Page 68 of Pawns of Salistya

‘King Eliasson of the Kingdom of Arlom, do you support or reject the cross collaboration of the Doms of Fyriane?’

He searched my face, looking for any sign I had reconsidered my stance on the matter. When I gave him nothing to indicate there had been a change, he answered clearly, ‘Yes, Valare and I am in favour of this motion.’

I nodded. This was not the time to be selfish, however much I might want to be. I couldn’t hide away in a corner because I was scared of the destiny the fates had handed me. I had to do the right thing. But I would do it my way. On my terms. Now I just needed to work out the logistics of the Eliasson situation because the doubts I had long been pushing down about it were bubbling to the surface.

‘That concludes the vote. With a three to one result in favour of the cross collaboration, I hereby enact my rights as the hosting royal of this Forum to conclude the matter.’ The pride in Eliasson’s voice was palpable and felt throughout the room.

Except for one person, of course.

‘This is bullshit,’ Slaviya icily muttered.

Seemingly unperturbed by her comment, Eliasson simply shrugged. ‘Everyone has the right to their vote, Slaviya. However, none of us are above the outcome of the Forums. The verdict is in. My Dom will assist yours in protecting the frontline, the logistics of which we may discuss later. Same goes with you, Qynthia. Valare and I look forward to working together for a prosperous future for Fyriane.’

I schooled my expression, refusing to let the guilt eat at me when he said the wordsValare and I.

Eliasson continued, relief that his hosting duties were over, was evident. ‘On that note, this concludes the negotiations segment of the Forum. The closing ball will be held three nights from now. Please take this time to explore Amarald, continue mingling or sit back and relax before your tiring journeys home. It was a pleasure to host you in our beautiful Kingdom,’ he finished, pulling me to stand alongside him. He pressed me into his side, planted a kiss on my forehead and directed me out of the room, a clear purpose in his movements.

Once we had turned the corner, Eliasson picked me up and charged towards our quarters as I squealed for him to put me down.

But he didn’t, as I knew he wouldn’t. Not until my back landed on the soft sheets of his bed and his form rested on top of mine. I pushed thoughts of Xylan out of my head, leaning into the physical mage in me that craved intimacy as I closed off my mental barrier.

I held onto the relaxed and calming sensations that overtook my body. We succumbed to the heaviness behind our eyes at some point in the evening, but I knew it wouldn’t last forever. Nothing peaceful in my life ever does.

Chapter 29

An alarm blared throughout the entire palace, no doubt extending to the ears of the civilians throughout Amarald.

Without a second thought, I rushed out of bed, putting on my fighting leathers. I made my way downstairs, heading towards the ocean only to be met by my personal Sol, the Royals and their Seconds.

Eliasson rushed up behind me, dressed in his own fighting leathers as he looked me up and down. ‘Fyrel, did you see where the threat is coming from?’

Fyrel didn’t need to answer for me to know. I could feel their presence in the water, dangerously closing in on the shore. My heartdropped.

‘The ocean, Your Highness. The beasts are here,’ Fyrel gravely confirmed.

I shared a look with Slaviya, both of us knowing what needed to happen but equally hesitant. We knew this would change everything. There was no way of hiding our magic in a battle with the tidal beasts. Her attempts to dissuade Arlom aid, and keep magic hidden for a little longer, would all be for nothing after this. With a nod from my sister, I turned towards my Sol.

‘Mer, you take Fyrel and Eliasson. Mazyr, Amire, Rynelle, split yourselves up between the others and meet us there. You know where you’re going?’ I commanded, receiving nods in return. ‘Slaviya and I will go separately. I can’t expend any energy carrying them, I’ll need every reserve I’ve got.’

‘Wait, what are you doing Valare? We can’t split up,’ Eliasson argued.

‘We aren’t splitting up, Eliasson. Can you just trust me? Please?’ I stuttered, bracing myself for the feelings of betrayal I knew would ultimately follow.

I could see the scepticism on his face. I noticed he side-eyed Xylan who returned his look with a nod. But he was at a loss for what else to say other than, ‘Okay.’

I nodded. ‘I promise everything will be okay. I need to focus on saving the Kingdom right now and can’t have any distractions. I’ll explain everything later but please know that I’m sorry.’ I stumbled over the last words.

Before he could respond, I nodded at Slaviya and my Sol. I chose to ignore the knowing eyes of the other royal mages.

Slaviya and I teleported to land on the beach which, prior to tonight, had been my private oasis. The waves were enormous, the wind so fierce that I struggled to stay upright. Despite it being pitch black, my eyes adjusted quickly to the view, almost as if it weredaylight, and I could see giant tentacles emerge out of the aggressive waves, before crashing back down into the water.

‘Shit. You weren’t exaggerating when you said they were getting bigger,’ I muttered to Slaviya. I’d never seen tentacles on them before either.

My sister merely snorted, rolling back her shoulders to take a fighting stance. I felt the others arrive.

Rynelle stepped up to my side, using a gust of wind to push back the others. He created a fire from the large torch he was holding.

‘What the hell …’ I heard Fyrel mutter in disbelief.

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