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Murmurs went up around the room. "A prince? Ekdol had a prince?"

Lars suddenly understood, though it was hard for him to believe. This was a gathering of rebels. This was a resistance force, grown from deep within the Xyletian military by children of the nation of Adosh, which had been conquered by the Empire a generation ago. Charged with energy, he stood from his chair, rising to meet the call for his creed. "I am Prince Lars Lyandri of Ekdol, son of Anthy and Lionel. I am the heir to the throne of Ekdol." He expected the brothers to silence him like they had so many times before, but they didn't. Instead, all in the room bowed their heads respectfully towards Lars—a gesture of deference that was custom to be shown towards royals.

"Ekdol had a secret heir? This is better than we could've expected," a thin man with circular glasses said. He removed them and polished the lenses on his sleeve. "The hold on the throne will be strong. With another royal as a mate, there will be less trouble down the road."

"But if he was kept hidden, how will his lineage be proven?" a woman with striking red hair asked. Her military collar bore a commander's ranking, just like Phoenix's.

"Once the mission is completed and Prince Griffin is in control, who would question his word?" the man with the glasses replied.

"It would be wise to ensure that everything has been covered," Captain Luna said. "We've come this far, after all."

The room murmured in agreement.

Then Phoenix stood from his chair, his hand plunging into his coat's breast pocket. When he brought it out, he was clutching a gold chain from which hung an opalescent stone pendant. Lars's eyes widened—it was his.

"This should silence the doubt of any naysayer," Phoenix boomed. "The royal medallion of Ekdol." He held it out so that all could see it before slipping it back into his pocket.

"Well, it's settled," the man with the glasses said. "I think we can agree that we are ready to proceed."

"What do you intend to do?" Lars asked.

Griffin turned to him. An energy burned in his eyes, different from the smoldering fire Lars knew so well. For a moment, he looked like a much younger version of himself, one who was charged with impossible dreams and ambition. The dark severity was momentarily gone, replaced by what seemed to almost be an excited glee.

"We will take back Adosh," he said. "Avenge our families. Restore our honor. We willkillthe Emperor."

Chapter 8

"The seed was planted almostthirty years ago," Griffin said. "Every man and woman in this room was the son or daughter of the former court of Adosh, members who bowed their heads to the Empire and therefore gained places in the new government of Maitran. The King and Queen, our parents, accepted the shame of being stripped of title in exchange for their lives and were cast to common status. They became nothing more than peasants. None forgot or forgave, despite submitting. The traditions remained in secret, and each one of us had this mission tasked to us from birth. Rise through the ranks of the Empire's military. Amass a following of loyal soldiers who would follow their leaders into death. And when the time came, strike back at Xyletia from within."

Lars was stunned. "And… our children will be heir to the new throne," he said, the pieces coming together. "Of Adosh?"

"The New Adosh Empire," Griffin said proudly. "We will liberate the countries under Xyletian control. Restore them to their former rule or induct them into the New Adosh Empire. And through our control, Ekdol will be yours again."

It felt like the world had tilted on its side. Lars could hardly believe what he'd just heard.

"This all depends on the operation being a success," Phoenix said. "The pieces must be set. If everything is not in place, we can easily be overpowered by loyalist forces. What we lack in number, we make up for in skill. We must be surgical—cut off all the heads so that the serpents cannot strike."

"My troops are in place," the red-haired woman said.

The rest of the room chimed in, each man and woman announcing that their end was covered. They all had their forces positioned in key cities throughout the Empire, ready to move in and take control the moment the Emperor was assassinated.

"But how will you kill the Emperor?" Lars asked.

"He'll walk into our den," Griffin said.

Lars then remembered with Pym had told him—the Emperor was coming here, a stop on his way into the capital.

"Then all is in place," Phoenix said. "We can commence the operation."

There was a murmur of excited agreement.

"I will kill the Emperor," said Griffin. "The Feral Fangs and the Crescent Moon units will take control and our agents in the capital will eliminate any oppositional leaders. They will send word through broadcast if the mission is a success. At that point, the rest of you must act quickly to take control of Xyletian government. The dogs on the council will bow their heads to whoever is in power. They won't fight when they learn the Emperor is dead."

"We will succeed or die trying," Captain Luna said. "For you, your highness."

"Don't do it for me," Griffin said gravely. "Do it for those who were dishonored. For our families. For our mothers and fathers who had the strength to endure the humiliation put upon them. For Adosh and its people."

"Restore honor, return to order!" Phoenix shouted, and all those seated in room echoed his voice.