Page 6 of Unseen Lord

Aya purses her lips. "It should go to the oldest, as is custom."

Uncle Asher inclines his head. "Be that as it may, it is not how your parents wrote their will. I was there when they commissioned it. It was a compromise between your mother and father. The vote would be limited to their royal line, but would be voted on by the people. A balance between the rule of monarch your father desires and a rule of democracy your mother prefers."

Aya wrinkles her nose, scoffing at the notion. "This isn't Earth. We can't employ their government styles here, and honestly, their ways aren't working well for them either. I know my mother is well-intentioned, but in this she is wrong, and she has made my father weak. Inferna needs a strong queen who will rule justly but also fiercely. So much more can be set right with a strong fist than a soft heart."

I shift uncomfortably and let my hand fall to Duke's head, giving him a distracted rub behind the ear. Politics was never my forte, and I was never the favorite of the royal children. "Look, I'm fine with Aya taking this on. I'd be a shit king and we all know it."

Uncle Asher's face is unreadable, but I know he has thoughts he will share later. He always does. "You do yourself, and the people of Inferna, a disservice, nephew. I know you had challenges growing up, but you also have an inner strength that would lend itself well to the ruling of this kingdom." He stands, setting down his goblet. "At any rate, the point is moot. The instructions are clear. We must move forward with the choosing of the new monarch before we embark on any rescue mission."

Aya and I exchange a glance. But really, she shouldn't worry. There's no way in hell—pun intended—that they'll vote me in as king. It will never happen.

We make our way by boat to Uncle Asher's kingdom of Pride, where he instructs a series of letters to be sent to his brothers. "The realms must be notified. This time tomorrow we will have a great ball at High Castle. Each realm must send in votes by proxy with their representatives. Within each realm there will be feasting to celebrate the crowning of a new king or queen."

The scribe nods and hurries off to do his bidding, then he looks at us. "You both must prepare yourselves. I will have my tailor commission for each of you something splendid to wear. For one of you will be crowned tomorrow."

The door to the study opens a crack and Varis walks in. The man towers over most, and stands out with his bald head covered in tribal tattoos. An owl perches on his shoulder, his Druid Spirit that he is never without. He approaches my uncle and lays a hand on his shoulder affectionately. "You are needed. A villager has come with news about Fen and Ari."

"What have they to say?" I ask.

Varis regards me with unreadable eyes. The Druid has been with my uncle since before I was born, but he has always been an enigma to me. "I don't know the details. They would only speak with Prince Asher."

Uncle Asher leaves with his partner, but turns before exiting. "I will tell you anything I learn. In the meantime, get fitted and then get some rest. Tomorrow everything changes."

* * *

The fitting is tedious,but over quickly enough—Duke sleeps through the whole thing, lucky him—and Aya slips away after, claiming she needs some time alone. Though we grew up together, nearly inseparable, I've always found her a hard person to read. She keeps her cards close to her chest, as it were.

Late that night I seek out my uncle to discover what the villager had to report. I find him with Varis in their personal quarters, each of them stretched before a fire reading leather bound books. The scene is so domestic, so comforting, that it makes me long for something I fear I'll never have. I've been on the run for so many years, living in makeshift spaces, doing what I could to infiltrates the shadows of Lix Tetrax and the Tempest, that it is strange to be home, to be back in what was once so familiar.

My thoughts turn to Iris and I begin to wonder if maybe this kind of life could be in the cards for me after all. Would she want this? I honestly have no idea. Our relationship is too new. We haven't had a chance to discuss what a future together might look like, if indeed there even is one. Would we live in Inferna or at the Black Lotus? I'm surprised to discover there's a part of me what would prefer to come home. Maybe not to take up my role as Prince of Envy's realm. But perhaps to live quiet somewhere in the Outlands, free of politics and the machinations of my world.

But how could that ever be? I am too entrenched in the darkness of the Unfettered to ever break free. And I am still on the Council's Most Wanted list. Which makes all of this, particularly me being included for the vote of king, so absurd. I can't very well rule under the circumstances, even if I were the better choice, which I clearly am not.

I push away such thoughts and sit next to my uncle at his beckoning.

He sets aside his book to look at me. "The news was nothing. A villager who wanted the reward money but had little to offer for it. Just rumors of your mother being in Avakiri, but nothing concrete. I am sorry."

I don't school my look of disappointment fast enough and Uncle Asher puts a hand over mine. "We will keep looking. We will find your parents," he says.

"And Iris," I add.

He nods. "And Iris."

I want to ask more questions, to probe him further about what he knows of the Tempest, the White Rider, my parents, the Unseen Lord, but we've already been round and round with that conversation and he will likely be as tight-lipped now as he was then. I'm confident he knows more than he's saying, but I'm just as confident he'll only tell me if and when he feels like it.

So I bid them both goodnight and head back to my room, Duke at my heels.

My sleep that night is restless, and the next morning we leave for High Castle, to begin preparations. It's a flurry of activity, with servants cleaning, polishing, cooking, basting, baking, trimming, and decorating. My uncle's tailor must have worked non-stop since the fitting, employing some magical help, no doubt, because by the afternoon both Aya and I are decked in the finest silk, satin and velvet.

"Do you really think it's a good idea to parade me around when I'm still the Most Wanted of the Nine Worlds?" I ask Uncle Asher, as he supervises while his tailor dresses myself and my sister like dolls. Even Duke gets a brushing and a dignified collar for the occasion. I would have thought he'd hate it, but he takes to it like Uncle Asher would, prancing around showing everyone how handsome he is. Silly wolf.

"Nonsense. The only ones who care about that blasted list are council members and Hunters, none of whom will be here," he says.

"Not even Thalius?" I ask. "He's keen to see my head on a spike, and has blood bonds to both Avakiri and Inferna, making this election of interest to him."

My uncle just smirks. "I've ensured Thalius will be unable to attend. Worry not, dear nephew."

Aya raises an eyebrow at that, but then flinches and becomes distracted as her gown is tightened around her waist. "I do need to be able to breathe. Please keep that in mind," she barks through gritted teeth.

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