There’s a tense silence, and then I speak again, my words deliberate, carefully chosen. “And so, I believe I have upheld my side of the deal. Now it’s your turn to uphold yours.”
The king’s expression instantly hardens, and then he lifts his hand. “Leave us.”
The throne room doors open, and immediately, everyone begins to file out, their expressions a mix of curiosity and apprehension. As Mathis leaves, he gives Eira a look—not quite a smile, but a nod of support. Then he turns to me, his eyes holding mine, sending an unspoken message. But I don’t engage. Life is hard enough here without me taking my best friend down with me.
As the last of the nobles make their way out, Eirabella starts to move as well, clearly unsure of what to do. But the king’s voice cuts through the air again, cold and commanding. “Eirabella, you are to stay.”
She slowly faces the thrones again, her hands trembling slightly at her sides. Her eyes meet mine as she turns, and I’m taken aback by the level of betrayal I see there. Raw. Angry. Hurt.
I should’ve told her. I should’ve told her who I was and why I was bringing her here. I should have told her everything.
The doors close with a resounding thud as the last of the noblemen and women exit the throne room, leaving only the four of us in the room—my father, my mother, Eirabella, and me.
The king’s lips curl into a faint, almost mocking smile. “The deal, my son, was that you would successfully find your replacement for Emberon, which you have done, and also the currently unfilled Aquilith role, which was also your doing. Bringing the girl here does not fulfil that end of your bargain. Therefore I am not yet obligated to do anything.”
Anger flares in me, hot and immediate. “Ifound her,” I snap, my voice rising despite my best efforts to remain calm. “Based on your stipulations, fulfilling your criteria. Not to mention, she has unprecedented power. What more do you need from me?”
His eyes sparkle, and a chill runs through me. What fucked-up hoop has he designed for me to jump through now? “You are to personally train her. If you do not oversee her training directly, consider our little deal off. The next Keeper trials are in three months. I suggest you begin training your new disciple immediately if you are to help her to not only survive but prevail.”
Eirabella lets out a little squeal but quickly covers her mouth, her eyes searching mine, wide with fear.
My frustration boils over, and I can’t hold back any longer. “I’m not a trainer. It would be a disservice both to her and to the kingdom for me to train her. There are others far better suited—”
He interrupts, demanding, “Are you not the strongest of our Keepers? The most celebrated Celestaris in the history of Celador? The youngest to ever pass not only the Keeper trials but to win the Master Keeper quest? Are you telling me that you are not capable of teaching this… novice how to use her powers? You can’t truly expect me to believe that.”
I feel Eirabella’s eyes on me, but I ignore her, focusing on the man before me. The man who has dictated every move of my life, leaving me little control over my own destiny.
“This is not what we agreed on! Are you truly expecting this of me?” I insist, my voice tight with frustration.
He doesn’t flinch. “Yes. Because you are the only one capable. The only one strong enough. You will train her, and she will become what this realm needs, what I need, to secure our future.”
My hands clench into fists at my sides, every muscle inmy body taut with barely contained rage. “And what of my future?”
His expression doesn’t waver, but I see the calculation in his eyes. “Your future is set. You are the Crown Prince. This is what that entails. Sacrifice.”
I feel the weight of it all crashing down on me—the expectations, the demands, the impossible burden of being everything this realm requires. I know I can’t do it all, not to the best of my abilities. Not if I want to retain any semblance of control over my own life. Not if I can fulfil the promises to myself and the people to whom I owe everything. It is why I made the deal in the first place.
“I can’t fulfil all the duties of the Crown, Celestaris, and train her at the same time.”
He scoffs. “You are my son. Trust me, I know more than anyone what your limitations are.” His words cut deeper than they should, a reminder that no matter how hard I try, I will always be seen through the lens of his impossible judgement.
“We had an agreement,” I grit out, the words like acid on my tongue.
“You’ll live.”
His dismissiveness grates like barbed wire against my brain. I need to go before I burn this whole castle to the ground. Without another word, I turn on my heel and storm out of the room, the rage driving each step. I don’t spare a glance at Eirabella, don’t want to see her disappointment, her hurt. I just leave, and with a flick of my hand, slam the door behind me with a force that echoes through the hall, as, not for the first time, I storm from the castle with anger in my heart and murder on my mind.
TEN
Eirabella
I’mshaken awake by a gentle hand on my shoulder the next morning. Blearily blinking, I look up at the face of a young woman who must be around my age, maybe younger, her soft brown eyes filled with a mixture of sympathy and determination.
“Good morning, Lady Eirabella,” she says softly. “I’m Brienne, your maid. Prince Rylan is ready and waiting for you on the training grounds.”
I groan inwardly, the events of the previous day flooding back in an overwhelming rush. I was exhausted when I finally stumbled into this room last night, barely taking in the new surroundings before collapsing onto the bed.
“Please, don’t call me that,” I murmur as I sit up, still half-asleep. “I’m not a lady. Just call me Eirabella, or Eira for short.”
