Page 98 of A Queen’s Game (Aithyr Uprising #1)
What keeps me up late into the night is a single thought, however: a lifetime of opportunities we will miss if we are not together.
The missed opportunity of having you at my side.
The missed opportunity to watch you grow into your full power.
The missed opportunity to worship at your temple every day.
There is nothing I wouldn’t do to have you as mine, my goddess.
I would tear down the world around us if it meant keeping you by my side.
My time in Satiros nears its end, and I have no wish to leave you behind.
Refuse me as you must, but don’t allow yourself the continued suffering of this cursed place.
Though I hate the idea with such a seething rage and burning pride, I ask you to consider an alternate marriage.
It threatens my very existence, the thought of you marrying my closest friend, but I would endure millennia of pain if it meant you would feel none.
At this point, I’m sure Sylas has made the offer.
Elyse, my goddess, I ask you not to make your decision now, for I understand it is jarring.
But the gods may have their eye on you—we will get one last evening together before I go.
Through the work of Keyain and his wife, we will journey into the streets of Satiros under their watchful eyes.
Though I loathe him, I would take any chance I had to be with you. Any.
Until then, my dreams will be of you in gowns of Chorys Dasian red with black and white diamonds at your neck. Of sunny walks holding your hand along the shores of The Mavros Sea. Of you in my arms, where you belong.
Elyse squeezed her eyes closed, unable to stare at the letter. It was Brynden—every bit of him she knew—baring all for her. “You told me all of that on purpose. His age, his sister, all of it because you figured it’d end like this.”
“No, I thought this would end with Brynden breaking into the palace and stealing you.”
Elyse paled at the comment. Brynden wouldn’t do that, would he?
“He cares about you in ways I haven’t seen with the others,” Sylas continued. “He refused to leave Satiros without you, so a marriage to me was his solution.”
Her heart paused, unable to take a breath as his words hit her. “The others?”
Sylas watched her for a moment, his eyes shifting around her face. “He’s courted females prior to you, though only betrothed once.”
He might as well have slapped her. “So, I was never his first choice.”
“Elyse,” Sylas said, pulling her gaze. “They were a very long time ago, before you were born. As I said, he was only serious about one of them, and even then it was nothing like what he feels for you.”
She nodded her head, fighting the constriction of her throat as tears threatened her eyes. Stupid. So stupid to think she was someone special to him. “What happened to her?”
“To who?”
“The female was betrothed to. Why didn’t they marry?” she paused, taking a deep breath. “Or did they marry?”
Sylas rubbed his chin with a sigh, looking anywhere but at Elyse. “Simi died when they were still betrothed.”
Sadness struck her heart at the thought of loving someone to only have them die. “How tragic.”
“Listen, he should’ve told you this, not me,” Sylas said. “He didn’t have much time to tell you about it, so don’t be angry.”
Anger wasn’t the right way to describe how she felt. Disappointed. Foolish. Sorrowful. Those feelings washed over her as she watched Sylas.
His expression was soft, concern furrowing his brows. “Please share what you’re thinking, Elyse. I don’t like seeing you like this.”
She hesitated, unsure what to say. “I feel humiliated.” Tears trailed down her cheek as she tried to blink them away, staring at the ceiling.
“For the first time in my life, I felt like I was special to someone. I felt—” her breath caught, stalling her words.
“I felt like I wasn’t alone. That I had a future.
And now, I realize how foolish I’ve been. ”
“The fool isn’t the partner who was tricked, but the partner who intended to deceive. He could’ve told you when he offered his hand, but instead he…” Sylas’ voice trailed off, letting the implication sit.
“He tried to fuck me.”
“I mean,” Sylas said, brushing back the hair from his face, “that he did. It didn’t change his decision, though.
Even now, he wants you, Elyse. He wants to fight for you.
Just know this: you are special without him.
You are more important, more powerful by yourself than he is without you.
Don’t let him make you think otherwise, even for a second. ”
Elyse swallowed hard, taking in his words.
“Brynden is a lot of things, but he will always be the fool, not you.” He lifted his chin as he regarded her.
The tears started anew. Sylas barely knew her, but she believed each word from his mouth, believed that he meant it. Such truth made her heart swell. “But he’s your friend.”
“That doesn’t mean I’ll sit by and watch you degrade your self-worth over a fool.” A smile hooked his lips. “If you don’t accept my offer of marriage—which there’s no need to answer now and no pressure to accept—then I hope you consider dinner with him, Keyain, and Marietta.”
She laughed mirthlessly. “Why would I entertain such an idea?”
“Because you deserve the closure.” Sylas took her hand in his. “And you deserve to enjoy yourself. Let Brynden dote on you for one last night before you say goodbye.”
