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Luca cracked a smile. “Probably not, but at least it comes with capable assistance. What news do you have, Indri?”
She looked angry. “A growing number of Therians are turning from the throne. That began when you were exiled in the fifties.”
Yuri Patrovich, an enormous man who also looked like a bear in human form, added, “When it became obvious that Nikoli was mad, many thought you were the answer, but you had to flee, and things got worse.” The bear king looked embarrassed. “They believed that the high court had abandoned them. Many turned from the crown and our way of life and lived for themselves, making their own rules.”
Luca had expected that. He’d have to be blind to miss the damage Nikoli had done to the Therian kingdoms and had known he’d face an uphill battle to set things right. He didn’t know how he was going to bring the rogue Therians back into the fold, but he had more than enough obstacles standing between the present and peace that he wouldn’t allow infighting to contribute.
Many of the mourners left, but a large number of Therians lingered and gathered around when they heard their rulers pledge loyalty. The spectators wanted to hear about the future their king planned for them. Luca did have plans, but he couldn’t reveal them yet.
Until the coronation, he could not take any official actions. He could tell his subjects what to expect from him, and he would be a fool not to take advantage of this gathering. Luca raised his voice so everyone could hear. “Under my leadership, our people will be free to choose their own lives. We will forge new alliances and create a lasting peace in the Therian world, where all are valued for their contributions.”
The crowd murmured in excitement, but it wasn’t enough. He owed these people more than open-ended promises. They needed to know when and how things would change since they had to decide where their loyalty lay. “Those who turn their backs on the empire are welcome to do so, but they will have no protection from any who seek to harm them.
“I am not Nikoli, and I will not cry treason when someone opposes me or questions my judgment. I will protect our kingdom and our people fiercely and to my last breath, but I will not allow anyone to threaten the peace we achieve. I will deal with anyone who uses their power to threaten innocents, Therian or human.”
The crowd cheered, but Luca hadn’t finished. “I ask you this. If they do not believe in peace, what do they believe in? If any among us doesn’t support unifying our people, we do not want them to hold us back. Every Therian can choose loyalty or exile. Not loyalty to me but to our people. To peace, justice, and honoring the incredible gifts the gods blessed us with.”
He heard murmurs of disgust toward the back of the room, but he paid them no mind. Those were not the Therians he wanted on his side. For some, Nikoli’s actions were too much to overcome. Those sins would mark him no matter how much good he did, and he had to accept that. They were free not to follow him, but he wouldn’t allow them to remain close and work against him either. He couldn’t fault them for it, and he wouldn’t punish them, but he wouldn’t risk his people for them.
The new Therian empire would be built on loyalty and cooperation. Whoever wanted that could have it, but that protection came at the cost of allegiance. It was a hard line to draw, and he dreaded enforcing it, but Luca wanted to be transparent. He could not immediately earn their loyalty, so he would bring those people back through steadfast leadership.
He spent another hour speaking to the visiting rulers and the lingering mourners. When he returned to his chambers seeking his mate, he was physically and mentally exhausted.
That weariness fled when he opened the door and saw Ash curled up on his bed, reading a book.
CHAPTER FOUR
Evening, Friday, November 23, 2012
Viktorija had guided Ash to Luca’s chambers after the funeral. She’d caught enough of the conversation with the visiting rulers to know he wasn’t having a good time. Ash was nervous about going away with Luca after such a devastating event, and she said so to Viktorija when they were alone in his chambers.
“Funerals are about both death and life. Right now, he needs to be reminded that there is good in the world, too. We’re at war, and our side has suffered brutal losses. Show him he’s still alive and give him a reason to stay that way,” Viktorija said in a rare moment of warmth. “I think you’re a bitch and a half, but my brother loves you, and you have enormous lady balls. Welcome to the family, Ash.”
Jerkily, the dragon wrapped Ash in one of the most uncomfortable embraces the girl had ever experienced. She loved every second of it and hugged her sister-in-law back. “Thank you, Viktorija. That means a lot. Truly.”
Viktorija shook herself and growled, “If you ever mention that to another soul, I will flay you alive.”
Ash laughed. “Your secret is safe with me. Will you please keep Dani from starting a riot or conquering the Therian empire in the next twelve hours?”
Viktorija grinned as she moved toward the door. “That’s a tall order. Yes, I will keep your human safe and entertained enough not to overthrow the government.”
After Viktorija left, Ash sat for a long time, processing everything she’d seen and learned that day. Her heart ached for all the senseless deaths. The rows of urns and the caskets had staggered her, and Luca would blame himself for every one. The injustice burned within her, and their mating bond twinged.
It's probably struggling to stay alive with me undead. I did the right thing, but losing my full connection to him hurts so fucking much that sometimes I can’t breathe. Damn it.
As frivolous as it felt to steal some time for themselves, they both needed it. Everything had happened very quickly, and before they’d had a chance to explore their linked souls, the connection had almost been severed. She still loved Luca, but you couldn’t go back from baring your soul to another person.
They had responsibilities, and people relied on them. Neither could rest for long, but Ash believed they needed to live while they were surviving. If the next twelve hours were all they got, she could move on to the next adventure, knowing that she’d fought for him with everything she had.
While she waited for Luca to arrive, Ash curled up in his bed and picked up the book on his nightstand, struggling to make sense of the foreign language. Everything in the room had been replaced, but he’d slept there, and the pillow carried his scent.
Thanks to her enhanced hearing, Ash caught his footsteps long before he opened the door. She looked up with a delighted smile when Luca closed it behind him.
“Hey, you!” She put the book down and crossed the room between one blink and the next. Stopping inches from him, Ash looked into his tortured eyes. “Oh, my love. Come here.”
Ash hugged him, and Luca wrapped his arms around her. Burying his face in the hollow of her neck, he held her like a drowning man gripping a life preserver. She allowed him to show the vulnerability he had to hide from the rest of the world. She rubbed soothing circles on his back and told him how proud she was of him. How beautiful the ceremony had been, and that she believed in the future he wanted to create.
They stayed that way for a long time. Ash reveled in her ability to support him through this. Even if it caused problems with prejudiced Therians, it was worth it to reinforce that he wasn’t alone in all this. His body shook with ragged sobs, and she held him tighter. She knew what it was like to feel like you were going to fly apart, so she would hold him together until he could do it himself.
