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Will sighed. “I’ll send word to Master Xeltec.”
“There’s no need.” I crossed the room to where my forge hammer sat on the floor next to where Cian kept his armor and where Hellion hung their blades. I tucked it into my belt and turned back around. “Ready.”
The door opened without a knock and Devonay poked her head in. “Is everyone ready in here?”
“Devonay!” It was the first time I had seen her since waking up, so I crossed the bedroom and pulled her into a tight hug.
“Don’t hug me yet,” Dev muttered, stepping back. “I’m a slave driver, according to Cian, and if you two are going to be his equals, that means I get to work you like it.” She turned and snapped her fingers. “Don’t take too long prettying them up, Will. There’s a war on. See you in the throne room in ten!”
Will sighed and shook his head.
When he was done, he escorted me from Cian’s quarters to the hall outside the throne room.
Our quarters, now.I glanced over at Hellion walking next to me.
They were radiant in their white and orange tunic and pants, practically glowing like the sun. Hellion hadn’t said much all day, seeming lost in their own thoughts. I couldn’t tell if they were unhappy about the formal announcement happening so soon, or if it was something else.
I twisted my fingers in theirs. “Are you okay with this, Hel?”
They gave me a curious look, the gold lines around their eyes showing a little more. “Of course I am. I wouldn’t be doing it if I wasn’t. What gives you the impression that I’m not?”
“You just seem…distant.”
They huffed through their nose. “Damn you for being so perceptive. I was trying to wait until after the ceremony to tell you.”
I halted in the middle of the hallway, putting a hand on their chest to stop them. “Tell me what?”
Hellion folded their hands behind their back. “This declaration will put me in a difficult position as Jaida’s viceroy. Being the viceroy in Jaida and the suitor of a foreign lord creates a conflict of interests. I can no longer objectively decide what is best for Jaida. I’m going to have to resign my position.”
“Are you sure you’re okay with that?”
They offered a tight smile. “I am. I belong at your side, and at Cian’s side. I only worry about what will happen to the Court of Dreams when I leave. I will have to return to secure a replacement, which will not be easy.” They leaned in to kiss my cheek. “But all of those are worries for another day. I am here with you today. Tomorrow will have to look after its own self for now.”
The hall was mostly empty when we arrived, though we had passed various Nightmares on our way. They inclined their heads in a bow and moved on. Outside the throne room, only a few doormen waited.
Will drew up in front of us, fussing over the position of the cape. “Cian will come in from the side. As far as the rest of the court is aware, this is just another update on the war progress. They’ll be expecting doom and gloom, most of them. This should be a pleasant surprise.”
I pushed his hands away, so he’d stop fidgeting. “What should I expect?”
Will smiled, eyes sparkling. “Expect Cian to be Cian and you can never be surprised.”
Devonay’s voice echoed through the throne room, loud and clear. “All pay heed to his lordship, Earth-shaker, Uriden’s Claw, Skaag-conqueror…”
“Are you ready?” Will asked. “All eyes will be on you.”
I blew out a long, slow breath. “I don’t think it’s possible to be ready for this sort of thing.”
Hellion squeezed my shoulder. “I will be with you every step of the way.”
We listened through the cracked door as Devonay finished Cian’s introduction. I imagined him strolling in, much as he had done that first night, and taking his place before the throne.
Closing my eyes, I could picture his subtle gestures and mannerisms, the way he’d scan the room from right to left and back again as he spoke, attempting eye contact with everyone.
“Thank you,” came Cian’s voice, steady and strong. “I bring you news today, not of the war effort, but of a different nature. I have told you about my long absence from this court, my time at the front, and the many battles I fought. We have recognized in this very hall some of those Nightmares who fought beside me and performed great deeds. We have honored their heroism and their skill. And we have mourned the best of us, those great Nightmares who laid down their lives for our cause. They will not be forgotten.”
A pause. Was he trying to remember his lines? Or writing new ones in his mind as he went along?
Cian cleared his throat, and I knew it was the second. “War is brutal. It is hard and ugly. Sometimes, in the face of that, it’s easy to forget what we’re fighting for.”
