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I’d agreed to wage a war.
Or perhaps was forced into one…
I wasn’t sure which was worse.
Fighting in one was more than enough, and the entirety of the Kahlohani people had nearly died because of it.
Mareina had seen the crowns in our shared vision… How would she feel about being Queen?How would she feel about having to fight in another war?
All I’d ever dreamed of was reclaiming the Kahlohani Islands. But in order to do so, I needed to claim all of Atratus. Which came with abone-crushingamount of responsibility to protect my islands and prevent another war. Yet somehow, war, according to my visions, wasstillinevitable.
Chapter
Thirty-Four
MAREINA
Ifelt numb in most ways… As I often did when it came to life-altering consequences… But as I waded through my emotions and thoughts… I couldn’t find shock among them. Even in regards to my parents… The female I assumed was my mother hadn’t even participated as my foster mother. The male, who I’d assumed was my biological father, well… We’d never been particularly close. He’d tried his best, and for that, I was grateful. I didn’t hold his mistakes and shortcomings against him. Gods knew I had too many of my own to do such a thing. I loved him, but… We hadn’t spoken in so many years I’d stopped counting them.
Ageless beings.
What the hell does that even mean?
I didn’t have the time or energy to dwell on it.
Though the image of Nakoa in a winged form engulfed in divine fire was now seared into my mind… And well, it only added to my suspicions that who his parents were was also highly debatable.
And despite all of the premonitions I’d had since I’d entered adolescence over a hundred years ago… Hearing that voice, beckoning me to release it,Death…Proving to me that it wasn’t just some insane dream… Made it all a little too real. Too imminent. It had always been something that I could question and hovered in the distance…
Now, I was supposed to bind myself to a male I despised and was hellbent on using me to conquer a Kingdom.
Right one cue, Phaedrawilleda gilded box with intricate designs boasting jewels and a thick set of runes into her hands. She opened it to reveal a glittering, golden dagger resting within its darkest blue velvet-lined confines. Clearly a thing for ceremony and not battle. Glowing runes trailed down the length of its handle, hilt, tang, and blade.
My heart pounded like a war drum in my chest.
It felt like fate was sealing off any other routes towards a different path as Nakoa grasped the dagger from the gilded box and began his vow first as he drew the blade across his palm. Shock rolled through me as I witnessed the emotion swelling in his glistening eyes. Nakoa’s magic, darkness and a deep gold wove through the air before following his blood that spilled and trickled to the ground between us.
“Mareina Kalini, my heart, my body, and my soul are yours in this life and all our lives to come - as a token of my love and eternal gratitude to both you and Akash, I offer my blood, my magic, and my vow to always protect you, provide for you, honor you, and love you throughout all our days to come. In joy and tribulation alike, I shall stand by your side.”
My heart stalled in my chest. Some terrible alarm went off within me, screaming at me to not make such a vow even as everything in my soul and this bond demanded that I do. It almost felt like I was watching from a distance, somewhere outside my body, as Nakoa passed me the blade. His eyes bore through me as I squeezed the dagger’s hilt tightly to steady myself.
My eyes caught on several shadowy, hooded figures beyond the shrine at the forest's edge in the distance. Icy fear punched through me briefly.
Oh gods. Of course, the moment I go to take my vows - what issupposedto be one of the happiest days of my life - is the day that Mors’ Pharalaki come to reap my soul.
But in the next moment, they slink back into the shadows.
Disappearing.
How much longer did I have left to live?
Surely, this was an omen.
Oh, well… This vow would be fucking meaningless if I was about to die anyway.
The rationalization gave me the bravery to finally draw the blade across my palm and speak my vow.
Nakoa Solanis, in honor of Akash and her omniscient wisdom, I vow with my blood and my magic to help you rule justly so we may protect the realm and bring peace and prosperity to all its people.
