Page 76 of A Queen’s Betrayal (Legends of Worldbinders #1)

It took every effort for Arenna to keep her jaw closed as she entered the palace. The walls, floors, stairs, every balcony, and window she saw were made of the same shimmering, green stone. It was a realm of long hallways and glistening pillars—no plants, no portraits, just endless crystal.

“Why do you keep it hidden?” she asked Kayson. She felt the hesitation in his answer and saw it in his posture. Even Bramnen turned his head slightly over his shoulder, and Marea tensed beside them.

“Remember when I told you my siblings were killed?” Kayson asked, his voice grim and pained.

She nodded. “This is where it happened. This palace was destroyed and betrayed from the inside out. Since then, I’ve kept it hidden from the outside world so children can learn and grow safely, without fear of attack or death. ”

A knot formed in her throat, her stomach sinking at the devastation such a beautiful place endured. She had a feeling she already knew who was responsible. “Jaksen?”

A simple, tight nod was the king’s only answer.

“I’m sorry.” She felt an urge to free herself from his touch. For some reason, guilt washed over her, and his body pressed against hers suddenly felt like a brand on her skin. “How many were lost?”

Marea brushed past them. “Everyone,” she hissed. “Hundreds of children, two Elders.” The commander eyed Arenna up and down. The look in Marea’s eyes and the sting of her tone made it seem like she blamed Arenna for the loss.

She couldn’t blame them. It was all too easy to see herself beside Jaksen and think she had something to do with it.

Arenna wrapped her arms around herself, feeling uneasy in the tense silence.

She hadn’t even realized she had leaned in closer to Kayson until her shoulder brushed against his bicep, but when their eyes met, a fraction of that feeling melted away.

Beyond the stairwell at the end of the hall, Kayson stopped walking. “We’ll meet you inside,” he said to the trio. Wylder, Bramnen, and Marea walked off without another word, taking the tension with them.

Arenna nearly sighed with relief as the train of Marea’s dark armor twisted out of view. She had thought they were striving toward some sort of friendship, but the look in her blue eyes made Arenna’s skin crawl. “I truly am sorry,” she said to the king.

Kayson’s eyes were glassy as they looked down into hers, darting back and forth as if he were trying to examine every inch of her irises. “You have nothing to apologize for.”

“No, but I can’t help but feel partially responsible. I was married to the man who attacked your home, your land—who killed your people.” He looked away from her, and she heard his teeth grind through his clenched jaw. “I never knew he did that,” she added.

His gaze returned to hers, so full of pain and heartache that it made her own heart tumble over itself. Kayson sighed. “A conversation for another time, I suppose. We need to get inside.”

Arenna nodded, keeping her arms at her sides.

They walked in silence as he led her down the sparkling corridors.

When they turned at the end of the hall, the crystalled ceiling was replaced by vibrant murals.

Arenna looked up, taking in each painting as they walked beneath them.

Dragons and fire, Fae, Draka, Medryd, and humans were all depicted in wonderful colors and scenes.

“These are beautiful,” she said, her head angled toward the ceiling.

One particular mural caught her attention: a male and female in gold, their hands tied with a single green ribbon.

Arenna stopped walking, angling her head upward for a better view of the intricate details.

The artist had captured such beauty in their features.

The love in their eyes was so apparent, so passionate.

She didn’t know that feeling could be painted.

“Is this a Fae wedding ceremony?” she asked, nodding toward it.

“In a way.” Kayson urged her forward, continuing their walk down the hall.

Helpful . “What is that supposed to mean?”

“Why do you ask so many questions?”

She ignored the urge to roll her eyes. “Wouldn’t you, if you grew up thinking one way and realized it wasn’t right at all?”

He considered this, then smiled. “I suppose I would.”

“Thank you.” She puffed out her chest, pride gleaming. Kayson laughed. “Fae history is fascinating,” Arenna confessed. “I want to know everything there is to know about it. I need to get back to the library and indulge in it a bit.”

“You can ask me anything,” he said. “I will tell you whatever you want to know.”

“Why aren’t you married?”

Kayson choked. “ What? ”

The question had rattled through her brain for years. Even living in Brookworth, there had been no mention of the Fae King taking a wife or having children—none of the things Jaksen had been so adamant about.

