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…unless I emerged victorious and overthrew my father, that was. I’d known that was the only path, but suddenly it seemed so much more…inevitable.
As much as I hated my father, and hated the things he was doing, and as much as I’d been fully dedicated to fighting him when he’d attacked us in the palace, it was strange to contemplate that I’d need to kill him.
He hadn’t always been so awful. But it was like we’d been on an increasingly steep cliff together as a family, slowly sliding deeper and deeper into the cruelty of our patriarch. He went from a feared king to barely any better than a tyrant.
“You okay in there, Captain? Even with your inhibitor bracelet, I can practically feel the storm going on inside that head of yours.”
“If you’re no longer a sergeant, then I’m most certainly not a captain.”
“I know, but it feels wrong to refer to you as anything less. Your Majesty is out the window.”
“Yeah, it is.” I gave a dry chuckle before getting back on track. “Look, I just want you to keep your mind reading abilities on as much as you can without hurting yourself or arousing any suspicion.”
“Of course, sir. Anything I should look out for?”
“Violent thoughts. General malcontents. Suspicious stuff. I’m sorry I can’t be much more specific than that. I just want to make sure we’re ready for whatever they throw at us.”
“Understood, sir. Consider me on it.”
“Thank you.” I paused a moment and affixed her with an appreciative expression. “And thank you, seriously, for everything you’ve done for both Ayla and me.”
She gave a salute. “I’d do it all again, sir. She’s my best friend, and you’re my king. Through and through.”
Despite the dire circumstance around us, I really was lucky to have the companions I did. Oren had gotten me through more than I could’ve ever hoped to survive on my own, and Darla had proven both invaluable and genuinely kind.
I just hoped Mad Dog was all right.
It felt so wrong to have left him behind, but I’d already been down that thought path so many times that I had to let it lie. I needed to focus on making our kingdom a safe place, so he didn’t have to remain in hiding or, Gods forbid, be captured, then executed.
I cut the conversation off as Aodin approached, a grin spread across his features. “Ready?”
“Of course.”
We all headed off the boat as a group, and while the practical part of my brain wanted to warn Ayla and Oren not to look around like tourists, I also wanted them to wrest whatever joy they could from the situation. If that meant ogling the beach, the beautiful water, or the insanely vibrant foliage, visible even through the dynamic architecture, well, I wasn’t going to begrudge them that.
“Forgive me, I know you’re likely exhausted from your journey,” Aodin said once our feet touched solid soil for the first time in days. “But I’d like to introduce you to a couple of leaders of the Arbiters. Given that we were found out before we even really managed to leave Camdaria, it’s only a matter of time until suspicious eyes glance here. I figure every single moment we can get is precious.”
He was correct, much to my chagrin, but I didn’t get a chance to answer before he kept going. I didn’t think I’d ever seen the fae so animated, and it was hard to tell if it was nerves, excitement, or a combination of both. He’d been through quite a lot, too: essentially becoming an enemy of the crown, losing his diplomat position, then helping smuggle several other wanted criminals over country borders. Still, he was also making the biggest political move for the Arbiters that’d ever happened since they’d been formed. I’d be a mess of conflicting emotions if I were in his shoes.
“Of course, I’ll have the rest of you taken to your lodgings. No reason all of us should go without, right?”
Oren spoke up almost immediately. “I’m not leaving Kai’s side.”
“I’d prefer to stick around as well,” Darla said sweetly, as charming as ever. “If we’re about to start what just might equate to a rebellion, I’d like to be fully informed.”
“He’s my mate,” Ayla said simply. “Where he goes, I go.”
For the briefest of moments, Aodin looked like he wanted to argue before he let out a sigh and shook his head. “Apologies. I’m not used to companions liking each other and not wanting to leave at the first opportunity. The capital has skewed my opinion more than I would like to admit.”
“I feel it does that to a lot of people,” I said, briefly remembering what I’d been like as a young prince with no experience of the world.
“Well, in that case, I’ll send a messenger to fetch them. In the meantime, how about a meal at one of my favorite taverns?”
That was how I ended up on an ornate yet comfortable chair in my first ever Verdanian tavern. It wasn’t all that different from the Camdarian ones outside of décor—at least that was what I thought until they started bringing the food out.
“It’s raw,” Ayla remarked curiously as a plate of beautifully colored meats were set in front of us. I could smell fish in most of them, but I usually only got these varieties at special events.
“Ah, yes, but it’s perfectly edible, I promise,” Aodin said, happily helping himself. “The green stuff is roasted seaweed, but it’s far more delicious than the name sounds. It’s summer here now, so our local foods are going to lean more exotic than you might be used to.”
