Alexander’s entire body was stiff under the coils of my power slowly creeping over his shoulders and around his throat. “I was merely being social, Your Highness.”
“Ah yes, social.” I tore the power back. It felt like black poison seeping into my bones, making me shudder. At least he was consistent. All bark and no bite—a shame for a lion.
I wanted to sink my claws into that gaudy mane of his for daring to mention my mother, but I couldn’t. Keeping my power and rage in check, I walked around the table with my hands behind my back. It was exhausting to fight for my claim to the throne after so long. Change was hard for immortals and took an excruciatingly long time. Ancients like Alexander acted as though I hadn’t been in power for the past three years and still questioned my right to rule. Sometimes violence was the only thing we vampires understood.
“My intent in coming here was not to fight you, Alexander. I understand my age is of concern, which is why I would value your insight as a more experienced advisor. You know how important a united front is—neither of us want to see a power vacuum.”
Isabella was right. To drag him to heel kicking and screaming would cause issues for us later. It was best to appeal to his more rational nature. Fortunately, of all the counts, he was one of the few who had a rational side.
“What are you proposing, Your Highness?” Alexander spoke slowly, now nearly choking on the formality.
“Isabella, do you mind running the count through your plan?” I dipped my head to Bells just as I flopped back into my seat.
She nodded and stood. Her ability to command a room had always impressed me. She spoke with a cool confidence I had spent the better part of my adult life learning to imitate. “We plan to start a quarterly meeting with all the Houses. You will have the opportunity to provideinput and have sway over the operation of the Crown. We will look to the counts as a resource of knowledge and include them in decision making. The goal is to improve inter-house relations and therefore strengthen the economy and quality of life.”
Alexander turned away from Isabella and back to me, making my hackles rise. The Levis House’s backwards view of women had never sat well with me, but Isabella’s cutting glare at me told me to keep my mouth shut. “What guarantee do I have that you will actually follow through with this?”
I crossed my arms, allowing my wings to shuffle and stretch behind me. “I guess there isn’t one. You will have to put your trust in me like you once did with Tsar Leonidas.” I smiled, letting my fangs show. “If I don’t, you could always challenge me.”
Alexander leaned back, scrutinizing me with thoughtful disapproval, but he would succumb. It was all a game, after all. Like a child playing with its food. To not kneel was to challenge me to a fight to the death for the position, and we both knew who would win. Beasts indeed, and I was the most monstrous of all.
“Alright, Your Highness. The Levis House will back you—for now. Let us plan a ball to celebrate our alliance.” Alexander stood, effectively dismissing the table. A final little jab at me to maintain some semblance of control after I forced him to heel. A lion preening his mane after a loss, but I’d allow it. At least he had agreed to the alliance, meaning one less House to negotiate with.
“Wonderful. Enso and Sorin will stay with you until then to negotiate the finer details,” I responded. Both generals scowled at me, and I winked.
I took Isabella’s arm in mine, and with Sorin and Enso flanking us, we exited the building. The crisp evening air hit us as we passed the doorman. I tipped my head to my coachman Avram, who stood infront of the glossed black doors of our carriage emblazoned with the Koraki House crest.
“That could’ve ended badly,” Enso mused.
“But it didn’t,” I replied.
Sorin snorted. “Whatever you say, Your Highness.”
I turned and shot him a glare, but the curling edges of my lips betrayed me. I clapped both of them on the shoulders. I could pretend all I wanted, but I was relieved to see them. It had been far too long. Enso wrapped all of us into a hug, pulling Isabella off her feet until she squealed in complaint.
“How have things been?” I asked, looking them both over. Part of my soul left with my generals each time they left the castle, and it didn’t return until they did. It was ridiculous, but I couldn’t ensure their safety while they were gone and that made my skin feel tight.
Enso rolled his eyes. “Sorin has been spending his time incessantly hitting on Alexander’s daughter.”
My eyebrow arched. “What am I paying you for? To get laid?”
Sorin shrugged. “I think you should.”
I snorted in response.
Silence simmered under the unspoken issue. Finally, Enso spoke softly, “Will we have a new family member when we return?”
I shifted uncomfortably. “I’m picking her up tonight after I drop off Isabella.”
“I can’t wait to meet her,” Enso said.
I smiled at the war general, then my gaze shifted to Sorin. My friend stared back with gleaming eyes. He didn’t need to say anything; we hadn’t discussed it since I told him, but we both understood how significant it was to rescue an acolyte.
It had taken many arguments with Isabella to come around to the idea, and I still wasn’t sure. Whenever I tried to help, I usually madethings worse, and supporting that system… It made me seethe. Isabella said a single life is worth saving. It’s not that I disagreed with her, but it was hard to stomach buying a human being.
Everything in me wanted to banish the practice completely, but politics were never that simple. I needed to solidify my position as tsar before I could initiate any real change—a slow, arduous process that felt like I was moving backward most days. In the meantime, every day of suffering for acolytes, humans, and vampires alike was another failure on my shoulders.
Not to mention, Estrella was supposed to arrive at the castle two weeks ago, and the Kultas had provided excuse after excuse for the delay. If they harmed a hair on that pretty little head in my name… My fists clenched at my sides. I’d fucking kill them.
