Page 40 of A Shattered Kingdom of Steel

My eyes widen and snap to his.

He doesn’t want the crown?

Any noble fae in his position would leap at the chance of placing themselves on the throne if presented with the opportunity.

“Then why?” I ask.

“Viridian, he—” Asheros pauses, holding the damp cloth to my hand. “Rumors are circling among the nobles. There are… doubts about his parentage.”

“He’s their king. Our king. How dare they question his position.”

“I know, Bladesinger. I know.” He holds my stare and then his eyes flick away. He picks up the cloth again and collects the last bit of blood left on my knuckles. “But king or not, the nobles gossip.”

“Gossip alone isn’t enough to rise to that level of suspicion.” I ask, “What sort of rumors?”

“Rumors that High Queen Azalinah had never been pregnant.”

“So what?” I roll my eyes. “Surely a bastard king doesn’t mark the end of a line.”

“When the bastard king is the child of the reigning monarch, no,” Asheros agrees. “But when the so-called ‘bastard’ child isn’t the progeny of the monarch or their spouse, yes, it does.” He removes the cloth from my hands. “Fae old enough to have known Vorr while Azalinah was alive insist that he was too in love with her to stray from their bed.”

I let out a huff. “Well, maybe those fae ought to learn a thing or two about minding their own business.”

“For at least a thousand years, our tradition has been that when a monarch dies without an heir-apparent, it means that the gods intended for power to pass onto another House,” Asheros reminds me. “Fae are worried that if House Avanos’s time on the throne was truly meant to die with Vorr, we risk angering the gods if we don’t let another House take the crown.”

“That’s all just superstition,” I say, though my chest tightens.

“For beings with lifespans as long as ours, superstition dies hard, and fear is a powerful thing. Regardless,” Asheros continues, “there’s enough doubt to question the legitimacy of Viridian’s claim to the throne. And given the nobles’ displeasure with the changes he’s been making since becoming High King, it’s the perfect excuse to seek a shift in power.”

“What?” His statement takes me aback. My mind’s stunned by the implications of what he’s saying. “You don’t mean…”

“I do.” He drops the bloodied cloth into the bucket. “There’s word that House Pelleveron has already begun diplomatic visits to the other Courts. Maelyrra plans to invoke the Fyrelith, and if she doesn’t get what she wants, she will go to war for it.”

“War? For the crown? On what grounds?” I shake my head, unable to contain the ferocity of my anger. “Legitimate or not, Viridian has been crowned High King. There’s ample time for him and Cryssa to produce an heir. Their reign has only just begun.”

“That doesn’t matter. The rite can be invoked by any challenger, at any time. Traditionally, only heir-apparents enter, and it’s only been invoked in the past when a ruler dies without a legitimate heir. But those aren’t strict rules.” Still holding my hand, he rubs his temple with his free hand. “Maelyrra wouldn’t be stupid enough to challenge Viridian without political support. So, to sway the other Courts, she’ll claim that Viridian isn’t Vorr or Azalinah’s son. If that’s true, then technically, the last High King died without a legitimate heir-apparent, and the Fyrelith should have been invoked when Vorr died.”

“That gods-damned female.” I never liked her. She’s so snobby, always thinking she’s better than everyone else. I don’t know how Cryssa and Viridian put up with her at council meetings, or how the likes of her can be related to someone with a worthy heart like Cryssa’s. “What proof does Maelyrra Pelleveron have? She’ll need something compelling if she wants to convince Copper and Steel to ally with her.”

The Copper and Steel Courts have been allied with the Bronze Court for centuries. Though, the Steel Court has always taken more of a neutral position when it came to conflict between the other Courts, stepping in only when absolutely necessary.

Asheros cocks his head. “There’s not much evidence.”

“Ha. See?”

I want to continue the conversation, to add something else about how Maelyrra’s grab for power is already doomed, but the heavy look in Asheros’s eyes stops me.

I clench my hands into fists. “There’s more, isn’t there?”

Of course there’s more.

“It may only be circumstantial, but it doesn’t look good, Bladesinger.” The severity of Asheros’s tone makes my stomach sink. “Think about it—Vorr and Azalinah tried for decades to produce an heir, unsuccessfully. Then, all of a sudden, Viridian is born without any news of the High Queen’s pregnancy or his birth. No one knew that the royals were expecting, until they received an invitation to the ball celebrating Viridian’s birth. It’s as if he appeared out of thin air.”

“And let’s not forget Vorr was cursed at that same ball.” My voice slows. “Before I left High Keep, Cryssa and Viridian told me everything they learned about Vorr’s curse. They said he took something that wasn’t his to take, and the female he wronged cursed him as punishment.”

I swear the air surrounding us thickens.

“Gods above.” I freeze, and my blood runs cold. “What if… What if that ‘thing’ Vorr took wasn’t a thing at all. What if it was a child?” Part of me doesn’t want to say my next thought aloud, but the words leave my lips before I can stop them. “What if it was Viridian?”

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