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“If she cannot leave the continent, others should stay with her,” Rayner said. “And we need to figure out who is leading the Fire Court.”

“We should all rest for the night,” Arianna said. “Things are often clearer in the morning.”

“I also imagine Eliza will want to be a part of these discussions,” Razik said.

They all stood and silently filed out of the room. Callan didn’t hear Arianna fall into step beside him, lost in his own thoughts. “You did not eat this evening, your Majesty.”

He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, really not in the mood to deal with the Beta and her not-so-subtle suggestions. “I find myself without much of an appetite tonight.”

“You have become a king since I last saw you.”

“Yes.”

“And you have found love.”

“I have.”

“You are in a foul mood,” she added.

Callan pushed out a harsh breath. “I apologize if I am coming off as rude, my Lady.”

A laugh burst from Arianna that had Callan pausing mid-step, turning to face the Beta. Jamahl had fallen back and followed them from several paces behind. She reached up, patting Callan’s chest. “No need to apologize, your Majesty, especially if it is not sincere. It is not required of kings to do so.”

Callan frowned. “A king should certainly apologize if he is in the wrong.”

A knowing smile graced her lips. “And tell me, do your feet still follow the paths of others, or have they found their own path yet?”

“It is difficult when others think they know what path is best for you,” he answered, too tired to adequately articulate his thoughts right now.

“Of course it is,” she replied. “If it were easy, it would not be worth it. A word of advice, though, young king: I found Stellan more…amenable to me choosing my own path when I had a plan and was able to present it to him to justify my actions.”

He sent her a dry look. “You left with Sorin while your brother was away to come to Baylorin when Scarlett was taken.”

She smiled wryly. “True,” she conceded, “but Sorin was the one doing the convincing in that instance. Not me. He came to me with a plan. He was inviting me down his path. It was not one of my own, but part of his.” She stepped closer to him, her fingers slowly trailing up his arm. “Is that not what Tava did when she proposed the ruse all those months ago? She had a plan.”

“Tava is not here,” he bit out.

“No,” Arianna agreed. “From what I understand, they went to Scarlett and Sorin with a plan. The king and queen listened to what was proposed, shared their concerns, but ultimately let them follow their own path.” She shifted on her feet, her fingers dragging along his chest now. “Tava grounds you. Forces you to think before you act. Without her here, you must do that for yourself.”

“She makes me better,” he said quietly.

“I know,” Arianna answered with a sad smile. “Destiny is a fickle thing, but it is also often demanding. You are still waiting, young king.”

“Waiting for what?”

“For others to tell you what to do. Sometimes our path requires us to walk it alone for a while,” she answered. She stepped towards him once more, reaching up to brush back a lock of hair from his brow. “Your path will cross with hers again, but for now? You must learn to be the king required of you, whether Tava is here or not.” Her hand moved to cup his cheek. “You still look to others to guide your way. Eventually, you must find it yourself.”

Chapter10

Eliza

There was a soft knock on the door, and Eliza looked up from her book as Azrael entered the room.

“How is she?”

“Sleeping,” Eliza answered. “Alaric had her for a while. The early months of pregnancy are hard enough, and she has been by herself and then with him.” She paused, trying to find the words. “It has taken its toll on her,” she finally finished.

She would know. She had been with child three different times, and she had done it by herself too. While she had never made it as far into her pregnancies as Ashtine was, she had gone through the first few months before the curse took those lives from her.