Page 7 of Unseen Lord

Once dressed in the finest fabrics of deep purple, gold and black, we join Uncle Asher in the throne room, which is presently void of all but a few guards standing at the ready. "Your uncles will be joining us, then we shall commence with the voting, ceremony, and festivities. Each realm has already been celebrating all day, so everyone is in fine spirits."

I'm sure that's not true. Not everyone cares about which spoilt Royal sits on these thrones. Some are just trying to survive. Some are enduring discrimination by the vampires, the Fae or both, if they're unlucky enough to be Shade. My parents have done their best, but you can't quickly eradicate prejudice. Maybe we can't rid ourselves of it at all. I've begun to believe it's an inherent part of us all, whether we choose to admit it or not.

Uncle Dean arrives first, surprising us all by being fully dressed. "Too cold out there for you?" I tease.

He laughs in good spirit. "Just enjoying the new silk shipment I got in," he says, running a hand along his intricately embroidered gold tunic.

Aya greets him with a mischievous grin and hug. "Good to see you. Have my men been behaving themselves?"

Uncle Dean smiles and shrugs. "Nothing my people can't handle." In many ways he is the opposite of Uncle Asher. Where Asher is polished and poised, with dark hair and pale skin, Dean is debonair and casual, dark blond hair wild, skin sun-touched. But they are the closest of the brothers. I often noticed my father watching them wistfully, perhaps pondering missing memories of the times they had before he was turned. Memories he lived many lifetimes thinking were his until he found out the truth about his heritage, that he was never born a vampire under the curse of the seven sins, but rather was Fae, touched by the Druid Spirit, who nearly died during the battles until the vampire queen, my grandmother, turned him.

It's a story no one really talks about, but I did get it out of my mother once. She was always more likely to tell us the things others wanted to stay hidden.

Pity she didn't tell us about my twin.

Uncle Ace arrives next, looking slightly distracted and anxious, like a mad scientist who can never quite master the thing he wants the most. "I'm working on something new," he says as he enters the room. "It could help speed up production of basic household goods, but uh… " he looks down at soot covered hands and shrugs. "There are still some complications to work out."

Dean smiles indulgently. "You'll get it."

"Speaking of inventions," Aya says, cozying up to him. "I need a contraption to take a fleet of ships to Avakiri through the Waystones. Do you think you can put something like that together?"

His eyes light up and he rubs at his stubbled chin. "Actually, I've been working on a design for just that purpose. It's as if you've read my mind."

Aya waggles her eyebrows at me in excitement, presumably planning for the rescue of Iris, which I appreciate, then lowers her head to engage in a low volume back and forth with her favorite uncle. He built her ship, after all. Her prized possession. As a child she spent more time in his realm learning about inventions than in our own. Though she took to our father's combat instructions readily enough, as evidenced by her fame as a fighter.

Uncle Zeb is the last to show, and is decked out in luxurious clothing befitting his title as Prince of Gluttony. Thanks to him we have an incredible feast for this evening. Perhaps the only thing I'm looking forward to in this entire event. He greets the group with a small nod of the head.

Once all have arrived, Uncle Asher stands and produces a contract, signed in blood by my parents. "Our instructions are clear. All heirs of Ari and Fen are to stand before the people of Inferna to vote on who shall become the new queen or king of Inferna. If Ari and Fen return at some future date, and in a condition to resume their previous position, the new ruler will have the option to refuse and stay on, or to acquiesce the throne until such a time that Ari and Fen retire permanently. We have, due to these unfortunate circumstances, triggered this clause, and must now begin the trials to determine the next ruler."

Zeb frowned. "Why are we not eligible for this position? It was, after all, a chance of fate that Fen was Ari's first choice and not one of us. Shouldn't we now have the opportunity to put ourselves in the ring for this role? We who have trained for this position for hundreds of years?"

While Ace, Asher and Dean had been clear allies of my parents during the last war, the stories of Zeb were a little more tempered. He didn't betray them like Levi. But… he was never completely satisfied with how it all unfolded, I think. And Aya is doing a poor job of schooling her face to neutral. She's clearly unhappy with the idea of more competition for the vote. After all, against me, she knows she's guaranteed the crown. Against one of our uncles? That might be a tougher vote.

"While your concerns are duly noted," Uncle Asher says, "this is the way of it. They are the law and they make the law." His tone leaves no room for argument, and I get the impression this isn't the first time the two of them have had this conversation.

Zeb remains silent, and with that bit of family mutiny aside, Asher addresses his brothers. "Do you each have the tallied votes of your realms and any realms you are leading in absentia?"

That last bit is a dig at me, since I should be producing a scroll for Levi's realm, Envy. But I no longer reign there, and the castle has fallen to ruin, though it did produce the Twilight Bow for us, which would have been really useful if we hadn't lost it to the White Rider, and the Moonlight Sword to the Black Lotus. Aya would normally be managing the realm of Greed, but Zeb has brought that scroll on her behalf, while Dean collected the votes for my realm.

They nod in unison and hand Asher scrolls that will decide our fate and the fate of our land.

Asher reads through each, raising an eyebrow at one, until he has memorized the results. He is now the only one in Inferna who knows the identity of the next sovereign of our kingdom. He smirks with that knowledge and escorts us to the balcony where a throng of vampires, Shades, and even some Fae, await below. Two crowns are perched on a red velvet pillow. One for me. One for Aya.

I absently wonder what they will do with the loser's crown.

The cheer of the crowd is deafening as we step out, and Duke presses close to me, always on the look out for enemies. It's late afternoon and the sun is dipping lower in the sky. I've spent so long on Earth, I've forgotten the simple luxury of basking in the warm rays without fear of harm. I let myself enjoy the moment as the Asher waits for the cheering to die down.

"Thank you all for joining us on this most auspicious occasion." Asher is interrupted by more cheering. When it quiets, he continues. "Though the circumstances that brought us here are less than optimal, rest assured the safety, security and prosperity of the realms are our utmost priority, even as we investigate what became of our Queen and King."

The crowd erupts again, and I refrain from rolling my eyes at this pandering to the crowds, which just proves my point that I am truly not cut out for this gig, as Iris would say. The thought of her sends an unexpected pang through me, and I have to force myself to focus on the ceremony taking place.

"After reviewing the results, the will of the people is clear. You have chosen… Princess Aya Vane Spero of Stonehill, daughter of the High Queen and King, as your new ruler."

This time there is no subduing the hysteric clapping, hollering and crying. The people are thrilled.

I expected to feel a surge of relief at not being chosen, and I do, for the most part. But there's also an unexpected emotion buried in my gut I do not quite understand and have no time to dissect now.

It's enough that Aya is glowing with joy and triumph. She will make an excellent leader of our people, of that I feel confident.

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