Chapter 6
Sagan
King Taryn was as good of a man as Treena had always said. All he offered was support and advice, the chance to establish real communications and hope for a better future between our nations.
Others would have tried to take advantage of the situation—my situation and issues. They would have pressured me to sign a treaty even before I was queen. Anything to benefit them.
But no, he was wise and saw the long-term benefit of being a friend in this moment. Especially since Treena was his heir. We were a strong, strong nation, and a real alliance with us would mean the world to his country. He knew that.
He was smart enough to know that.
Uncle Darren was clearly impressed with him as well, praising me on the side that I’d done well. I didn’t think I really had, but then he reminded me I had a lot going on and… Yeah, okay, I’d done well.
And I needed to hold onto those wins. There were too many losses at the moment, including Hardin going against my explicit orders and not leaving the castle. Benson wanted to let it go and Uncle Darren couldn’t hide his disgust, accusing him of being in the elder’s pocket.
Benson’s argument that Hardin was popular and it could make me look petty and childish was actually pretty good. But allowing these kinds of slights so early—it never got better.
So I sent him with a squad and made it clear they were there to escort Hardin from the castle for his leave… Or permanently, because the future queen’s orders were to be followed without fail.
The next drama was from the guy I was dating, Kole. He arrived just before dinner and was upset I wasn’t waiting to receive him. I blinked at the guard who delivered the message that the spoiled Alpha’s son—and yes, he said it like that—was waiting in the foyer until I received him properly.
“Please remind the Alpha Heir that my parents died just over a week ago and their funeral is tomorrow. Since he didn’t come earlier to comfort me or help, he can at least not throw a tantrum like a child or I will make sure his room is in the nursery.
And please make sure to say that loudly in front of his party or whatever staff is around. ”
“Yes, Your Highness,” the guard chuckled darkly and went off.
That went as well as I expected, angry texts from Kole coming in almost immediately saying I embarrassed him. That I was his lover and should act like it.
Was he kidding?
I left it because I was about to reply something I couldn’t take back, and honestly I wasn’t ready for the drama I saw coming my way.
You should have already ended it, but he was the one familiar thing you’ve had. You now have to deal with that.
Unfortunately, it got worse.
He was upset his accommodations were in the guest wing, not the family one like the castle was now his.
He had the gall to try and move up positions during the procession. He wasn’t stupid enough to try and walk next to me, but he wanted to walk with family.
“You’re not even engaged,” Uncle Darren snarled at him. “You didn’t even show your face until last night and caused a huge fuss to—”
“What?” a deep voice I didn’t recognize demanded. “He told us he was here this whole time comforting Sagan.”
Uncle Darren snorted. “He told Sagan he had too much with work. In text, no less.”
“Enough,” I hissed over my shoulder before meeting Kole’s gaze. “Stop mistaking you are getting some sort of promotion because my parents died or the only title you will have is former lover of the future queen.” I ignored the way his eyes went too wide and the anger in them.
I did appreciate the voice I didn’t recognize backing me up saying he would dump Kole too. Someone of his family probably?
Good. I hoped the whole situation reached the Alpha’s ears because I didn’t have the energy. It was as if I was exhausted from everything else like burying my parents.
There were a couple of other bumps of people trying to insert themselves in ways they shouldn’t, but after smacking them back into line, the rest of everything went smoothly… Until Hardin tried to be present for the entombment.
Technically, it might have been considered internment since we were below ground, but it was a structure under the castle. Most referred to it as entombment then—I didn’t care the term.
I cared that Hardin was so far out of line that all my family was up in arms. My father’s younger brother, who had been a pain in my ass as well, finally snapped and grabbed the front of Hardin’s suit when we were out of view of most people.
“I’ve had it with you,” Uncle Fraser snarled in Hardin’s face.
“You are overstepping all of your authority and your fucking place in life. Not again. Not while we breathe, and so help me if you act like she answers to you again, I will fucking put you in the ground where no one can find you. Enough with your madness that you will be in charge. You. Are. Not.”
I wasn’t the only one who couldn’t hide my shock but was glad when it worked and the other elders scurried off as well.
