awoke as a vampire, Zia did not make a meal of her child. She resisted her new bloodlust and carried her sleeping child to safety with her bedridden father.”
Luca picked up Adrianna and settled her on his hip so everyone could see the girl. The seven-year-old adored attention and turned on the charm as she smiled and waved at the assembly. “As you can see, the girl is still human and still living with her mother who has never lost control.” He passed the little girl to Zia, who cuddled Adrianna as she continued to wave to the crowd.
“After seeing her child to safety, Zia called her trusted army sister for help. She didn’t know if she needed backup for a fight or someone to kill her. Skye came without hesitation, and I challenge any Therian to find a more battle-ready warrior than this human. With her family safe, Zia set out to find the Therian queen and pledge her loyalty as she’d sworn to do.
“She eventually met Niletean, and he took her to the queen. My mother is not known for rash and faulty judgment, and when Zia allowed her to view the events in her mind, she accepted the vampire’s fealty and made a place for her among us.
“With the help of our most skilled witch, she can walk in the sunlight and continues to be a loving mother. Zia did not choose to become a vampire. That choice was stolen from her in an act of petty revenge. Which was followed by the unthinkable cruelty of being put in a position to sacrifice her child. She has never felt an inkling of desire to live as the vampire queen and her minions do. She chose to serve the Therian empire, and she has not faltered for an instant.
“Hear me now: we were wrong. Not all vampires are evil, and more like Zia will join us in search of a better life.
“In recognition of your deeds to date and your contribution to the Therian empire, Zia Lebedev, I bestow upon you the title Knight of the Krovavaya Roza. May the Order of the Blood Rose always remind us that out of the most challenging circumstances, beauty and life can bloom.” Luca pulled a medal from his pocket and passed it to a stunned Zia, whose eyes sparkled with pinkish tears.
As she threw her arms around him, she whispered, “Thank you. I won’t let you down, and I’ll pave the way for her.”
“I owe you everything.” He pulled away and turned to Skye.
“In recognition of your deeds to date and your contribution to the Therian empire, Skye Warren, I bestow upon you the title of Knight of the Krovavaya Roza.” He handed another medal to the shocked human woman.
“Please welcome these newcomers to the Therian empire as we leave behind the old prejudices and forge new alliances!”
The crowd erupted into applause and cheers. The women grinned as they pinned on the medals, which bore a crimson rose on a silver background. After the crowd quieted, the family left. Luca gestured for Ivanna, who was in his office, to join him on the balcony. She seemed surprised but stepped into view.
When they recognized her, the crowd went wild. Luca let it continue for a while, watching his friend glow. Ivanna proved he was steering their people in the right direction. She’d been born a slave, but given the opportunity, she’d become a priceless ally.
Luca eventually motioned for the crowd to quiet down, and they looked at him with expectant expressions. “I see there’s no need to introduce my friend, but I will anyway. Ivanna was born as a slave and served faithfully until she was captured by Nadya. After enduring decades of torture and experimentation, she escaped and returned to protect her people. I can think of no better example of what we should all aspire to be.”
The crowd erupted again. “I wasn’t finished,” he chided, smiling. “In recognition of a lifetime of service beyond any reasonable expectations and a reminder that what makes one noble is their deeds, not their blood, I bestow the title Duchess of the High Therian Court upon Ivanna Kirikova.”
As Ivanna shed happy tears, the crowd created a chaotic wave of sound that emphatically expressed their approval of his announcement. Luca let it continue for a minute, then calmed them for his last announcement.
“There’s just one more thing before I free you to explore the new palace and celebrate. I am establishing a new organization for all the valued servants and former slaves who have kept our empire running since it began. Without you, we are nothing, and to honor that, I created the Civil Service of the Empire, which offers personal protection and retirement benefits.”
The crowd kept cheering as he waved them off.