Page 357 of The Gods Order

My time of having adventures with my Valtrue will have to come to an end after today.

The five of us step into the room with the Gods Veil and find Ellian, Annalise, Yemi, Lambrit, and Rose already waiting for us.

Yemi, over the years, has become basically the realm’s coordinator. She even handles my schedule for me. I despise admitting that she keeps it straight better than I do, but the truth is the truth.

Rose officially became the Goddess of Affection a few years back. After that first decade of the realm healing, Esmerie lost power rather than gain more. So Annalise accepted the title without hesitation, but always said she knew in her heart it wouldn’t be hers to hold forever.

Lambrit has dutifully served as Ellian’s assistant all these years. The two of us have already had a conversation about what comes after today. He’s more than welcome to stand by my side and I’d be honored to have him. Or he may do whatever he wants.

I greet them all with a small smile, but it’s soon stolen from my face as Thayla jerks me down and crashes her lips into mine.

As I have over all these years, I melt into her.

“I’m so proud of you,” she whispers against my mouth.

“Thank you, Mysenta.”

She reluctantly releases me, and I stroll toward Ellian. Annalise embraces him with a quick kiss, then gives me a watery smile as she steps away.

“You know you don’t have to do this yet,” Ellian says as he pulls me into a hug. “I’m perfectly fine still fulfilling this role.”

“I know,” I say. “You prayed for me to have more time and I’ve had that. Eighty-five seems like a very reasonable age to take on the High Chancellor role.”

He laughs as he steps back from me.

“Youngest in history.”

“I know that as well.” I smirk.

The two of us face the Gods Veil together, and Ellian squeezes my shoulder once before we each raise a hand.

The warmth is soft, familiar, and it welcomes me immediately.

The white essence curls around my wrist before climbing higher, wrapping around my forearm like an old friend recognizing my touch.

Beside me, Ellian releases a slow breath as the Veil responds to him in much the same way.

I’ve thought about this moment countless times. I’ve wondered how it’d feel different now that we weren’t forced into this position by the Volreen. Without the Beginning Gods systems in place that pulled you into the Chancellor Choosing without your say-so, would it feel like an actual choice or inevitability?

I know the answer now.

Somewhere between our father’s downfall, the battle, rebuilding the realm, loving every second of the greatest marriage I could ever pray for, and the days leading to this moment…

I stopped worrying about what waited at the end of this walk. The fear that I’d become like the ones who held this position before me plagued me for so long.

Every High Chancellor had believed they were different.

Every one of them—except for Ellian—had started with the intention of protecting the Godsdawn. And somewhere along the way, they stopped seeing the people they served and started seeing only the power they held.

I was terrified I’d follow the same path.

That knowledge would become arrogance.

That certainty would become control.

That my desire to protect would become a need to rule.

That I’d become my father. The traits we shared would finally show themselves to the fullest extent.