Page 23 of Crown of Ashes and Desire

“Her happiness,” I breathed, the words torn from the depths of my soul. “Her laughter. Her light.” The magic dug deeper, showing them moments of tenderness—Ada sleeping in my arms, the peace I felt only with her, the way her very presence made me want to be better than I was. “I want to protect her dreams, support her goals, and stand beside her as she changes the world.”

“And if she achieves more without you?”

The question I’d feared most, the one that struck at the heart of my deepest insecurity. But under truth magic, there was no room for comfortable lies.

“Then I want that for her, too,” I whispered, the admission feeling like I was tearing out my own heart. “If my love becomes a burden, if my nature compromises her future, then I want the strength to let her go.”

The images flowing from my mind now were raw, unguarded—my terror that I wasn’t good enough for her, my desperate love, my willingness to endure any pain if it meant her happiness. I felt utterly exposed, stripped bare before enemies and allies alike.

But I also felt free.

The examination continued, question after question revealing layer after layer of my feelings for Ada, my hopes for our future, my genuine respect for the Light Court and its traditions. Finally, Councilor Merin stepped back, her hands trembling slightly from the magical exertion.

“It is done,” she announced. “We have seen the truth of his heart.”

The Council conferred in hushed tones while I struggled to regain my composure. My entire focus narrowed to Ada, whose face showed wonder, shock, and something that might be hope.

Councilor Aydin rose, and the chamber fell silent.

“Lord Hakan, the Council has reached a decision.”

My fate—our fate—hung in the balance. After everything I’d revealed, after laying my soul bare before friend and enemy alike, would it be enough?

Would Ada be allowed to choose her destiny, or would my love for her destroy everything she’d worked to achieve?

The Councilor’s next words would determine whether our future began…or ended forever.

Hakan

6 Years Ago

The silence stretched until I thought my heart might shatter from the tension. Everything we'd built, everything we'd fought for, hung on the Council's next words.

“In twenty years of examining testimony under truth magic, we have rarely seen such…purity of intent. Your love for Lady Ada is evident, as is your genuine desire for her welfare above your own.” Councilor Aydin paused, her eyes finding Ada in the gallery. “However, with Gun Ata’s condition requiring us to choose our next ruler carefully, the final decision rests not with us alone, but with Lady Ada herself. She must demonstrate that her judgment remains sound, that her choice of partner strengthens rather than weakens her claim to the throne.”

Relief flooded through me so powerfully that my knees nearly buckled. They weren’t condemning me outright—they were giving Ada the chance to defend herself, to prove her worthiness on her terms.

All eyes turned to Ada when she rose gracefully, her light magic shimmering around her like a cloak of stars. She descended to the chamber floor, moving with the regal bearing of the ruler she had been born to be.

“My lords and ladies of the Council,” she began, her words carrying clearly through the vast space. “You have questioned whether my judgment has been compromised by my choice of partner. I ask you to consider this: what does it say about my judgment that I chose a man who would sacrifice everything-his—his reputation, his power, his very heart—to defend my right to rule?”

She turned to face the assembled nobles, her presence commanding absolute attention.

"A weak ruler chooses advisors who flatter and agree. A wise ruler chooses those who challenge her to be better, who support her dreams even when it costs them dearly." Her eyes foundmine, and the love I saw there nearly brought me to my knees. "I have chosen a man who submitted himself to your truth magic to defend my right to rule, risking his reputation, his alliances, his very standing in his realm. Who sees my light not as something to possess, but as something to protect and cherish."

“Furthermore,” she continued, her voice rising with passion, “the challenges facing our realm require innovation, adaptation, and the courage to forge new alliances. The old ways of isolation have weakened us. We need leaders who understand that strength comes from unity, not separation.”

With Gun Atay’s blessing for these proceedings, though his weakened state meant the Council bore more responsibility for such decisions than ever before, Councilor Aydin nodded slowly. “Lady Ada, do you accept Lord Hakan as your chosen partner, with full knowledge of what that alliance represents?”

“I do,” she stated without hesitation. “And I challenge anyone who questions this choice to show me a partner who would demonstrate greater devotion, greater sacrifice, or greater support for my goals as a ruler.”

The chamber fell silent. In the front row, Levent’s face was ashen—his challenge had backfired spectacularly, revealing not Ada’s weakness but her wisdom.

“Then let it be recorded,” Councilor Aydin declared, “that Lady Ada’s fitness to rule is confirmed by this Council. Her judgment is sound, her wisdom evident, and her choice of partner speaks to her strength, not her compromise. When the time comes for succession, she will have our full support.”

The formal proceedings dissolved into congratulations and political maneuvering, but I had eyes only for Ada when she approached me, her light magic dancing with anticipation.

“You would have really walked away?” She searched my face.

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