Page 85 of Daughter of the Drowned Empire

“You understand, my dear,” Lady Romula said. “I will not bargain with Ka Batavia as long as these threats loom.”

And as long as these threats loomed, I desperately needed her bargain.

I crushed the flowers to my chest. Tristan cocked his head, his aura surging with anger.

“And what if I say myself to Moriel and marry her anyway?” Tristan asked, his hand reaching for mine. “Will you disown me as an heir to Ka Grey, force me out of the Villa?”

I gawked, almost touched. In another life I would have loved the romanticism of it. Yet as much as I’d pushed against the political nature of our union…Tristan’s love was worthless to me without it.

Lady Romula looked between us. “Love is sweet, my dears. But it does not replace security. Good night, your grace.” She extended her hand to Tristan. “Help me up the stairs.”

I sat on the couch alone, fuming and scared, the message from the Emartis held tight in my hands beneath my flowers. I’d come here for assurances, and now those assurances were on me to deliver, but I had no idea how to offer them.

Arianna extricated herself from her conversation to recline onto my couch, propping her feet on a floor pillow. “You look troubled. What horrid thing did Lady Romula say now?”

I held the scroll tightly, concealing its contents. A silver snap petal fell into my lap.

“Arianna, would you answer a question truthfully?” My stomach turned. I’d never questioned her before. There’d never been a reason to, but now…. “Did you agree with my mother’s decision to name my father Arkasva?”

She blinked. “I admired your mother in every way. She was wise and always careful with her choices.”

“You never thought you should have been named to the Seat?”

Aunt Arianna laughed so hard she snorted. “My dear, I was third in line.” She shook her head. “That was never the plan, never in my thoughts. I spent my life preparing to be on the sidelines. To support my sisters. You understand.”

Guilt over my own desires to rule twisted inside of me. I, too, was third from the Seat. But I was not content to play a supporting role forever.

She shook her head in confusion. “Where is this coming from?”

I handed her the Emartis scroll. “This is being sent to the nobility.”

She unrolled the parchment, her eyes widening as she took in the image of the black seraphim and read their decree.

“Did you know they were still active?” I asked. “After all these years?”

“I didn’t even know they existed when I was arrested.” She tore the parchment in half. “They’re scum. Weak, pathetic babies crying in the streets because they did not get their way. We are Ka Batavia,” Aunt Arianna said fiercely. “And we have ruled for a thousand years. Whatever is the will of the Arkasva is the will of us all.” She reached an arm around me, and I flinched. Something pinched my back. “The Ready stopped them before, he will stop them again.”

If only Lady Romula were so confident.

“My dear, go get some rest. You have training tomorrow.”

She pulled her arm away. Her golden cuff had pinched me.

“Without magic,” she said, gently patting my back, “these seven months won’t be easy. And we all need you to survive training. Promise me you’re taking care of yourself.”

As our seraphim soared over Vertavia, I rested my head on Tristan’s shoulder.

“She’ll give in, Lyr. She knows how much this means to me. To us.”

“What about Naria?” I asked.

He groaned. “She has nothing to do with this.”

“You almost slept with her and didn’t tell me. She still wants you. Why else would she come tonight? What if you get tired of waiting for me? And your grandmother prefers her.”

“She doesn’t. And I won’t,” he said fiercely, pulling me against him. “I’ll wait for you. As long as it takes.” He rested a hand on my thigh. His sigil ring caught the blue light of an ashvan’s hooves. I couldn’t allow him to offer me this sigil without Lady Romula’s blessing, and she wouldn’t act until I’d stopped the threat of the Emartis.

Tristan and I parted at the seraphim port in Urtavia, walking in opposite directions, him toward the Mage Academy, and me toward the soturion apartments. An escort of Ka Grey walked silently behind me, casting a silver dome of light around me.