“Tell Torin to get back to Lishahl, now,” I spoke urgently and quietly, my tone hardened.
“Folami, what’s going on, what’s wrong? Are you okay?” The playfulness in Peytor’s tone diminished completely, seriousness and fear lacing every word.
“I’m fine, just heading back to Imena now.”
“On foot?”
“Yes.” The rune crackled, and I swore. “I don’t have much time left, Peytor. Samyr is in shambles. Their lord is dead; a Vessel from Vespera is now their ruler. It’s insanity, Peytor, and I have a really,reallybad feeling about it. Something isn’trighthere. And there was this weird woman who gave me a cryptic message about a king, the gods, and a war?—”
“Okay, Folami, okay. Breathe, baby. I need you to breathe,” Peytor pleaded, and I obligingly took deep breaths. It did nothing to calm my racing heart, but I could at least sort through my thoughts.
“I’ll be home soon, Peytor. Just tell Torin to be ready to move if he wants Ellowyn out of Vespera safely.”
“Okay, Folami. I’ll tell him tonight. Just keep yourself safe, please. I love you.”
“I love you, too,” I said, my voice cracking from fear and emotion.
Then, my rune died, my communication with Peytor gone completely. I tossed the stone aside and hoped I would make it back to Lishahl in time.
Chapter 72
Ellowyn
“In direct response to the hostile takeover in Samyr, the presence of the rebellion in Lishahl and Hestin, the loss of Hestin’s lord and lady, and the imminent threat of the gods in the south, I move to consolidate the power of the Northern Alliance with Vespera as its epicenter. As such, I will act as king over the Northern Territories, providing both protection from external threats as well as internal security and provisions for your people. This includes both food and a larger allotment of crystals for your Mages.”
Alois spoke with a calmness that I envied; despite the incredible size of the gathered crowd, his voice rolled and echoed across the stone courtyard, pulling the onlookers in with rapt attention. The silence from those gathered was almost deafening, a palpable fear coated their fidgeting movements and quiet under-breath murmurs. There had been rumors for months about the movement of the rebellion and the return of the gods, but the upheaval in Samyr, coupled with the sudden appearance of a sizable Mage army in a place previously thought to have only Vessels, sent the people into a full-blown panic.
I couldn’t deny that the recent movements and declarations put me on edge, but to know that at least half of those events were manufactured by the man declaring himself king, to now resounding applause, was disconcerting to say the least.
Cries of “King d’Refan!” and “save Elyria!” reverberated throughout the courtyard, only increasing in volume and intensity as Alois raised his hands out, palms up, as he gently inclined his head to the crowd.
After a few moments of basking in their praise, he leveled his hands, and the gathered citizens and visiting dignitaries instantly quieted. “If there are no objections from the Northern Territories present today?” Alois turned his dark head to the visiting dignitaries perched in makeshift thrones adorning the small, hastily constructed stage. Unsurprisingly, there was no representative from Samyr or Lishahl. Every other territory, including Hestin—my nose wrinkled when I noticed Dria perched in her chair, eyes hungry—was accounted for; each of the dignitaries inclined their head, acquiescing any remaining power to Alois.
My husband dropped his hands and gestured for me to step beside him. We’d practiced this briefly earlier in the morning, and I was grateful that his next words were not a surprise.
“My wife, Ellowyn, will also be crowned as your queen. A loving mother, apowerfulprotector, for her new children.” I itched to twirl the golden wedding band around my finger, but resisted the urge with a practiced smile and curtsey to my husband and the now rabid crowd.
“My king,” I intoned just loud enough for the Air Mages to amplify. Alois grasped my hand in his firmly before pulling me to a stand.
“Our coronation will be a private affair in Fate’s temple later this evening. For now, enjoy and revel in this new age of Elyria!”
The applause and cheers were loud, whether for their new rulers or the prospect of a revelry on Alois’ coin, I wasn’t sure. Either way, the excitement was a palpable thing as Alois and I stood hand-in-hand and waved, fake smiles stretching our lips.
“How benevolent of you to declare yourself king to combat the issues you caused,” I whispered through gritted teeth. Alois squeezed my hand in warning before abruptly pulling my body into his. My hand, still uselessly waving, hit his hard chest, and I collapsed against him with anoomph. Calls of “kiss her! Kiss the queen!” rose from the still-gathered audience, and Alois easily obliged, covering his lips with mine in a sensual embrace.
Anger flared inside, and I let a small tendril of Destruction Magic leak from my hand, just enough to singe his tunic. No one else would be the wiser, but Alois understood the message, pulling away from my mouth with a deep chuckle.
“I see you’ve mastered control, Ellowyn,” he remarked as he gave one last wave to the gathered crowd and led me off the stage. The gathered lords and ladies bowed and curtsied deeply as we passed, but I didn’t miss the sneer on Dria’s face.
I simply rolled my eyes, much more concerned with problems that actually mattered; I had little time for Dria and her petty squabbles, even if her smirk rankled.
“Aren’t we going to the temple?” I asked as we strode through the gate into the manor’s courtyard.
Alois simply huffed a half-amused sound as we climbed the stone steps, the massive, engraved wood entry doors parting for our entry.
“Do you really think we’d go to Fate’s temple directly after announcing it to every person in Vespera? Just because the announcement was met with thunderous applause doesn’t mean there isn’t dissent, someone waiting in the shadows to ensure I don’t become a king. And you don’t become my queen.” Hisinsinuation hung in the air, and I gulped in response, my throat suddenly dry.
“I thought, as the last Truthsayer, you knew the pathways—knew when you would die. If that’s the case, why can’t we have the coronation in Fate’s temple?”
