“Eating!” Lynelle shouted from the kitchen where she had remained.
The general blew out a breath and focused his gaze back on his commander. “Well, I won’t be arguing with her.”
“Wise man,” Jace responded. “The time has come, my Lia.” He reached for her hand.
“Excellent,” she said as she placed her hand in his and stood from her chair. Her gaze landed back on me once more while I silently remained in my seat at the opposite end of the table. “If possible, we leave tomorrow.”
There was no room for argument in her tone, though every fiber of my being was lashing out beneath my skin.
The thought of having to return to my kin loomed over me—suffocating me with each breath I inhaled. I was thankful that the fae's senses paled in comparison to those of a witch, or else she would've detected the sudden halt of my heart as it stopped in my chest, realizing that the time had come to face what I had done.
Chapter twenty-two
Jace
The eight of usrode horses through the city, lit by endless lines of torches and moonlight. The awaiting crowds greeted us with equal amounts of cheers and looks of puzzlement as we galloped through them, aiming for the center of the city. So much had changed since I had last been to Anerys. The outskirts of our headquarter city had expanded substantially.
Each of us dismounted our horses once we arrived at the newly constructed stone courthouse. Leon had already arrived and was atop the rise, waiting for us to climb the steps to greet the city and its citizens. Once we turned to face the masses, a smile formed on Lia’s face.
I took a single step forward, half blocking her from view. She had already given this speech to those who had been in Ellecaster with us, but for me, it would be the first time to those who weren’t directly under my command.
These were my people, and I was about to tell them the unthinkable. Although I was certain that most of them were already aware of the rumors, it was still difficult to inform them that their commander, the man who had led their armies in the fight against the fae, had fallen in love withone. And not just any fae—the rightful queen and heir of the realm.
Would they believe me or think I had sold us out? I knew in my heart that they would accept Lia; it was impossible not to, but time wasn’t on our side. All I could hope for was that they trusted me enough to lead them to her.
My hands hung down at my sides as I looked out over the silent crowd, and just as I went to speak, I felt a warm, familiar touch as she laced her fingers with mine. I glanced over my shoulder to meet my favorite emerald gaze, instantly calming my nerves.
She gave a small nod, and my eyes shifted through the rest of her court standing behind us.
Clearing my throat, I opened my mouth to finally speak. “It has been some time since I have spoken before you all—some of your faces are familiar, while others are new. Regardless of when you joined us, you must know that I plan to lead us to victory, granting us freedom from the wicked queen that rests upon the throne in Isla.”
Murmurs erupted through the city, becoming an instant roaring in my ears.
“While I realize that my absence has been substantial as of late, I’m still your commander and expect your attention and respect. Yes, to start, there are fae among us and standing here with me before you now,” I stated with authority as my eyes shifted through the crowd beneath the moonlight.
After fifty or so feet, I couldn’t make out a single face—just endless rows of bodies and torches lining the streets before me.
“I haven’t been entirely honest with you all, and for that, I’m truly sorry.” The murmurs of the crowd instantly ceased, casting an eerie silence. “My mother was attacked and left for dead at the hands of the fae thirty years ago during an ambush on one of our villages. I am the result of her assault.”
I expected the crowd to erupt once more, but they remained silent.
“My hate for the fae had poisoned my heart and mind, turning me into a vengeful leader who, until recently, would’ve stopped at nothing to end the entirety of the fae. On a mission we had set out on to lure and trap their leaders, everything I thought I knew about myself and our war had changed.”
I took a step to the side and pivoted to face Lia. Extending my hand toward her, she placed hers in mine without hesitation as she stepped up to stand at my side.
“I met an extraordinary female, and she also stands before you today. Everyone, I would like you to meet Elianna Valderre—therightfulheir to the Velyran throne.”
We were met with wide-eyed stares and audible gasps of disbelief, but surprisingly, the eruption of anger we had prepared for never came.
“She is the daughter of the late King Jameson Valderre, someone we as a race had believed to be responsible for this war, but we are here to tell you that…that wasnotthe case.”
I went on with the speech Lia had given in Ellecaster and how our goal was no longer to remove the fae from the realm but to remove Idina Valderre from its throne.
“Who’s to say Elianna won’t turn on us? She is aValderre!And those two red-heads look exactly like the queen you wish to overthrow! They could all be spies!” a shout came from the darkness of the crowd, causing more vicious whispers to ensue.
My body stiffened, just as I thought we were in the clear from angry outbursts. I glanced over my shoulder in time to watch Avery flinch. Lia was used to hateful comments and having to prove who she was, but the others weren’t.
“I will vouch for both her and them with my life. For Elianna iseverythingto me and more…” I glanced at her as she remained poised at my side. She stared out at the masses completely unphased, appearing as the fearless warrior she was and the queen she’s yet to become. “For she is my mate. My equal in every way.”
