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“Our people need help, and many of them don’t trust me enough to accept it yet. But you are a hero, Ivanna, and they will welcome assistance if it comes from you. I need your help. I don’t trust a task this important to anyone else.”
Ivanna’s heart swelled with pride. “I cannot tell you how happy that makes me. I will serve you and our people with dedication, Luca. Thank you for this opportunity.”
Nikoli had never shied away from showing his disdain for anyone other than dragon royalty. His hatred of the outsiders had pushed thousands of Therians around the world away from the empire, and the best way to right that wrong was by creating something bigger that his people wanted to be part of.
As someone who’d gone from being a slave to a vampire prisoner to a rebel leader to holding one of the highest positions in the empire, Ivanna would be a captivating figure for them. Luca hoped she could bring his former subjects back into the fold. He had a feeling they would need the strength and protection of unified numbers in the near future. Nadya’s cease-fire wouldn’t last long.
Remy returned bearing a tray loaded with drinks and sandwiches. He joined them to explain his ideas and the plans he’d already set in motion. The longer she talked to Remy, the more Ivanna liked the man. He had a genius intellect and a dry sense of humor. Plus, the accent—and the man who went with it—was hot.
After another hour, they made their way to the chamber Luca had selected for Ivanna. She would also have rooms in the new palace, but until then, she deserved a space here. He had turned the rooms Nikoli had given her into an infirmary, filling the space with life instead of death.
When she stepped inside, Ivanna squealed in delight and threw her arms around Luca. The space was expertly decorated in earth tones and held finely carved dark wood furniture. Deep purple silk drapes surrounded the enormous four-poster bed. The room was fit for a queen, and Ivanna knew that. She’d served his mother for years. It was beautiful and much more than she’d ever expected to call her own in this life.
“I love it!” She moved around the room, touching things as if they were made of glass. “Thank you for this. For everything.”
“You will also have servants—paid servants—who want to be here doing this work. You are a valued member of my court, Ivanna, and I couldn’t be happier to have you on my side.”
She went to the balcony and stepped outside to take in the night air. “I can’t help remembering the night we fled the palace. So much has changed since then. While our connection was more…intimate then, I don’t feel that pull now. I mean no disrespect when I say this after what you’ve lost, but the bond feels familial now.”
Luca nodded. “No disrespect taken. I was going to say the same thing. Ash taught me that family isn’t always blood. It’s the people who are there for you no matter what. I trust you to be one of those people for me, Ivanna. I will always be there for you.”
“Thank you. You are precious to me, and I will be loyal to you until the day I die.”
“Is it hard to be back here?” Luca asked.
Ivanna sat in a beautiful overstuffed chair by the window and smiled sadly. “Yes and no. Before Nadya, I would have said my time as a slave in this palace was the worst of my life, but coming back as a free Therian felt amazing even with Nikoli. The pain is still there, but being here now, with you as my king is everything I dreamed about.”
She meant it. Whatever stress she’d felt about returning to the palace, she’d come back stronger. She would never again cower in fear, and she would serve her king with joy.
“What was it like for you as a slave here?” he asked, looking sick. “I need to know what my people are recovering from so I can help them thrive.”
Ivanna stood and offered her hand to Luca. “Come with me. I’ll show you.”
As they walked through the halls, she told him what a normal day in her life had been like. “Keep in mind, palace slaves had a higher quality of life. Many had it much worse than I did. Most nights, I got little more than four hours of sleep.” She led him to the filthy dormitories in which the slaves had lived.
“This is where you lived?” he asked, disgusted. “It’s worse than the dungeons!”
Ivanna nodded sadly and led him to a tiny alcove with a bed carved into the stone wall. “Four hours of sleep on a good night, and none of it restful on that wretched bed. You were always kind to me, but many here demanded odd things at even odder hours. Slaves were expected to be up well before dawn, and a moment’s delay with a noble’s breakfast or a spilled drop of tea could earn us a savage beating. Nikoli encouraged it.”
They went to the kitchens, where Ivanna ran a hand over an ancient hearth. Memories of the many hours she’d spent there fluttered through her mind. Luca was silent as she gathered her thoughts.
“It was much worse than you can imagine or I can describe. Your life wasn’t touched by such things, and now, thanks to you, no one else’s will be either.” Ivanna shuddered. “I suffered a great deal at Nikoli’s hand. Slaves were property to be used as those in power saw fit, and neither he nor the guards let us forget that. I want the King’s Guard to stand for justice and honor, not corruption and greed.”
With each revelation of the abuse and indignity the slaves suffered under Nikoli’s reign, Luca’s anger had grown. Ivanna didn’t need her enhanced telepathic skills to know how he felt. The king broadcasted his thoughts loud and clear.
“The idea that I lived a charmed life while you suffered shames me.” He hung his head.
Ivanna laughed. “A charmed life? Be realistic, Luca. You suffered under his thumb just as badly, though in very different ways. You promised to make changes, and you are. You abolished slavery, and you have given our people more hope in the last two weeks than they have had for the past two centuries. I knew then you would be a king worth following, and I was right. Your first thoughts were for your people. All your people.”
Luca met her gaze and felt some of his guilt fall away. “Thank you. I needed to hear that.”
She smiled. “You can’t know how thrilled I am to see you leading us out of the darkness.” Ivanna’s heart swelled with happiness. She’d been at the coronation and seen the ancient Therian magic accept Luca as the high king. She’d paid close attention to the actions he’d taken and how he treated the people.
Luca would be a fair and just ruler who genuinely cared about his subjects. He had a mountain of issues to handle, but he seemed up for the task. She would stand by his side as he worked miracles.
“Ivanna, my friend, I will do everything in my power to accomplish that, but I need your help to set our kingdom right. The top priority is finding the refugees who lost everything and ensuring they have what they need to survive. I want you to create a task force to bring them in. Those who wouldn’t approach a soldier might speak with you. They don’t need to fear the crown now, but it will take time before they believe it.”
She nodded. “Of course. I will start right away, and we’ll make arrangements to move the bulk of the people in the camp here soon. I want to leave a trusted few there since we still get a few stragglers per day.”
