Page 32 of Fate of Draga

“Not only did we make peace with Khara, but they’ve never sought to conquer us. They’ve come to our aid many times, and our alliance is as strong as ever.” Adelina smiled as she considered Nash. It had been an age since the last Khara-Draga wedding. “Despite their tech and warriors they fell quickly and without warning to the Neprijat. But isn’t that what alliances are for? Isn’t that why we are now here, poised to liberate that system?”

She looked out at the stars and the Hai planet in the distance as she considered her next words. “But more than anything imagine what we all could accomplish if we worked together. With Draga’s medicine, Khara’s tech, the Drakesthai’s knowledge…all of us exchanging art and learning…what could we accomplish given the chance?”

Adelina didn’t want to just survive the war. She wanted them all to rebuild, improve, and thrive. But she couldn’t do it alone.

“And what happens after the war?” John asked, watching her with a wary eye. But there was also respect there. “Utopia?”

Adelina set down her tea and accepted the croissant stuffed with cheese and meat Taj had no doubt made especially for her. Vitto took his place behind her chair and Adelina felt more settled. They may not be well acquainted, but she had allies and she would make more.

“After the war I hope there will be peace,” she said quietly. “But we are not the only systems in this vast universe. If we’re strong together, many will steer clear and no doubt reconsider any thoughts of conquest. I want to prevent this kind of war from ever happening again.”

Adelina cut a small bite and placed it in her mouth. She couldn’t help the way her eyes closed in bliss as she chewed. Goddess, she’d missed Taj’s cooking.

“And will Draga eventually demand to rule us all?” Elizabeth asked, considering her with sharp eyes.

The question hadn’t been unexpected, but it still stung more than Adelina had anticipated. She set down her food and turned to Vitto who was bristling. One look and he knew what she needed. He left without a word. She wanted to show the Unchanged she trusted them enough to be alone with them.

“You ask because I have a mate from each system – all princes in their own right,” Adelina asked, arching a brow and folding her hands delicately in her lap like her mother had trained her to do.

No one bothered to respond, but they didn’t need to.

Adelina planned to rule with honesty. She wanted to be open with her people and allies despite how much everyone loved to play games. There would still be games to play, but she would never lie.

“If I cannot create peace between our peoples then I have considered forcing the issue,” Adelina admitted. “No one rules the Hai System or Khara currently. If I asked Nash to fight for his right to rule as king he would. Then he would cede Khara to me. The Drakesthai rule by council and while they have royals, it is a queen they wait for. And then you share a system with them – accept their protection…if nothing changed and you could live peacefully as you are…would you even mind?”

Their looks were wary, but the respect there was what she’d been vying for. Honesty was one of her strongest weapons and Adelina knew it.

“Regardless, I don’t feel like those extreme measures will be necessary,” she said. “I believe our three systems can coexist in peace and prosper together as they are.”

Smiling at each of them, Adelina knew this was risky, but if the Unchanged agreed then all she needed to do was get the Drakesthai to ally with Khara. Then all of them would be beholden to each other.

“What about the Neprijat?” Jared asked – the suspicious one.

And for good reason.

Adelina smiled, exposing her canines. “I will take their system and annex them under Draga rule like we did with Brogna. They cannot be allowed to fester as they have.”

Diana’s lips parted in shock. Whether it was from the physical transformation or her words Adelina didn’t know. But this had been something she’d been thinking on for a while.

Leave the Neprijat home system alone and they could grow their numbers again. They might want revenge. And if they did, the cycle would start all over again. No. They needed to be brought into the fold.

“What about your people?” Sarah asked with a concerned frown. “Accepting them as part of your kingdom will be difficult.”

“I rule with dominance. They will not question me on this matter.” That was something else she’d considered, but once presented correctly her people would understand.

Adelina’s feral grin widened as she eyed each of the Unchanged. They had to understand the importance of her proposal. They had to understand where she would and would not cede. Her nails pierced the arms of her blackwood chair.

“The Neprijat wanted a queen,” Adelina told them. “So they will get one.”

Chapter Ten

Nash

Neprijat Factory

The Hai System

Nash peered out the window as they approached the factory’s coordinates. It was on a moon at the edge of the system near the border, but also between any Drakesthai or Kharan planets. It was the perfect location for a warehouse – a moon with a long orbit that was hidden from view for most of the cycle.

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