Page 39 of The Court of Truth

She smiles at my words as Arlo clears his throat, dragging my gaze to him. “While I have you both here, Beau and Kryll I mean, can you just help me understand why the Dragon Kingdom stands separate from the Floodborn Kingdom?”

My eyes instantly dart to Beau’s, who speaks before I can encourage him to. He understands it all better than me. “They’ve never fallen under the same leadership. Dragon’s are… well, dragons. They’re unpredictable, and in desperate need of a space where they can roam free in the skies. The Dragon Kingdom is the best option we’ve found. My mother once explained that it was agreed upon many years ago that they would operate separately, but in tandem. Though, if it comes to battles, they remain at peace, keeping out of it because the dragon population dwindles on a daily basis and the last thing we want is to send them carelessly into battle time and time again, risking further threat to our longevity.”

This is exactly why he’s here because I would not have worded it like that. It would have been a jumbled mess in comparison.

“But you two come into battle,” Flora breathes, folding her arms over her chest as her gaze bounces between Beau and me, and I shrug. The look from Beau tells me it’s my turn to answer this one, but instead, I turn to Addi with a meaningful glance.

“It’s their choice to be here,” Addi states softly, a sparkle of appreciation in her eyes.

It’s not really enough of an answer, but to my relief, Arlo speaks again. “Thank you for that. There wasn’t any documentation I could find that explained the separation. However, right now, we need to focus on what we say to the media.”

Addi takes his redirection, rounding the table to take her seat again. “We need to keep it short and to the point. We need to devise a speech that will acknowledge the attack and announce the tour.”

“You want to disclose the attack?” Arlo asks, cocking a brow at her, and she nods firmly.

“I told them I was going to be open. I can’t backtrack on that the moment something happens that I don’t like. Besides, the citizens of Summer Oak deserve to be acknowledged and not swept under the rug,” she points out, filling my chest with pride as I take her in.

She truly is everything this kingdom both needs and deserves.

“And who is this speech coming from?” Arlo asks, but we all know the answer before she even speaks.

“Me.”

22

ADRIANNA

“Good morning, Floodborn Kingdom. I would love nothing more than to address you with positive news today, but unfortunately, that’s not the case. It is with the deepest remorse that I announce to you that Summer Oak was attacked through the night. I would like to start by offering my deepest condolences to those affected by these terrible acts. As we begin to look more into Summer Oak specifically, I want to make everyone aware of the threat that is wreaking havoc on our kingdom. You may have seen her for the first time, as I did, just a few short days ago. Her name is Clementine Reagan. I believe she is my aunt, a family member cast away in the ultimate prison, a kiss of death. It’s clear she is no longer imprisoned and has enlisted the aid of councilman Orenda, whom she broke out of the council prison. Along with him, a substantial but thus-far-unnumbered portion of our soldiers have defected, and she has somehow gained control of the frenzied vampires. It seems we overcame one enemy to the kingdom only to be immediately facing another. And make no mistake, that’s what these people are. Enemies. A threat. The atrocity they wrought in Summer Oak last night is unforgivable. With that said, it is always customary for the new monarch to take a tour of the kingdom within the first twelve months of appointment. I will begin my tour tomorrow, starting with Summer Oak. Now is the time for us to band together as one community. If anyone wishes to join us, the offer is open to all. I’m devastated that what should be a celebratory event is being forced by such awful pretenses, but I am working tirelessly to protect our kingdom. More news on my tour and where we will travel to from Summer Oak will be announced in the coming days. Until then, our time will be dedicated to helping rebuild what has been broken. Thank you.”

Stepping down from the podium, I let the weight of the conversation sit on my chest, bearing down as I let the devastating feeling rush over me. Leaving tomorrow feels too far away, but there’s more to consider than just traveling and I have to respect that. In Arlo’s words, tomorrow is the earliest opportunity and almost anyone else would give it a week.

I’m taking his word for it.

Stepping through the gates separating the castle from the rest of the kingdom, leaving the media behind, I feel the presence of my men a step beside me. Raiden, Kryll, and Brody refused to let me step outside of the castle alone, framing the podium as I spoke, silently offering me their support.

I want to reach out and take someone’s hand, draw strength from one of them, but it’s always been drilled into me to stand tall alone. If the media capture a moment of me leaning on someone else for support, it will undoubtedly be published as a queen’s vulnerability and my worthiness to maintain the throne will come into question. My father’s words have always guided me well with everything else, so I’m trusting him with that fact too.

“You smashed that, Dagger,” Brody murmurs when we’re far enough away from the media that even the supernatural with enhanced hearing won’t hear us, and I smile.

“I’m hoping one day I can address my people with good news,” I muse, the smile on my face losing its strength as I sigh.

“You will, Princess. First, you just have to show them how strong you are, how much you care about the kingdom as a whole. Then you’ll get the privilege of showering them in good news,” Kryll assures me, and I nod in understanding.

It doesn’t sound all that fun, and I thought I had been through all of my trials before being declared the heir, but now that I am the queen, it seems I haven’t truly accomplished anything yet.

As we near the door to the castle, it creaks open and I startle at the sight of the person on the other side.

“Cassian,” I breathe, managing a half smile as I step over the threshold and into his arms.

His hold is tight and stiff, the tension noticeable through his limbs as I peer up at him. Dark eyes swirl, a storm billowing in his orbs as he looks down at me.

The door clicks shut behind me and it seems to knock the tension levels through the roof as I stand chest to chest with Cassian, with Kryll, Raiden, and Brody at my back. Cassian doesn’t acknowledge his friends, his stare drilling into me as he strokes his thumb down my face. His lips part and slam shut a few times, then understanding washes over me.

“I already know what you’re going to say,” I state, a sigh parting my lips despite my best efforts. I’m not sighing at him, I’m sighing at the unavoidable situation and the awkwardness it’s starting to wedge between us all.

“Alpha,” he rasps, capturing my chin between his thumb and finger.

“It’s okay,” I insist, wrapping my fingers around his wrist as he shakes his head at me.

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