True enough, it would be enjoyable. Marietta and Brynden together would be entertaining, to say the least. She thought back to Marietta, discussing which lines of Brynden’s letter would make Keyain the most uncomfortable. It brought a smile to her face as she laughed.
“What is it?” Sylas asked.
“I think going just to watch how Marietta and Brynden interact would be reason enough.”
Sylas huffed at that. “I’m sad I’m going to miss it. Marietta seems like she’s fun.”
“She is.” Elyse hesitated and added, “I’m happy to call her my friend.”
Sylas nodded with a smile, glancing down at the table. “Did he gift you anything by chance? When you two were still courting?”
“Yes, a necklace of black and white diamonds.”
“Bring a gift the day you see him—don’t be indebted to him, okay?”
“But it was a gift—”
“Nothing is as it first seems, Elyse,” Sylas warned. “Trust me. Bring something of equal value. If you need money, I can help.”
Elyse narrowed her eyes. “But then I’d be indebted to you.”
A full smile cracked on his face. “A quick learner. But Brynden anticipates a reply. I can come by in—”
“Or I can give it to you right now,” she said, standing up and going to her desk. A moment later, she returned with a folded paper, handing it to Sylas.
With furrowed brows, he opened it and laughed. “As I said, you’re a quick learner.”
Sylas stood from the table, pocketing the drawing.
Elyse’s emotion scattered as she followed, keeping her gaze to the floor.
Sylas and Brynden were hiding something—beyond Brynden’s former partners.
Something didn’t sit right, but at least she’d get one last chance to question Brynden before he left.
“One more thing before I go,” Sylas said, carrying over a clinking wooden case.
Inside were rows of glass vials of various colors and sizes.
“The top three rows are for head pains—at the first sign, take a quarter of the vial. If the pain persists, finish the bottle.” Sylas took out a vial from the last row.
The contents were dark and amber-hued. “This is a liquid form of Mage’s Eye—highly potent and concentrated. You only need a few drops.”
“Sylas, I can’t take this—this is too much.”
“Not for the favor I’m going to ask,” he said with a smile.
Nerves knotted in her stomach. Of course, there was a catch.
Sylas pulled out a scrap of paper with lines of text scribbled on it. “I don’t have time to search the library here for these texts—can you find them for me when you have a moment? Preferably in secret?”
Elyse took the paper, reading the names.
Goodnight Feyries: Bedtime Stories from Feyrie Tales.
Statues and Sculptures of Syllogi.
Beyond the Tefra Forest: An Outsider’s Guide to The Disputed Lands.
Aithyr and Air.
History of the Fey.
Myths & Legends of the Akroi Region.
Fulbryk’s Guide to Chorys Dasi.
“I’ll try, but I’m not sure if I’ll find them all within two weeks.” The library was extensive, and not having the librarians’ help would slow the search.
“That’s alright, just find what you can.” He turned away to head to the door but paused. “Prioritize finding Fulbryk’s Guide to Chorys Dasi .” Sylas looked over his shoulder with a conflicted stare.
“Okay,” she said. “Sylas, thank you for everything.”
He shrugged, placing his hands in his pocket. “It was nothing. I’m happy I had the time with you.”
Elyse couldn’t help but smile. Sylas scowled, rolled his eyes, and pretended not to care—but he did. She closed the space between them, throwing her arms around him. The amber and pine scent consumed her, causing her to think of his home in the mountains of Chorys Dasi.
Sylas embraced her, his chin resting on her head. For a moment, they stood there and Elyse sighed into him, happy to have stopped crying. He pulled away, cupping her face. “I’ll find you before we leave, so this isn’t goodbye yet.”
She nodded and dropped her arms, letting Sylas go to the door.
He looked over his shoulder one last time. “And remember, bring Brynden a gift.”
Her head spun with the information that dinner yielded hours after Sylas left.
One thing had become clear to her: she knew very little.
Very little of Brynden, of her mother, of the world around her.
It was heartbreaking to think that she had lived almost three decades but missed so much.
Perhaps she should consider Sylas’ proposal, since living in Satiros had been a disappointment in that regard.
But then there was the King. If her mother had trained him, then he had her best interests at heart, right?
Gods, maybe he didn’t. She knew so little of her mother before she passed.
Her mental state already deteriorated by the time Elyse was old enough to comprehend what was happening.
What hurt the most was Brynden’s truth. He was significantly older than her and failed to mention his previous betrothal.
Though she supposed he didn’t owe her anything to share such a heartbreaking tale.
Who was Simi? Why did she die, and was Brynden still in love with her?
The questions haunted Elyse late into the night.