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Chapter Thirty-Seven

Aurelia

W hen I finally reach Coraya’s apartment, I sit in one of the armchairs with my daughter, offering her a meal from my breast before I see to my own dinner.

She’s growing so fast, but after her own illness, her infant body feels even more fragile in my arms. Sabrelle tried to steal her from me—to destroy this innocent life who’s never done a thing against her, solely to warp the empire to her own ends.

My arms tighten around Coraya.

Is the godlen of war always so heartless? Or has she gotten so caught up in her anger over my altering of the empire that she’s let reason slip away from her?

Who can know how the minds of our deities work? All I can do is protect my daughter with every ounce of strength I have.

I rock Coraya in my arms, debating just how vital it is for me to make an appearance at dinner in front of the court when they saw me at breakfast, and a knock sounds on the door.

“Your Imperial Highness? A messenger is here to speak with you. High Commander Axius says it’s urgent.”

My pulse hiccups. I press a quick kiss to Coraya’s forehead, return her to the nursemaid’s arms, and hurry into the hall.

Axius ushers me to the main meeting room. We’re almost there when Captain Evando catches up with us.

The captain’s gaze darts between the two of us. “Is there— I heard?—”

Axius motions for him to come along. My heart thumps faster, not sure of what Evando could have been referring to.

Then we step into the meeting room to find two figures waiting by the map table—neither of them actually messengers. At least, that’s not their main role.

Raul straightens up from where he was leaning against the table, his familiar cocky grin stretching his lips and his eyes smoldering with all the affection he can’t openly offer in front of our audience.

I swallow the lump that’s surged into my throat, balling my hands at my sides to hold them back from reaching for him.

My gaze searches his massive body in its travel-worn clothes, confirming there’s no sign of injury before shifting to his companion.

Neven has returned to us tonight as well.

The youngest prince tugs back the hood of his cloak to reveal his shaggy white-blond hair, which he has to swipe away from his eyes in its rumpled state. The dark circles under his eyes suggest he hasn’t gotten enough sleep while traveling back to us, but that’s hardly a surprise.

Captain Evando’s mouth twitches as if he’s suppressed a smile. “You made it back.”

In theory, he’s speaking to both of the princes, but I don’t think his eyes have left Neven for more than a brief glance toward Raul. The prince of Lavira arches one eyebrow as he takes this in.

Is this why Evando was in such a hurry to join our meeting?

Neven shrugs and offers an awkward smile of his own, his gaze darting from the captain to me. “I thought the empress would want my report as soon as I could give it. The roads between Goric and here weren’t too bad.”

“I’m glad,” Evando says, and draws in his breath as if he’s going to continue, but then clamps his mouth shut.

Neven looks his way again. A trace of a flush colors his pale cheeks.

Hmm. I might not be the only one hoping for a more private reunion.

Raul drums his fingers on the table, still looking amused.

“I can’t say the trek from Lavira was much fun, but I dodged all of Valerisse’s people easily enough.

It took a bit of a detour getting around that swarm of them squatting across the border.

” His expression darkens. “She’s getting restless. ”

I jerk my mind back to matters that should be more important than the ache in my heart. “I heard Valerisse stayed behind in Rodrige. Do you have any idea what she’s working on there?”

He shakes his head. “My mother’s people hadn’t been able to determine, other than possibly she was hunting down citizens she thought would rebel against her rebellion. She and a pack of her pet soldiers were roaming the streets in the couple of days before I left. ”

Axius folds his arms over his broad chest. “What other news can you bring? Will the Lavirian royals support Aurelia against Valerisse as well as they’re able?”

Raul’s mouth twists into a grimace, and I know it isn’t going to be that simple. “She isn’t completely convinced… but I did make progress. She wants to believe joining forces with Dariu under Aurelia will solve her own problems in the long run. And the crown prince is completely on board.”

He catches my gaze. “The queen just doesn’t quite trust you yet. I’m not sure what it would take. If I could have pushed her farther by staying, I would have.”

Regret roughens his tone. I resist the urge to squeeze his hand. “I know you would. Thank you for conveying my message and encouraging her as much as you did.”

I shift my attention to Neven. “And your parents?”

“They want to help,” he says quickly. “But they’re concerned—to throw the limited military they still have into a full-out war… My family did get a good impression of you when you visited during the tour. Mother said if they see the right opening, they’ll act.”

The right opening. How can I know what that means or whether the Gorician royals will follow through on their word even if I can orchestrate it?

They need to trust me more too. To trust that I can bring the future I promised them into fruition.

How did I find myself in a position where my fate rested on so many people other than myself?

As that question knots me up from throat to gut, Raul lifts his chin. “What about Lorenzo and Bastien? No sign of them yet?”

He speaks casually, but his jaw flexes after he’s spoken as if he’s reining in a deeper tension. He’ll be as concerned about his foster brothers as I am.

I inhale slowly to steady myself. “Lorenzo was able to communicate with us briefly. He wanted to stay a little longer to continue planning with his family, but from what he said then, I expect him to be back within a day or two.”

Assuming he isn’t caught up in enemy action, which thankfully seems unlikely coming from the south.

“Bastien…” I go on. “We haven’t had any word from him so far. But I didn’t expect to. I’m sure he’ll make his way back as soon as he feels the time is right.”

Gods help us, let that not be too long from now.

I turn to Neven again, partly out of necessity but also to distract myself. “Have you been getting more impressions of Sabrelle’s mood or intentions over the past weeks?”

The prince of Goric grimaces. “More dreams. More bits of visions. Lots of aggression and attempts at terrorizing. She’s… definitely not happy. I think she assumed you’d give up by now, and it’s frustrating her that you haven’t.”

I don’t think I want to see how the godlen of war behaves when she’s frustrated if she wasn’t before.

“I’ll attempt to meditate to her again,” I say. Maybe now that I may have gained some favor with many of her fellow godlen, she’ll be willing to listen to me. However distant that possibility feels. “And we’ll keep shoring up?—”

Knuckles rap hastily against the door. Axius opens it to find a breathless page outside. “I think Her Imperial Highness should see this—in the garden—we don’t know what to make of it.”

A chill floods around my chest. I stride forward in the midst of my guards, bracing myself for the worst.

The princes, the high commander, and the captain all hustle behind me. We reach the broad windows overlooking the garden?—

And there, over the orchard, a narrow shower is dappling the newly budding spring leaves. It streams down in such a condensed streak of rain it only hits a few of the treetops .

I peer up at the sky and spot the single gray cloud floating like a bit of lint against the blue. After a moment, it drifts toward us, leaving a streak of rain across the grass and the garden planters.

The page wrings her hands. “It’s been doing that since we noticed it. Stopping and then moving closer. One of the footmen got wet—he said it seems like normal water. But I don’t know…”

Understanding lights in me like dawn peeking over the horizon. I can’t hold back my smile. “It’s all right. It’s a friendly omen for once.”

Bastien sent that cloud, blown by his gift. Giving us a message in the most subtle way he can.

He’s on his way back to me.

With the afterimage of the rain, a vision wavers behind my eyes of a handful of streams streaking across the realms all the way from the other capitals to me. My princes coursing home as if there’s no other path they could follow, as if they’ve always been connected to me.

A deeper spark of understanding flares to life, and my posture pulls straighter.

The second vision that came to me by the river near Prospira’s temple—I think I know which godlen sent it and the means to gain his backing too.

If only I can convince the lower authorities of the empire to follow my commands, no matter how extreme they find them.