Ifelt my father quaking beside me, his breath labored with panic.I’donly ever seen him like this the few timesIhad asked about his time in the war, andIrealized who this man must be.KingAbraxasCorignus, the emperor’s most trusted general.
Afterthe defeat of theWorldBreaker, all the kings ofAdimoshad bent the knee, save for my grandfather.Heclaimed thePearlKingdomshould remain independent from the continent as it had been for millennia.So, theDragonKinghad come here with his fleet and decimated our home.Mygrandfather had been killed in the fighting, and my father was named king after he bent the knee.
KingAbraxaswas ruthless.Hehad murdered his own father to become theKingof theDragonKingdomat the end of the war.Thathe had come here only spoke to how lost our city truly was.Thiswasn’t just some raid over lostTithe, but a true military conquest.
TheDragonKingcontinued, “Whatwould happen, do you think, if every king who couldn’t properly manage his agriculture skimped on theTithe?”Thequestion was very obviously rhetorical. “No, no.Theremust be some retribution for this insult.”Ilooked at our castle that was crumbling to the ground around me and thought of the countless bodiesIhad already seen strewn lifeless on the ground.Wasthis not retribution enough?
Hestood and walked down from the dais, approaching my father.Hereached down and grasped my father around his throat, lifting him completely off the floor, “Youhave threatened theEmperor’speace,Rahul.Andsuch a thing cannot be forgiven.”Myfather clawed at the king’s hands, but it had no effect.TheDragonKingflicked his other hand, and soldiers clad in black approached every noble in the room, swords drawn.Iheard their whimpering along with my father’s, and my vision went red.Thesoldier behind me still held me tight, but my hand was free.Ireached for the dagger hidden under my robe, when theKing’seyes snapped to me, “Carefulnow,Princess.”
Butthen the great double doors of the throne room flung open, and theDragonKingdropped my father to the floor.
“Now, now,Abraxas, no need for such violence.”Hestrode in, the very vision of theGreatHero.EmperorHadeonAureliusovertook the room, his golden armor glowing, his long mahogany hair flowing behind him.Hiscrown of golden flames and dazzling purple gems glinted in the sunlight as he opened his arms to the room.
“Whatsort of treatment is this for our nobility?Ido apologize, fine ladies and gentleman.TheDragonKingcan get quite carried away sometimes.I’llmake sure your every need is met.”Hestood tall and smiled with kind violet eyes.Hewas incredibly handsome, with a strong jaw and high cheekbones, and a long, elegant nose all paired with dark tan skin.Truly, ourDivineEmperor.
Hewalked to the throne and swept his eyes across the room. “Haveyour men escort them somewhere more comfortable, yes?”Thenobles around the room rose to their feet, released by the soldiers.
Theyquickly shuffled out of the room, not one of them looking back to me and my family.Cowards.Mysoldier had released me as well, andItried to walk after them, but foundIwas held by an invisible force.Itsgrip raised the hairs on my arms, like the sensation just before a lightning strike.
Asthe last nobles fled the room, theDragonKing’ssoldiers were replaced by guards in shimmering armor that bore the flaming crown of theEmperor.Hadeonhad one leg thrown over the arm of the throne, draping himself casually over it, a look of boredom plain on his face.
Hewas the only fae still able to truly wield magic.Evennow, as he lay across my father’s throne, he played with a ball of purple lightning, letting it roll over the back of his hand and back into his palm.Clearly, that was more interesting than the royals he held before him.
Buta spark of hope alighted in my chest.Thiswas ourDivineEmperor, our savior fromTheBreaking.TheDragonKingwas his right hand, but surely he saw the madness in this.Hewould put a stop to this cruelty.Butthen why did he hold us here?
Themoments stretched on in silence.Hadeonignored us, and theDragonKingcontinued to hold me in his gaze.Icouldn’t bear it any longer and tried to speak, but my voice was restrained as much asIwas.Ifelt that buzzing in my throat, and it made me nauseous.
Ikept my eyes on the emperor, and as soon as the throne room doors closed, his eyes hardened.Thatsmile dropped along with his shoulders, and he turned to my father.
“Rahul,Iallowed you to live all those years ago so that you could obey.”Myfather was shaking even more now, but the emperor’s eyes slid to me again as a merciless grin crossed his face, “Perhapsyou need a reminder of the consequences?”
Heshot his hand out straight before him, andIfelt a great pressure all over my body, as ifIwere being crushed in every direction.Ifelt my body start to lift off the ground, the pressure increasing.
Iheard my mother whimpering beside me, “No, no.”ButIlocked my gaze with the emperor and locked my lips.Idon’t know what was worse, the pain or the shock, butIwouldn’t give him the satisfaction.Evenas the pressure on my head felt like it would rend my eyes from their sockets,Imanaged, “Fuck…you…”
Hechuckled, “Oh, this one isferocious.”
ButthenIheard a moan, distinctly masculine beyond my father, as my brother heaved a breath and tried to move.Theemperor’s eyes snapped over to my brother and my body crashed back to the ground with a sickening thud.
“Ah, the prince awakens.”Immediately, my brother’s body lifted into the air, the emperor's magic now fixed on him. “Whyplay with the spare, whenIcan have the heir.”Mybrother let out a blood-curdling scream as lightning shot into and surrounded him.
“No, please, no!”Mymother screamed in earnest now.
Myfather, on his knees, begged, “YourEminence, please, my son—please…”Somethingdeep inside me broke.Notonly to see my father, the most rigid manIhad ever known, beg on his knees, but also at the thought that he had stayed silent for me.Ishoved that thought down.
Mybrother’s screams still ripped through the hall.Hiseyes managed to lock with mine, andIsaw him mouth my name, a plea.Ifixed my gaze on the emperor, my hand sliding to my thigh.Thiswas a very stupid idea, but it was the only moveIhad.Iscrambled to launch myself at him when a cruel hand grabbed my throat.Theguard's gold armor creaked as he lifted me to standing, and then had his sword pressed into my gut.
“Oh,Idon’t think so,Princess.”TheEmperor’sguard crushed me against his body, holding me in place by my throat, his disgusting breath floating over my ear.Hehad locked my hand at my side, just above my dagger.IfIcould just get it out,Icould stab this prick. “Keeprubbing me with your ass like that.Givesme ideas for later.”Ifroze asIfelt the sick wet heat of his tongue trace along the point of my ear, and dread filled my stomach matching the pressure he increased with the point of his sword.Ifelt the cloth of my outer robe give way as the sword pushed through, now pressed directly against my skin.
Butthen my brother let out one last weak scream, and the emperor dropped him.Hismagic receded.Hadeon’schest heaved with exertion, and my brother's body crashed into the marble floor, his head landing with an awful crack.Isaw my mother crawl to him, running her soft hands over the gash in his forehead, pulling his long dark hair back.
“YourEminence, ifImay?”TheDragonKingapproached the emperor quite brazenly and leaned to whisper in his ear asHadeonfought to regain his breath.Theirconversation was hidden from even my fae hearing, butIhad no doubtIwouldn’t like the outcome.
TheDragonKingseemed to finish, and the emperor locked eyes with him before cracking a smile that held zero warmth.
“Itseems that perhaps a compromise can be struck.”Helocked his gaze on my father.Acompromise?Whatsort of game was he playing?“Isee no need to install a new ruler here ifIcan assure your loyalty.”
Myfather blinked in surprise before saying, “Ofcourse,YourEminence,Ihave always been—”Theemperor strode forward and struck him across the face, adding to the swing with a sting of lightning, crumpling my father to the floor.
