Page 192 of Gift from the Wing

“I’m not sure what you’re trying to insinuate with your question,Gean, but I’ll remind you, you’re not speaking to a friend. Mind your words when speaking about my Primary or my brothers.”

My words are firm and steady. There’s no hint of anger or aggression in my tone, just unapologetic facts. I’m not some subordinate that he can speak freely with, and if he can’t manage to remember that with thisconversation, I’ll gladly remind him when I wipe his entire family out for betraying our realm.

“No insinuation, just concerned curiosity. We all remember what happened when your brother emerged. It’s best to prepare the people for who their future ruler may be.”

May…I don’t like that wording.

“No need to worry yourself with such things. It’ll be Gima who will need to fuss about those problems in the future. How is she, by the way? The staff and her peers are missing her around the academy.”

Willow covers her mouth with her hand, and her eyes widen when she looks at me in utter shock. No, I’m not usually one to stoop to pettiness, but I couldn’t give a fuck about this man. His sideways-ass ways of saying things in this pointless conversation are pissing me off.

I’ve already figured out the entire reason for this call and it’s not going to make any difference.

“She’s doing fine. Her mother has her on a study retreat, so she’s keeping up with what she should. I must be going now, Headmaster, duty calls. I do appreciate the conversation. Please tell your Primary I look forward to meeting her at the Spring Ball.” With that, he hangs up, not giving me a chance to say anything else.

Willow and I share a loaded look, and I shake my head at that ridiculousness.

“What in the hell was that all about?”

“That, princess, was social and political scheming at its finest. He’s holding the meeting between the five to discredit your name and make you out to be someone worth worrying about.”

“What?” she asks, outraged.

“That is the elite and the five for you. I could predict how the entirety of that meeting will go now. The Everglows, and whoever the other family is betraying us, will talk about how you’re a threat to the realm, just as they did when we found Draken. They’ll attempt to rally the other three families behind them in this stance, then they’ll bring their concerns to my mom. It’ll be the five of them against her, and she’ll do one of two things.

“One, she’ll shut the shit down immediately, just as she had to do with Draken, or two, which as much as it pisses me off to say, may be the better pick. She’ll pretend to take their concerns into consideration. It’ll set the Everglows and the others up into believing they’re roping her in. They’ll outwardly appear more comfortable, condescending.”

Willow looks at me in pure disgust, and it’s not aimed at me, but at everything I just explained.

“That is the stupidest shit I’ve ever heard. I mean, I’ve read your notes, Aurora’s, and whatever else I could, so I get that they’re petty, very social status centered, to a dangerous level, but they’re really like that? They’ll try to convince the realm I’m a rabid beast? For what?”

“Yes, they’re really like that. It’s like early academy all over again, but with deadly adults.” I sigh, holding my hand out for her to take so I can pull her between my legs before I tell her this next part. “If this was before we knew as much about the Mastery as we do, I’d say they were doing it to gain leverage over you. Think of it as a way to control you and your behaviors. If they have you by a leash, they can keep you in line. But…now that we know what we know, it’s—”

“If I were to die or disappear, the realm wouldn’t be in an uproar. They’d already fear me, and it’d seem like a blessing. Then there’d possibly be another realm trial because we all would die. They’d never let Aurora continue ruling. They’d overthrow her.” She finishes for me.

I hate the sadness I hear in her voice, and I pull her down completely on my lap. She lays her head on my shoulder as the unfairness of this weighs her down.

“We’re not going to let it come to that. Elementra willing, there will never be another realm trial, nor will one ever be needed. For generations to come, we’ll teach them integrity, compassion, and what it means to care for a realm and the people they love. It won’t ever be like it was two thousand years ago, princess.”

She nods and exhales harshly, but it’s the contemplative look on her face that really catches my attention. Something about what I said has just sparked something in her mind.

“What is it, princess?”

“I don’t know, Core. There’s something I’m missing, and I feel like it’s on the tip of my brain, but I can’t figure it out. Something either happened before the realm trials or after. The records Cas and Gaster were so concerned with that we found in CC’s room didn’t show many revelations about the families that entered. All the lines were accounted for, no surviving relatives or Nexus members seeking revenge, but something happened between that generation and Drudy’s that sparked the Summum-Master’s grand plan.”

“I know. I think—”

“Can you two come to the dungeons or are you doing freaky shit in the office again?”Draken asks, cutting off my words.

“You’d know if we were doing that, Draken.”Willow snorts.

“What’s going on in the dun—palace prison?”I ask, rolling my eyes as Willow laughs. It’s a prison, not a dungeon. There’s a difference…usually.

“We brought a little spy back with us. Need Tman or little wanderer to do some digging.”

Willow hops off my lap with quickness and I stand right behind her. Whatever spy they’ve captured, we need whatever is in their mind.

“Ready?” I ask her.

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