“We will not break thousands of years of tradition on our watch, and we are united in this and who will be the future of this nation,” Aunt Maple added. She was the youngest sibling of my father and Maple wasn’t her actual name. It was a very hard to pronounce family name that she hated.
So if she wanted to be called Maple instead because it sounded like it… Sure. Whatever people wanted.
“Forgive me, I lost my head,” Hardin bit out.
“You keep doing that while saying it’s Sagan who is out of sorts,” Maple pushed, not letting it go. “I suggest you stop both practices before the royal family enacts another tradition and ousts you. I already think we should.”
Uncle Fraser snorted. “I think we just handle him.”
Hardin left fast, and I wasn’t surprised when both of them turned to Darren and me immediately after.
“Don’t blame her, I agreed,” Darren said quietly as he partially moved in front of me.
“But we deserve answers,” Fraser chuffed.
“Once everyone here gives their royal vow and seriously means it because some like posting royal rumors a bit too much,” I countered, staring down two of my spoiled cousins. Both of whom huffed at me.
Thank you for proving my point.
“Give it,” several of my relatives snapped, shocking them, but then they seemed to realize it was serious. Only two of my cousins were younger than me and they weren’t kids.
I mean we all were in the eyes of most dragons, but they were in college or working on a master’s so not little kids who didn’t know how to keep their mouths shut.
I nodded once they all gave vows. “I’m not saying there was foul play. I’m not being paranoid or assuming it was an assassination. I just—”
“She was suspiciously shut down when she asked questions and I have been since,” Darren took over, nodding when people flinched.
He focused on Fraser. “I was only the queen’s brother, even though I’m now Sagan’s advisor.
That part of everything is normally handled by the elders and King’s Guard, which apparently they have a few too many loyal to them. ”
Fraser swallowed loudly. “You think something is fishy though?”
I shared a look with Darren. “I think something could have been neglected or funding cut—someone not fully trained as the pilot they don’t want to have a finger pointed at.
I don’t—something is wrong. Why not let me look?
Why in the world do they not want extra investigations when the king and queen died? ”
“I thought it weird too but assumed you ordered it so people didn’t try to delay your coronation,” Maple hedged.
I met her gaze. “It wasn’t me and I was shut down. Too hard.”
She studied me. “And you’ve done what about it? You and Darren were both nervous that Hardin tried to insert himself into the entombment.”
“Wait, I want to exhaust other ideas first,” my older cousin, Kyros, interjected.
He was Fraser’s son, and some might have seen him as a threat to me then…
Except he was a bastard. An indiscretion Fraser had when he was young and he was decent enough to acknowledge his child unlike other members of the royal family in our long history.
But the laws were clear. Bastards did not ever come into power unless they were the absolute last option. And they never had.
It sounded harsh, but it also kept random bastards from showing up with supposed claims. Also, Kyros didn’t want this life. I was one of the few who I believed when he said that.
I held up my hand to the others and nodded for him to go ahead.
“I’m not trying to poke at you or say you’re wrong.
I’d be panicked if it was our—I am scared to fly too and they’re not our planes,” he said gently.
He scrubbed the back of his neck roughly when I nodded.
“They’re shutting you down at every turn.
It can also just be another way to smack you into place in their eyes. ”
“You’re not wrong, and maybe that’s the goal of some,” Fraser muttered.
“But they would also jump at the chance for me to be distracted,” I countered, seriously considering what Kyros said.
“It was instant. Why not let me investigate and they could attempt another coup? I couldn’t have gotten to the Alphas or used my connections to have other royals here that we’re not friends with, but I am. That made me look good.”
“You’re not wrong,” Kyros quickly said. “I’m just—I just want to look at this from all sides.”
“I appreciate that,” I told him firmly. “I do. I hope you will continue to and speak freely with me. There are no wrong answers unless we have the answer. It just…”
Darren and I shared a look and he finished my thought. “It was too suspicious to ignore.”
Then we told them how I’d made a deal with Treena’s father. I’d also made another one with the royal family where the plane went down and they lied to a few of the elders that the wreckage was cleaned up. Some of it wasn’t going to be that useful, but they salvaged what they could.