Page 263 of The Wild Prince's Favorite
His gaze fixated on Alezya, staring at her like he couldn’t believe she’d said that after all he’d just revealed. But Alezya acted far from scared. Instead, she didn’t even try to hide her snarl of contempt.
“The truth is, you weren’t strong enough to handle her. You were terrified of my mother,” she hissed. “You couldn’t take a woman being smarter than you. You might have murdered my mom, but you’re the one who was afraid of her, because she saw you for the weak, pathetic excuse of a man you are. All I hear is that she was brilliant, kind, and loved, and you couldn’t stomach how weak she made you feel. You chose to kill her rather than face the fact that she was a better leader than you. My mother was everything you’ll never be.”
“She was a witch!” he barked. “She was a weak woman! She could never be a leader! She died the pathetic death she deserved–”
“You know nothing about being a leader,” Alezya snarled. “You’re the worst of them all. You rule through tyranny and ignorance. …For so long, I thought that was your right. That it was the only way, the one all clans had to be. But in the past few weeks, all I’ve seen is how wrong I was, and how inadequate, awful, and despicable you are.”
Her father’s hand twitched at the side, his lips curled, but Alezya didn’t leave him time to shout again.
“There’s a man out there who is as strong as a dragon, and he fights on the frontlines of a war he didn’t start,” she said, her voice choking with emotion. “That’s the same man who can kill another man with his bare hands, and grows scales instead of bleeding. Do you know what that man did, when he first found me, Father? He protected me. He didn’t know my name, nor why I’d been cast out and nearly killed, and he didn’t care. He gave me medicine, food, clothes, and he asked for nothing in return. He slept on the floor for days so I could have his bed. His dragon killed men who insulted me. He killed a man who touched me. And never, once, did he expect a single damn thing from me. He never yelled at me, hit me, forced himself on me. And right now, he is down there, fighting in front of hundreds of men who respect him. For me. For a woman who launched a war he doesn’t understand, just because he believes in me. While you’re up here, hiding with your so-called warriors, still barking and shouting at a woman who is smarter than you. Because you think leadership is power, and power is violence. Because that’s your only way to stay relevant. Silencing everyone who shows you you’re wrong, who can call you out on your weakness. You couldn’t take my mother being a better leader than you. You couldn’t take her family calling you out on your crime, so youmurdered an entire clan out of sheer, stupid, vain pride. You are so scared to die in a war you started that you’re hiding up here while our people die. You’re no leader. You’re not even a man. You’re just worthless.”
The silence that followed was deafening, every word slowly sinking in. Then, gradually, his face turned so red it looked like it might explode.
“I AM A CLAN CHIEF!” he roared, his face contorted with pure rage. “I DECIDE WHO LIVES AND DIES! I AM THE MOST RESPECTED LEADER IN ALL–”
“You’re going to die,” Alezya cut him off with an eerie calm. “You’re going to die, and I’m going to tell them all what a coward you are, Father. I’ll let them know that Darak of the Deklaan Clan was a coward who hid in the mountains during the war. How you cowered behind your men, too afraid to even set foot on the battlefield with your own clan. I’ll let them know how you murdered my mother and her entire clan. I’ll tell them the Lumiata was murdered by a coward!”
“SHUT UP!” he barked. “If anyone will die, it’s you and the bastard you whored yourself to!”
Just then, Niiru let out an angry growl and suddenly turned around.
Two of her father’s men had tried to creep up on her from behind, and she realized that’s where they had gone. Somehow, they had found a way to go around and corner her into the end of the tunnel.
Her father stood at the entrance, suddenly far too confident, while two of his men and their weapons were blocking any chance of escape.
While Niiru kept growling at them, Alezya turned her eyes back to her father; an insufferable smug expression now gradually replaced his previous glower.
“Clan chiefs make strategic decisions, Daughter,” he sneered, “and out of compassion and mercy, I am willing to make a deal with you.”
“...A deal?” Alezya repeated, doubtful.
“I will let you live,” he stated with an arrogant tone. “I am willing to offer you mercy and let you and your bastard live. You go out there with us and tell the Dragon Clan the war is over. Tell their dragon to go away. We could put an end to this war, Alezya.”
Alezya was utterly confused. His offer didn’t make sense at all. He had provoked this war, not her. She’d offered peace with the Dragon Clan to the other clans before.
“...You want me to ask the Dragon Clan to back down?”
“You understand those tyrants,” he nodded. “You are essential to negotiations, are you not? If you die unfortunately here, this war will end with many of our people dead, all because of you.”
“I didn’t start this.”
“Oh, but you did,” he hissed. “You brought the damn Dragon Clan all the way here, to our mountains. You’re the one who started this war, Alezya, not me.”
“I offered peace,” she retorted. “You lied to the other clans that they had a chance to win a war against the Dragon Clan!
“They have a dragon,” he snarled. “That’s the only reason those barbarians could win. If you tell them to stand the fuck down, they will submit to us. The dragon listens to you, and so does their tyrant leader. Whatever witchcraft you did to achieve that should serve us, the clans. We are your people.”
“Oh, no,” she scoffed. “Don’t you dare give me the family speech now, Father. I’m not that stupid. What do you want? What are you actually after? If the Dragon Clan stops fighting, they’ll all see you lied.”
“Of course not,” he retorted. “They will see I brought them the peace I promised. I’ll convince the Dragon Clan to never attack us again. I will show them that we, the Deklaan Clan, are the ones who can achieve peace. I’m even willing to start trading with the Dragon Clan. I can unify all the clans as one and start a new era. We can–”
“There it is,” Alezya muttered. “Your grand scheme, as always. You want to use the Dragon Clan to threaten the other clans into submission.”
“It is my right as the war’s winner. I will achieve the peace I promised, and the clans will follow my lead. You’ll get to live, and I’ll never touch you or your bastard again. Think about it, Alezya. You get to remain the Dragon Clan’s whore. You’ll see the war is over for yourself. Isn’t this what you wanted? You and your bastard spawn will be safe with those savages. I’ll decide whatever happens to the clans.”
It hit Alezya hard to think that not so long ago, that was exactly what she would have wanted. Lumie’s safety and hers guaranteed.
Even if she doubted her father’s word, so long as he got her back to Kassein, chances were she’d be safe forever. She could wash her hands of what happened up here and live the rest of her days with the most powerful clan of all. Kassein didn’t have anything to win in this war; he and Kein would stand down if she asked. It would be pretty much what she had always wanted.
