Page 56 of Courting the Dragon Prince (A Royal Arrangement #1)

Chapter Fifty-Six

“W hat?” Onyx placed a hand on the armrest. He tried to push himself up. But his arm gave out. He fell back onto the chair. He stared at his arm in confusion before turning to his uncle. “What the fuck was in that tea?”

Warden Flint stood. “You don’t recognise it?” He picked up the empty obsidian teacups, walked across the room, and placed them back on the tray. “Well, there is lavender, chamomile, valerian root, and passion flower, all good for calming the nerves.”

Warden Flint turned and faced him. “But I added some ground lysithea powder to yours. A lot of lysithea, actually.”

Reaching into his pocket, his uncle pulled out an empty vial. “The powdered form is much more potent than when you steep the plant in hot water to make a tea. It smells a little different too, which is probably why you didn’t recognise it. You’ll have trouble moving for the next little while, and you’ll be unconscious soon.”

As if testing his uncle’s words, Onyx tried to stand. But his feet slid out from under him. “Ah!” he cried out as he slumped uselessly to the floor.

His uncle studied him, gaze cold.

Onyx lifted his hand towards a stone on the floor. He tried to channel. But the energy spun and slipped from his grasp.

“You don’t know much about lysithea, do you? I suppose with your mother addicted to it, it makes sense that you avoided the stuff,” his uncle said. “You won’t be able to channel. Not with how much lysithea you’ve drunk.”

As Onyx breathed heavily, his arm dropped. He collapsed, slumping on the floor and leaning against the seat of the chair.

“I suppose you want an explanation. Where should I start? Perhaps the beginning,” Warden Flint said. “When I arranged your marriage, I matched you with someone I knew you couldn’t stand. Who better but an arrogant, spoiled dragon prince? A man your complete opposite. A man I knew you’d despise.”

His uncle smiled. “And when I discovered Prince Luther was part of the attack on the Mystic Mountain Temple, I thought it too good to be true. Although, I’ll confess I hadn’t realised he wasn’t there for the entirety of the attack. A limitation of my intelligence, I suppose,” he mused.

“I’d really hoped you’d kill each other by yourselves.” Warden Flint walked towards him. “As you know, part of the marriage contract means that should one of you murder the other, the murderer’s heart would stop. You just needed to kill him and you’d both be dead. Or he could have killed you. Either way, it didn’t matter as long as both of you ended up dead.”

Onyx blinked, unable to comprehend what his uncle was saying. His head felt like it had been packed with dirt. How could Warden Flint want Onyx dead? This was his uncle. They were family. This man had helped him since his mother had sunk into grief. How could he betray Onyx like this? “Uncle? Why?”

But his uncle ignored his question. “Then you two seemed to be getting along. Even growing affectionate. I had to move to my backup plan.”

“Backup plan?” Onyx repeated.

Warden Flint nodded. “Which was killing you both myself and making it look like you killed Prince Luther and that you had dropped dead from murdering him.”

Warden Flint retook his seat opposite Onyx. “Although, since I am being honest, I always thought I might have to go to my backup plan. I wasn’t sure you had it in you to kill Prince Luther, even if he was part of the attack that killed your sister.”

How is this happening?

His uncle leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “That is why I sent you here. When I realised you were getting along, I knew I needed to get you both away from so many watching eyes. Then I could spread rumours about growing tensions and recent fights between you. I could easily control the narrative with you out of the way. Then I could come here and kill you both more easily.”

Warden Flint chuckled. “Imagine my surprise when I arrived and saw you two fighting. I thought maybe you would kill each other after all and I wouldn’t have to get my hands dirty.”

His uncle’s lip curled. “Then Lady Larimar stepped in. But no matter, everyone saw you fighting and heard you accuse Prince Luther of killing your sister. No one will be shocked if you kill the prince tonight.”

“Why are you doing this?” Onyx slurred.

“For the glory of the Grey Mountains, my dear boy.” His uncle gave him a pitying look. “It is always for the glory of the Grey Mountains.

“My sister lost her will to rule our kingdom properly. Her grief weakened her. She let her softer feelings consume her,” Warden Flint spat. “Battle after battle she threw away with incompetence, too consumed by her pain. I took over on the battlefield. Under my guidance, we stopped losing so many battles. And I knew we could still beat the dragons.”

Warden Flint pressed his lips together. “But when I returned to Limestone Castle, your mother had already agreed to the peace treaty.” Warden Flint lifted his chin, staring out at the mountains. “If not for your mother, we would have won. But I can still salvage this. I’ve been preparing and planning for another war with the dragons.”