A part of her was thankful for it. Jaksen wanted to rid the world of the Valor bloodline in his lifetime, and the thought of what he would do to Kayson’s wife or children—

She didn’t want to think about that.

The Fae King ran a hand through his hair. “I wasn’t expecting that question right out of the gate. I thought you wanted to indulge in Fae history ?”

She countered, “Technically, you are Fae and speaking of your past fits the definition of history.” Arenna grinned up at the king.

His smile fell when he looked down at her. She meant to ask what was wrong, but he said, “Marriage means little to Fae.”

“Really?” she asked, surprised. “That’s . . . odd.”

He shrugged. “We long for something deeper, more coveted and protected. Drakians discovered that fate predetermines who was made for whom through an eternal bond, and over the years, those bonds found their way to us. The love shared between eternals is deeper than anything you can imagine. Think of it like this,” he began, “two beings were made at the same time. Their souls were designed the same; their very beings were knitted together before they were placed in their mothers’ wombs.

When they were conceived, their souls were torn in two, one half following one body and the other half into a different body. ”

“Two bodies, one soul.” A shiver snaked down Arenna’s spine. She glanced back up at the portrait, marveling at how the love between the figures appeared so prominent within the brushstrokes. “What a beautiful thing.”

Kayson hummed in agreement. “Beautiful, and rare. More often than not, Fae die without ever finding their eternal.”

She frowned. “That’s incredibly sad.”

“But for those who find it, it makes it all the more special,” Kayson countered.

“How do you find it?”

Kayson folded his hands behind his back. “It’s not something you go searching for; rather, it finds you. Usually, when you least expect it.”

“So, most will not marry in hopes of finding their eternal?” Arenna recalled the intertwined statue of his parents in the library, wondering if the love they shared was indeed eternal.

“That’s one of the reasons, I suppose.”

“Is that yours?”

Kayson tilted his head toward hers. “I’m curious why you want to know.”

Her face flushed. “Because you’re a king. You have a duty to produce an heir to lead your kingdom.” Disgust churned in Arenna’s stomach as soon as the words left her lips, followed by a wave of shame. Jaksen had drilled this into her many times, and she despised herself for ever accepting it.

“Is that truly what you believe?” Kayson asked, halting in his tracks. The ballroom door was now just a few steps away. “Or is that what you’ve been conditioned to believe?”

Arenna didn’t feel brave enough to answer.

“I’ll tell you what I think,” Kayson said.

“Whoever succeeds me should be there not because they are my blood or my child, but because they love Vlazias more than themselves. They must love their people and do anything to protect them.” He placed a hand under her chin, tilting it upward.

“I don’t care where that person comes from or who they are, as long as they possess those qualities.

I have a feeling you were made to feel differently about your role in Brookworth, and I’m sorry he did that to you. ”

Arenna’s eyes burned, and she could not respond.

She had always wanted children. Especially when she loved Jaksen more than anything else, the thought of having littles with him made her love him even more.

She wanted to endure the pain and exhaustion of labor just to have another piece of him on this earth.

Her hand drifted to her stomach, and she felt thankful that the Seven did not bless her with a child—not with that man.

The rest of the walk down the hall was silent. Until they reached the massive ballroom doors, and Arenna’s heart rate kicked up. She hesitated as Kayson reached for the door handle. “What is it?” he asked, taking a step toward her.

“I’m afraid to kill them all.” He hardly moved a muscle, and Arenna couldn’t tell if that was good or bad, so she clarified, “I would never hurt them. But I’m scared that I’m not ready. If I slip up, if I make even one tiny mistake—”

He reached for her hand. “You control your power; it does not control you. You will not make a mistake.”

Arenna nodded, but the fear still lingered. “You should ward them. Or me. Like you did that day we trained in the forest.”

He did not answer for quite some time. “Is that really what you want?”

“Yes,” she replied without hesitation. Kayson blinked, his brows bunching together as he nodded. He gestured toward the door, and with a shake of her head, Arenna followed him through the shimmering entrance, her expectations low for what awaited her inside.

Light above the oversized chandelier in the center of the ballroom illuminated the space, moonlight flooding the polished floor. Green curtains draped over every oval window, allowing a gentle breeze to flow through. White marble pillars rose from the floor, reaching up to the high ceilings.