Page 125 of Shrine of Fire

“Already?” Nova frowned. “We just landed.” She looked at the rest of the pack.

I looked at Lord Baylin who feigned surprise. I knew the man well enough that he was expecting this. His shirt looked well pressed and not a hair was out of place.

So. As we thought, he had reported to my father, everything that had happened. I only wondered what version of the truth had reached my father’s ears.

We piled into the carriage, Lord Baylin and the ladies-in-waiting included and were taken straight to the Royal Palace. We weren’t given the opportunity to change or refresh ourselves.

A crowd of nobles was gathered in the throne room. It had been almost three months since we had our Royal Engagement ball, but the room hadn’t changed in the slightest. My stomach dropped to my feet, and nerves washed over me, so much I almost blacked out.

Nova took my hand in hers, like she had so many times when we’d been were in foreign lands. Love and support came through the packbonds.

I wasn’t alone anymore. For my omega, I could do this. I could face my father.

I straightened my shoulders and, just as we had all over the world, we entered the throne room as a royal couple.

I smiled benevolently and nodded as we walked down the aisle toward the throne.

My father sat on the throne in all his royal regalia. The fire crown was wrapped around his black hair, and his face was set with displeasure. His robes were perfectly arranged and tied with an ornate sash.

We reached the end of the aisle, and I bowed deeply as Nova curtsied.

“Greetings, my king. We have returned in victory and glory for our fair nation.”

“I didn’t give you leave to speak.” My father snapped.

My stomach dropped even further, and it was all I could do not to sink to my knees. This wasn’t going to go well. Not at all.

“Who is this?” He gestured at Cuan.

“Allow me to introduce one of the royal suitors, Cuanciardha A’Cuiric. He has joined the Royal Pack for the glory of us all.”

“And what of Duke Antu? Admiral Xilas?” Father didn’t move, but he didn’t have to. Guards stood around the throne and his very posture was menacing.

I gestured at Lord Baylin. Let him reap some of what he had sowed. “Please, bring me the trade agreement.”

“I didn’t ask for a trade agreement.” Father cut his hand across himself. “I ask you to do one thing. One thing in your entire miserable life, and you can’t even do that right. Admiral Xilas is up for a court martial. Even you couldn’t have screwed that up and yet—"

“He tried to kill your son,” Nova said. “He threw a knife at the Crown Prince of Ember Island. Did you want us to allow that to pass unnoticed?”

Technically Admiral had been aiming for Nova, but we weren’t going to quibble over semantics.

A soft murmur went through the crowd.

“Silence, whore, I’ll get to you next.”

“Stop,” I said, my voice crystal clear. “I have already told you about such language. You will not refer to my future wife and the jewel of our empire like that.”

Father’s face got red, but I didn’t care.

I was finally free of caring whether he was angry. It didn’t matter if I had done everything right, he would still be sullen and angry. At least this way, I got what I wanted.

The Throne Room grew very, very still.

I straightened up. “I have brought two trade agreements to Ember Island, both more binding than if we had simply allowed Duke Antu and Admiral Xilas to become part of the Royal Pack. We used the assassination attempt to allow us trade routes through the Rannoian Empire, something never achieved before, and not what was part of the original pack agreement.”

Father wasn’t going to care that we had turned the agreements into better deals than originally planned. The only thing he cared about was it looking like I had defied him. He would cut off his nose to spite his face, only the nose in question was our beautiful country.

This show wasn’t for my father. It was for the other nobles.

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