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“Put your sword down,” Maris grunted behind her. “You will get us killed…”

Turning to Maris, Valda slanted her head as she stared at her lover. “Tell them you are the heiress.”

Maris pursed her lips and tensed.

“Tell. them.”

Maris shifted her gaze away from Valda to hide all the rage flourishing within.

Valda felt as if she had just been drenched with a bucket of icy water. The tight connection of her chest wavered. Maris wouldn’t help her. She wouldn’t talk. She wouldn’t tell them the truth. Why? Was it to hurt her?

“Gentlemen, put away your weapons. I need to have a talk with our abdicating queen.”

Valda snarled, and just as she was to move again, Maris grabbed hold of her blouse and stopped her.

The men around them sheathed their sword, spat on the ground, insulting her name, and one by one exited the throne room until only the three of them remained.

The door of the throne room closed heavily, locking them inside. The sound of dainty footsteps broke the empty silence as a fourth person joined them. This time, a woman with dark brown hair moved about the dais and sat down on what used to be Queen Rionach’s throne.

Quietly, Arwin pulled a small golden sphere from his pocket, kissed it, and gave it to the mysterious woman. A golden apple. Just like Maris had mentioned. She had been to blind to see who this man’s true loyalty lied with. And it wasn’t with Valda.

“I remember when Arwin whispered your name years ago,” Valda whispered in an angry hiss. “I know who you are.”

“And yet, you keep praying to an unseen god who abandoned you. Pity,” the woman sighed, her gaze falling on Arwin. “This one is way smarter than you or your father.”

“You do not get to speak of him or sit in my mother’s throne,” Valda muttered, her sword pointed at the woman. “I will not hesitate to kill a goddess, Eris.”

Maris’s quiet gasp shuddered through Valda as a soft grin creeped through the mysterious woman’s features.

“Oh, please. You humans and your costumes. This is just a chair.” She slammed her hand on the armrest. “You give everything meaning and emotional attachments.” She waved her hand dismissively.

“Valda,” Arwin called out, sitting on King Brontes’s throne. “My dear girl.”

“I want you to shut up and answer my questions right now.” As fast as the wind, Valda moved until she was standing face to face with Arwin. Her sword was close to his neck, inches from silencing him forever. “You command the wind.”

Arwin nodded nonchalantly.

“How?”

“I have royal blood, of course.”

“From whom?”

“Your grandfather.”

Valda’s furrowed brow quivered for a second. “You are my father’s brother?”

Arwin smiled. “Half-brother. ”

“You are lying. Why would you be kept out of the ruling chain?”

“That’s exactly what I was asking myself all these years. Especially when your dear father died protecting the Sea Kingdom.” Arwin turned his attention to Maris and widened his smile. “A tragedy really.”

“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you had something to do with my kingdom’s tragedy,” Maris rumbled, before looking at Eris.

The goddess laughed, filling the vast emptiness of the throne room and sending a shover down Valda’s. “She is smart. Ever the real heiress. Too bad you didn’t have the courage to show it.”

“It wasn’t lack of courage,” Maris snapped before eyeing Valda with rage.