Onyx choked. “No.”

His uncle ignored him and kept speaking. “When you and Prince Luther are both dead, the treaty will collapse. There will be no coming back from that. The dragons won’t forgive us, not if I make it look like you killed Prince Luther.”

An icy smile stretched across Warden Flint’s face. “Our other allies might try and salvage the peace treaty. But with the dragon king’s son killed at the hands of the earth elemental heir, they will not have any success.

“And all the Grey Mountains nobles will rally. I am in constant contact with the nobles, and I know they will quickly follow me to war if the treaty devolves. Once again, we will fight in glorious battle!” His eyes shone as he imagined it.

Onyx shook his head. It lolled from side to side. “No. We need peace.”

Warden Flint stood. He stepped towards Onyx, looming over him.

Onyx struggled to crane his neck to look up.

“I had considered putting you on the throne to replace your mother. You see, I am not doing this to fulfil my own ambitions. That is not my goal.” His uncle paused. “But I discovered you lacked the will to lead. You’re soft. Like your mother. You wanted peace. You’d been scribbling letters to her, begging her for it.” His voice dripped with disgust.

Warden Flint’s gaze flitted over Onyx’s face. “For a brief moment when I came in just now, I hoped you’d see how foolish peace with the dragons is. I hoped I could spare your life.”

Warden Flint shook his head. “But even after everything, you were still going on and on about the need for peace.” He took a deep breath. His face hardened with determination. “War will return. This time, I will be grand warden. I will be strong. I will lead us to victory.”

“What about me?” Onyx asked weakly. “What about mother?”

“I told you once that we all must do what is required for the glory of the Grey Mountains.” Warden Flint’s spine straightened. “I promised you that there was no cost I would not pay for our kingdom’s future. This is the price I will pay.”

His uncle knelt in front of him. “I take no pleasure in your death, Onyx. You are a noble and honourable warrior. But you are not suited to be grand warden. I am sorry. I will take no pleasure in killing your mother either. I love my sister. But I will do what must be done. I will not be like your mother and let my softer feelings get in the way of our kingdom’s future.”

Onyx tried once again to rise. But his body didn’t move. He wanted to scream. He wanted to hurl boulders at his uncle. But his body failed him.

“Her death will be painless,” his uncle continued. “I promise. She will suffer an overdose from lysithea tea after your unfortunate death. It will surprise no one that she overdosed. Perhaps it could even be seen as a mercy.”

Onyx’s face twisted. He stared up at his uncle, his family, his blood. “Uncle, please!” he begged, voice so weak.

“I really will not take any pleasure in killing you, Onyx.” His uncle gave him a sad smile. “Actually, when I was setting up the couple’s quest and came across the snails, I’d hoped they might kill you both. I would have been grateful to those beasts for taking that burden from my hands.”

With horror, Onyx realised his uncle had known how dangerous the snails were.

“Of course, it would have made it more difficult to cause the collapse of the peace treaty,” Warden Flint said. “But since I’d still dispose of your mother and be grand warden, I could have easily made that happen. But unfortunately, you and Luther proved too capable.”

Warden Flint rose, squared his shoulders, and turned his gaze towards the window. The golden sun set over the mountains. The light danced on his uncle’s face. “I will lead the kingdom to a wonderous future. And when I am gone, my daughter will continue to lead the Kingdom of the Grey Mountains.”

“Jade?” Had she betrayed Onyx too? Pain lanced through his chest. He fought to make his lips form words. “Does she know of this?”

Warden Flint shook his head. “No. There was no need, and I did not wish to involve her in this unpleasantness.”

At least Onyx’s cousin hadn’t betrayed him as well. Onyx’s eyelids grew heavy. He struggled to keep them open.

“You once said that you would do anything, give anything for our kingdom.” Warden Flint smiled at him.

Onyx moved his mouth. But he could no longer form words.

I didn’t mean like this. I meant for peace.

Warden Flint leaned down. He squeezed Onyx’s shoulder. A look of something resembling pride filled his uncle’s eyes. “Your life is what you must give for the glory of the Grey Mountains, Onyx. You can die peacefully, knowing you are doing your part for our mighty kingdom and its future.”

His uncle released Onyx’s shoulder and rose. “It will all be over soon, Onyx. By tomorrow morning, you and Prince Luther will be dead. The death of the peace accord will follow soon after.”

His uncle stared down at him. Onyx’s eyes grew heavier and heavier. They fell shut as he lost the battle to keep them open.

Luther. Mighty mountain spirits, please let Luther escape.