Page 10 of Empire of Death
“Return?” I asked coldly. “Is this how King Ithaca treats his allies? Makes them wait on his doorstep like strangers? We’ve arrived here with urgency, and I don’t appreciate being asked to wait like a commoner who’s come to beg for food.”
I noticed the way Hawk pressed his lips tightly together, doing his best not to smirk.
“Yes—yes, of course,” Commander Rolfe said with a stutter. “I apologize, but the last we knew was that King Talon Rothschild was the king of the Southern Isles, and news of his death hasn’t reached our ears?—”
“Because he’s not dead. Now, I’d rather have this discussion with King Ithaca instead of you—if you don’t mind.”
He said nothing more this time. Just nodded and headed to the double doors of the castle, which opened for him at his approach.
When he was officially gone, Hawk spoke his mind. “Damn, that was a lot of sass.”
“Get that from Mom.”
“And alittlebit from Dad.”
“Respect from men won’t be given even if earned.” Wrath appeared beside me, solidifying from nothingness into a powerful being. I wondered if he’d been there the entire time, watching from the privacy of the elements. “So you take it,Xivin.” He disappeared again, fading from my sight like he didn’t want to distract me.
I realized how much braver I felt when I was being advised by a god, protected by the king of the dead, the man who’d infused my body with the gift of his strength that I’d never asked for. He’d saved my life before, and I knew he would save it again. It made me feel invincible.
Commander Rolfe eventually returned and escorted us inside the castle.
Hawk walked at my side, but his eyes scanned his surroundings as if we had just walked into a den of vipers. Since he was taller and more muscular than me, people who didn’t know us always assumed he was the older sibling because he had a much more rugged appearance, hard like my father, with eyes that burned with every look.
I was glad to have him by my side.
We were escorted into a throne room, a cavernous space with a skylight that covered the entire roof, letting in so much light that it didn’t seem like today was a cloudy day with a warning of rain.
King Ithaca sat upon his throne, an oversized chair carved out of stone, wearing a maroon robe with little diamonds sewn in a circle around each sleeve and down each side of the opening along the front. An unnecessary display of wealth from someone who already resided in a castle far too big for someone so unremarkable.
He was older than my father, with a gray beard and bushy eyebrows. Upon his head sat a bronze crown with black diamonds in the frame, like the diamonds in the robe weren’t enough. My father had a crown, but it’d been sealed behind glass because he said it was a stupid thing to wear. His people knew exactly who he was without his having to wear something so silly.
King Ithaca looked at us both but didn’t rise from his chair, which was customary as a sign of respect.
Perhaps Hawk was right. Maybe this wouldn’t be as easy as I’d thought it would be.
Hawk turned to me slightly, trying to subtly coax me into speaking first.
“King Ithaca, I apologize for the sudden intrusion. I hope the sight of our dragons didn’t scare your men too much.” I stepped closer to the throne, closing the space between us because I was not a peasant who needed to respect boundaries. “I’m Lily Rothschild, Talon Rothschild’s eldest, and I’ve taken his place upon the throne.”
He glanced at Hawk beside me. “You look so much like your father, General.”
I was annoyed that he’d sidestepped me, like I really was unworthy of a single ounce of respect.
Hawk said nothing, refusing to undermine me like the loyal brother that he was.
King Ithaca turned his attention back to me. “What has befallen your father?”
I didn’t want anyone to know the severity of his injuries, wanting the threat of his return to be enough for people to fear me. So I stretched the truth…just enough to make it grow thin. “An unexpected illness claimed his vitality. The worst has passed, but he needs more time to return to his former strength. But because war marches on our doorstep, I’m temporarily acting on his behalf.”
“War?” he blurted. “Who provokes the Southern Isles?”
“It wasn’t us they provoked,” I said. “They marched on Riviana Star in the north. We came to their aid and drove them back into the sea. We call them Barbarians, and they sail on ships made of gold. After losing their home to a permanent winter, they’re in search of a kingdom to claim as their own. I fear they’ve set their sights on the Southern Isles, and they’ll come for us once they’ve recuperated.”
King Ithaca relaxed against his high-backed chair as he soaked all that in. “And what do you seek from us?”
“Your aid, of course.”
“But you’re a kingdom guarded by dragons. My ships and my soldiers are nothing to you. Unless there is more to this storythan you’re telling.” He was older and less formidable than I was. Even without Wrath’s strength, I could easily best him in a fight. But he definitely had experience in a royal capacity and the wisdom of his age, both things I lacked.
