Page 152 of Rise of the Siren Queen
I nodded, my gaze shifting briefly to Iryen before returning to Sienna.
“Now, please walk me through the arrangements that need to be done.”
Her expression sobered as she stepped closer. “I’ve already arranged for Nerina’s ice casket to be stored while the Queen recovers.”
“Good. And how about the council?” I asked, my voice sharp. For all I know about siren politics, they could be a problem.
Sienna’s gaze lingered on Iryen before returning to me.
“With Thalor gone, I don’t think they’ll pose as much of an issue. She has the majority on her side now.” Her eyes met mine, steady but cautious. “But they still need to know what happened last night. And since it was you who killed Thalor, that could raise concerns.”
“I’d do it again,” I said without hesitation, without an ounce of regret. Killing the bastard hadn’t been enough. I should’ve cut him apart, the way he had hurt her. “He deserved worse.”
“I know.” Sienna nodded, her expression hardening. “Believe me, I wish I’d been the one to do it. And while I’m glad the bastard is gone, his influence is another matter.”
“This could interfere with her right to rule?” The question tasted like rust on my tongue.
My mind spun, clawing through worst-case scenarios—visions of the council twisting at this moment, poisoning it, shaping it into a weapon to use against her. They’d done it before. They’d take anything pure and twist it until it bled. And if I gave them even thesmallest opening, they’d sink their claws in.
I can’t be the reason her authority shatters. Iwon’t. They will not use me as a pawn to control her. They won’t whisper doubts into her ear, won’t reduce her to a puppet the way Thalor tried all those years ago. A colder thought, quieter but sharper, cut through my chest.
“Am I a liability, Sienna?” I asked before I could stop myself, my voice low and frayed at the edges.
Because if I were. If loving her,being hers, meant putting a target on her back. I needed to know. And, goddess, help me. I didn’t know whether I could walk away. But I’d rather died before I let them use me to break her.
She paused. Not long. Just long enough to gut me.
Her expression gave nothing away. Calm, composed, unreadable, and yet it felt like she was staring straight through me. The silence dragged out, tightening around my ribs like iron bands. I couldn’t think past the question still echoing in the room.
And then… she changed. Her eyes glowed—soft at first, then brighter, deeper—like she wasn’t just lookingatme, butintome. When she finally spoke, her voice wasn’t entirely her own. It vibrated with something ancient, something far more powerful than flesh and blood.
“No, hybrid,” she said, and every word landed with the weight of prophecy. “You are exactly what the princess needs to claim her birthright.”
The air in the room stilled. Her words weren’t reassurance. They were a declaration. Absolute. Final. And it struck like a tidal wave—cold, sudden, and inescapable. My doubts didn’t stand a chance. It drowned beneath the certainty in her voice, in her eyes. I searched them anyway, hoping—maybe fearing—I’d find hesitation.
But there were none. Only truth. Only conviction.
Before I could respond, Sienna’s voice softened, the glow in hereyes fading as she returned to her usual self.
“You may not realize it, Adrian, but the path that led you here wasn’t just a coincidence. It was fate. The council will question, they’ll probe, but you must stand firm, stand with her. That is your role as her mate. It’s your duty.”
I had spent my life defying my father as he always said my duty was to the Nikolai name, but now I wonder if I rejected that because this was my place all along.
My fate.
“I’ll stand with her, always. But they need to understand that if anyone dares to challenge her, they will face my wrath and join Thalor’s destiny.”
A faint smile tugged at the corner of Sienna’s lips, though her eyes carried a trace of sadness. “The council will challenge you, Adrian. This is how they operate.” Her gaze flicked briefly to Iryen, still lying peacefully on the bed.
“Then help me.” I plead. “How do I make sure they don’t use last night to turn on her?”
Sienna sighed and sat down in the chair by the bed. “First, we inform the council of Thalor’s treason and his death. We must frame it as justice served, both for Iryen and for the crown. His alliance with Draven and his betrayal of Aetheria will speak for themselves.”
“And if they don’t buy it?” I pressed. “If they oppose her, threaten her crown?”
“Then we remind them of what’s at stake,” she said. “A divided council is the last thing this kingdom needs with Draven’s allies still out there. And if they’re stubborn enough to ignore that…” Her tone darkened. “Iryen will need to show them she is not twenty years older anymore.”
My jaw tightened.
