“If you think I am making all the wrong choices for Raza by opening our borders and making friends of our enemies,” I say as I address the people of Gilion, “then vote to end the monarchy.”
With every debate, the Court is losing more and more votes. I can hear the whispers in the streets, can see the glances between friends. For once, their hatred of me is a blessing.
But it is a delicate, dangerous balance, this game.
If I rile them up too much and then lose the vote, I will start a coup. So I can’t remind them of every terrible act I’ve committed. Can’t remind them of all the loved ones that have died under my name – some through war, others killed by mepersonally. Otherwise, there’ll be hundreds of people charged with treason on the day my wife is coronated.
That fear keeps me up at night.
Especially since, in those dark hours, I can hear my wife whimpering beside me, locked in a nightmare about what she did to Stephanie. My heart racing, I push through debate after debate, desperate to free her from the chains I shackled around her feet by forcing her to be my bride.
On the fourth day, as King Dravr is getting ready to head back to Vyla, I escort him to the aviary, along with Echo, Jace, and the guards that’ll be leaving with him.
“You know you cannot prepare for war,” I murmur as we fly. “Word will spread that you’re mobilising your troops.”
“If you do not attack us, we will not move.”
I shake my head. “My people are looking for any reason to re-invade, and they’ll see that as an act of agression.”
“You wish us to stay defenceless?” the king scoffs. “Now I know this is a trap.”
“I wish to bring peace.”
“Peace comes in death.”
“Do not tempt me,” I say as we land on a branch near the top of the tree. It’s covered in crows and bird shit that our aviaryhands do their best to clean. But they cannot keep up with hundreds of birds.
“It is no temptation. It’s merely an observation of my experience.” He pauses. “I admire your fight for change, but I do not think your people are ready for it.”
Perhaps not, but I am, dammit.
“What if they vote to go back to war as soon as you’re gone? The hatred is still too fresh.”
“There will be a transition period,” I say calmly as we walk over to his crow – a majestic beauty called Odinson. He caws as he sees his owner and hops along the branch. “I will continueto lead until systems are put in place for the public to take my place.”
“And how long will that take?”
“Months.” I bury the frustration but not the truth. “Years maybe. Ample time for us to become allies they will not wish to invade.”
“Even so, what about the Alzans, Okahi, and Jokeni? Do you think it will go smoothly enough, they won’t get any opportunities to attack?”
“Are you worried about us?” I ask dryly.
We stop as Odinson reaches us and bows his head. King Dravr dutifully scratches his steed above his intelligent eyes. “Even when we were at war, we understood the barrier your kingdom provided. If you fall, we fall.”
“If you fight alongside us –”
He laughs. “Hel no. I am ready for this peace you have waved in front of me.” He pulls himself up onto Odinson as Echo and a hand-picked selection of her guards mount their own steeds.
“So am I,” I assure him. “I would not be pushing for Raza to change this quickly if I did not think she was ready for it.”
He studies me for a moment from up high. Then he nods. “I will keep my soldiers training, but we will not reinforce any positions near our border.”
I nod. “Thank you.”
With one threat currently handled, I head back towards the trunk of the tree as he flies off. With the coup on pause until the vote comes in and Evangeline working to protect me until that time too, I only need to focus on one other person right now: Tory Deirdre. Jace hasn’t had the chance to find out what she thinks she knows about me needing a necromancer. She’s had a few days to turn over every word my queen said to her in the throne room, and I do not trust her to have let it go. If she’s a threat to Fabia, she’s a threat to my queen.
In a few days, we’ll be in Vix, where she lives. I could order her to the castle now, using the guise of wanting to debrief her about her time with King Dravr, but she’ll see right through that. Then, to her, it will be all but confirmed that something went down. Why else would I be wanting to make sure she knows nothing? Best to give the illusion that I don’t care if she’s digging for our skeletons.
