“We are both your mothers, Princeling. For Croatens is of the moon, and Liaberos of the sun. I took you into my arms when I first saw your ambition,but the moon has watched over you, alpha.” The sun’s whisper met his ears like a roar, only stifled, as if a great sound happened far away.
“Mother Goddesses, then.” Stamel kept his head low.
“Children of moon and sun, raise your heads and watch,” what must have been the moon spoke. Stamel had never heard her voice before, as he’d been absent during Lumic’s wedding.
Their voices were beautiful, and all the rage he felt melted away into tears.
Between one breath and the next, the sound of dull weight hitting the floor drew Stamel’s attention to where Alluin once stood. Both goddesses stared at the floor where the king lay still, eerily so.
“Not even worth a final word,” the sun spoke with a slight shake of her head.
“Hopefully he finds Behran where his soul goes.” The moon’s hollow voice echoed about.
“And as for you, child of Alluin,” the sun said, staring down at the girl on the floor. “Leave these lands. You are banished to live a life as short as a human’s, and salusis will sour on your lips. Vitalis will burn. And never again will you have thalms.”
Pilkie gave a defeated sob, and the goddesses joined hands.
“Alphas, new kings of a new age. We will speak to the priests of our temples, and this shall be recorded in history for all time. Let this be a lesson in humility,” the sun’s voice whispered as the light of their presence faded, like they’d never been there, all save for two spots burned into the stone where they stood, proof the goddesses stood there.
“No king will ever look at those and forget what happened.” Nemiah shook his head and stared from the trembling woman to the corpse of the former kingof Liaberos. “Long live King Stamel of Liaberos, born of Croatens, First alpha prince in name.”
Stamel’s stomach clenched. It wasn’t nearly satisfying enough. But he’d been given his boon.
He was king.
“And long live omega King Seidrik of Liaberos, equal to my name. He is more than my consort. He’s my heart.” Stamel took a long breath. “Thank you.”
Chapter Nineteen
Seidrik
Virion lay sleeping in recovery, his chest rising and falling shallowly. All Seidrik could think about as he watched was how if that had been him, had been his womb poisoned, that they’d have lost their child. Days and weeks prior, he wasn’t sure he wanted a child at all, was scared of what was to come. After all that, he knew for certain.
At some point during the ordeal, Ahran had been brought out by their carer, a rather fierce-looking omega missing half an ear and scarred over his cheek. He doted over the babe as if it were his own and had an extensive and impressive record in battle. As it was his time to rest in relief, Nilla ordered the child passed to Seidrik. “You could use some practice with a babe. Don’t just hold him like he’s venomous. Get a good grip under his arms, support his weight, and be wary; he grabs for hair.”
Seidrik did as he was told and it all came back to him, memories from when he was a child, when Virion had been born. Father paid little attention to his mother in the weeks after birth. Thinking back, he remembered something his mother had said about Alluin having no use for her for two months. After those weeks, Virion had a wet nurse, and Lyrica spent less time with him. Alluin had hisneeds.
Nemiah hadn’t done that. He loved and cared for Virion and their child.
As Seidrik held the little one, it nuzzled eagerly at his chest and tugged at his shirt while whimpering. “Virion will be too sick to feed him. Is there a wet nurse?”
Nilla frowned. “No, but it shouldn’t betooharmful to give him flaxsheep milk.”
Seidrik frowned. “Perhaps another bearer could feed him.”
“If you know someone.” She daubed a cool rag over Virion’s head and called for a servant to send Saria over. The thalmway was not due to leave until morning, so hopefully they’d still be there. She’d left the cathedral after the ceremony, but he was certain Virion had gotten a message to her, not that he could ask.
“I do. I need someone neutral to go to her. Father may try to stop her.” Seidrik gave Ahran a gentle shush and bounced him as he started crying.
“Understood.” She got a sly look before whispering over her fingertips, thalmic light forming a small dragonfly as she blew and let the thing dart off. Father despised the form of communication, and only recently, Seidrik wondered if it was because Alluin was too shite with his magic to do it. Wouldn’t surprise him.
A clatter of guards shouting interrupted things a few minutes later and Nilla grinned. When a knock came to the carriage, she threw open the door, and Saria stood there, face twisted in anger beneath the hood of a rather tatty riding cloak—a disguise.
“Give my nephew to me.” She marched in like she owned the place, holding her head up high. “I swear. Omegas are still just men when it comes down to it.”
Seidrik bit his tongue to stop from sniping back as she moved to a corner and unbuttoned her blouse. “Tynnia is asleep and well fed already, but I’ve got an udder’s worth to spare.”
“I’ve yet to meet her,” Seidrik said lamely as she attempted to get Ahran to nurse. The little one wasn’t accustomed to breasts, the shape of it unfamiliar, but after a moment, he got the message and tied in with aggressive-sounding suckles.
