I glanced at him, furrowing my brows. “No, It is not. How can you sit there and listen to this vitriol?”
“Because it is true,” he said through gritted teeth. The council members glanced back and forth between us, watching us warily. “Because I didnothingto protect you or your sister, and so, the blame lies on me and me alone.” He sat, rubbing his temples. “I do not admit these faults lightly, to you or the public, but I refuse to hide from my missteps.”
The room was silent as a tear ran down my face, and my father reached over to take my hand. “Any good father would have fought for you, Eva, and I should have done just that the moment I noticed you had changed over the past few months. But I pushed it all away and told myself you were okay, that you knew what you were doing and if you needed my help… Well, you would have asked for it.”
“Father,” I started, but he shook his head.
“I do not deserve your forgiveness, Eva. You are stronger than I ever prayed you would be, and I am so sorry you have become that way because of my actions. It is how I know you will make the best queen.” He wiped away my tears, and I leaned into his touch.
“This is touching and all,” a deep voice rumbled, “But could we get on with the meeting? Or have you found other ways to waste our time and keep us hostage here?”
King Alistair Kerzec and his wife Vana of Balurin sat at the very end, their dark clothing lacking any personality at all. Vana’s eyes were trained on the floor; she had bowed her head as my father had spoken. Her blonde hair was pulled back from her face, showcasing gaunt features. She looked like a ghost, a wisp of a woman who had spent her life serving her husband, to no avail. King Alistair’s face was twisted in a cruel sneer as he stared at us. Kalen growled from his seat but looked away quickly as Renai placed a hand on his shoulder. Alistair smiled as he leaned back in his chair and tented the tips of his fingers.
My father cleared his throat and looked toward the man. “Of course, Alistair. Helian and Angorian spies have been able to locate multiple camps spread throughout Aethion. The Horde is moving north through the continent. We have no knowledge as to where Lachlan is now, or whose skin he is wearing. There has not been the slightest whisper of his whereabouts.”
Matthew cleared his throat, taking over for my father. I saw the unease in those at the table as my mate spoke. “The last we heard, he had plans to reunite his soul with his body, but—”
“But there are specific items needed for a ritual of that magnitude,” Ciena offered, tapping her nails along the arm of her chair. “They would not be easy to come across. And, we have not been able to locate where his body has been held all this time.”
Though I had met Queen Ciena Moorwood at a few court functions over the years, her beauty surprised me every time. She had an otherworldly quality about her, something that made sense now, given her heritage. Her silver hair shone as if being illuminated from within, and it was hard to miss her. Trystan, who sat beside her, was looking at Matthew, and I noticed the two conversing in some sort of silent way that had me slightly envious of their capability.
Queen Hermina placed a hand on her chest and looked at her husband, King Filip Ronin of Chezir. “I will admit I have difficulty putting the entirety of my faith in you, Alric. The enemy was under your nose for nearly a century and yet you caught no scent of the treachery he sought to cause?”
“I was blinded by my own willful ignorance. We saw Lachlan’s body burn. Nearly every single person in this room.” He made eye contact with the rulers, and most looked away quickly. “Or at least, what we thought was his body. And Orion had been one of Aethion’s most faithful servants. He assisted many of you in your needs over the years, and yet no one suspected anything.”
“We thought him loyal,” Luka said, clearing his throat. “The man was odd, but even I lived with him for most of my life and saw nothing amiss. The only time I saw darkness was when Princess Evalyne became involved with Matthew.” He nodded in our direction. “It was as if something had changed inside of him, or rather, seeing the two of them together had doubled his efforts. He showed his hand far earlier than he intended to.”
Eamon leaned back, stroking his chin as he considered Luka’s words. “It would make sense. I am sure Lachlan thought his son was long dead, as most of us had.”
“I didn’t even know he had a son,” King Tieren muttered under his breath. He let out a sharp cry of pain and shot his wife a look. I imagined she’d given him a hint to shut up. The newest rulers of Hiryn, King Tieran and his wife, Mariska, had ascended the throne after his father had been killed by Lachlan after foolishly allying with him.
“He has two actually,” Trystan said, lifting his goblet to his mouth. “And both of them are sitting at this table.”
Matthew rolled his eyes at his brother’s dramatics, but I swore I saw a flash of a smile on Ciena’s lips. Luka looked at them uncomfortably, shifting his gaze to his lap.
“So one of them has infiltrated Helia while the other sits at the right hand of Morheim?” Alistair chuckled. “How fitting.”
King Magnus raised a brow. “And what is that supposed to mean, Alistair? Both men were cleared of affiliation with Lachlan.”
“Should the son pay for the crimes of the father?” Kalen asked, his voice low and dangerous. “Is that how you believe things to work?”
“Watch your tone, boy,” Alistair said. His blue eyes darkened to near black. “You do not hold the authority to talk to someone of my rank in that manner.”
Kalen shifted in his seat but said nothing. Renai and Matthew both looked at him with worry, and I did not know for what.
“I only mean to say it would appear they accomplished what Lachlan could not. And that,” he said, sitting back in his chair, “is something to keep in mind. That’s all.”
“Duly noted, Alistair,” Ciena said, rolling her eyes. “But the rest of us have come here to bring our kingdoms together, while you seem content to further the rift between us. Now is not the time for whatever petty grievances you have.”
Alistair laughed, a wicked smile spreading across his lips. “My dear, Ciena. I am unsure what gave that impression. But I find it funny how quickly these two wormed their way into their positions.” He waved a hand at Matthew. “How long did you court the princess? A month? Two, perhaps at most? And now you aremated. I’ve never seen a pairing occur so quickly, and certainly not one that branded the other. Those are rare in itself, and yet… Here it is.” He snorted, flexing his bony fingers in front of him. A large ring sat on his pointer finger, one that looked vaguely familiar but I could not place.
“Alistair!” His wife Vana cried, but he silenced her with a look. She averted her gaze, and her hands trembled as they fell to her lap. The longer I studied her, the more I thought her clothing choice was odd. With long sleeves and conservative neckline, almost covering up her chest completely, it was an odd choice given the summer season. I couldn’t help but wonder if it had something to do with Alistair.
“That is quite enough!” Luka said, standing. The entire room stilled as his chair clattered to the ground, echoing in the now-silent chamber. “You may state your concerns, but you will not patronize those at this table as if you are above them.” I stared at him in confusion. I’d never seen Luka so heated. He was typically the level-headed one, always playing the options against one another.
Many around the table seemed to agree with Luka’s outburst, but none more than Ciena, whose cheeks had flushed a deep red. She nodded in silent thanks to Luka as he righted his chair and sat back down.
There was so much to do in such little time. We didn’t have time for any of this. My father waved a hand above his head and servers approached, refilling wine goblets and bringing small serving dishes of fresh fruits and vegetables.
