Page 24 of Enchanted Shadows (The Enchanted Kingdom #6)

It was Krew who said, “There is blood on all of our hands, Kessara.”

Her hands were still shaking as she dredged through her past. “One day when I was considering all ways out of this, a package from Corsha arrived addressed to me. I had randomly been at the docks that day and they hand delivered it to me. It had two necklaces in it. At the time I was more than confused. I didn’t know why they would send me necklaces.

I put one on one day only to find that it altered my appearance. ”

“Nothing is random where Corsha is concerned.” Keir snorted a laugh. “I’m a little ticked Queen Relia didn’t warn us of this.”

Esta argued, “Didn’t she though? She got the necklaces to Princess Kessara. So she could get out.”

I wondered if Dex’s wife, Avril, would have warned us had they been here and not back in Dra Skor.

I didn’t entirely understand Corsha’s visions and vision casting, but I knew that proximity mattered.

Then again, if you could siphon magic into a weapon, it stood to reason that you could siphon a vision into something too.

“Turns out we are terrible at interrupting,” Jorah laughed. “Please continue.”

“Not offended. All of this is confusing and rather heavy.” The princess took a deep breath.

“So, I stayed to help my brother, with the irrational hope that before my mother chose the heir, Artem would still have a chance. Once Damek was named heir apparent, I stayed on working for Damek, making sure he wouldn’t go after Artem.

I feared it would happen. And then one day it did. ”

She took a moment to close her eyes and take a deep breath.

“Instead of taking Artem to Damek, where he was sure to be murdered, we used the necklaces to get out. Amos here also loathes my brother. He saw me sneak out of the castle early one morning and followed me. We all boarded a ship sailing for Brakken, and from there we hid in a ship which came to Wylan. So I need to amend my earlier statement. The three of us need your asylum. My brother Artem is also here.”

“In Wylan?” Krew asked. Rarely did things truly surprise Krew, but this was one of those rare occurrences.

She nodded. “I am truly sorry for any tension this caused. But neither of us was safe in Agria. I—” she swallowed hard. “We had nowhere else to go.”

The princess had brought a damn war right to our doorstep. She had a valid reason, yes, but still. “How long were you both going to hide without us knowing?” I asked her. “Until Agria launched a war on Wylan? Ruining the peace we have all worked damn hard for?”

She shook her head, eyes full of enough tears that I felt a little like an ass for asking.

“Amos came to me today to tell me he received word that my brother has sent the man he had intended me to marry here. To find me and bring me home. I am being married off to a man named Calix Cyncrest. As punishment. I don’t think he’s here yet, but he is coming.

Not for war, but for me. He went to Brakken first, but once he discovers I’m not there, it won’t take him long to figure out where I did go. ”

That had rage flowing down my veins. The longer the princess spoke, the worse things got.

“It is unclear if Calix knows that Amos and Artem are both with me,” she finished.

“You didn’t agree to this marriage?” Jorah asked quietly.

“No. Though I do have a history with the man in question.” Her eyes went to me.

“The reason I have such empathy for your sister, is because I, too, had to learn a lesson about having poor taste in men. I met Calix when I first started working for Damek, before I understood that he was just like him. I broke off things over a year ago and despite many urgings from both Damek and Calix to make amends, I always refused. I am the prized powerhouse with two Enchantments, and I am being gifted to Calix and his powerful bloodline for his loyalty to my brother. While also teaching me a lesson about who is really in control.”

There was no way around it. Calix and Damek deserved death for what they were doing in Agria. And for the hell they’d put the princess through? A slow death. Fists would likely do.

“So that about sums it up. Yes, I am Theon’s child. But a fiancé I never agreed to is on the way here to take me back. I am property of Calix. Of my brother. Of Agria.”

“You are property of no one ,” Krew said strongly .

“Like hell will we let them find either of you,” Esta said, her voice laced in determination.

My mind was racing, piecing together everything the princess had said. I had known from the beginning of training she was hiding something from me. I just didn’t understand the gravity of what.

“Do you need to see my dual Enchantments? To believe me?” she asked.

“Only if you’d like to show us,” Krew said with a nod. “But we believe you.”

She took a deep breath and put out a shaky palm.

In a flash, power as fast as Theon’s ever was, if not more so, left her hand.

Shadows pulled toward her hand before she sent a gold color of palm magic into it, sending the shadows breezing around me at my feet before they blew away, back to the corners of the room.

Seeing it, I understood everything. “The black magic seen in the forest was you.”

She nodded. “It was just shadows. I’d gone too long without using either Enchantment.

The shadows were calling to me. I wanted to tell you then, but I didn’t know how anyone would take to something that looked remotely similar to the dead king’s magic.

I was afraid I’d get kicked off the team.

” She shrugged. “I joined the team not to be trained, but to get closer to things at the castle. To figure out if the king and queen of Wylan could be trusted. If they would be the type of people to help us.”

“And?” Esta asked. “What did you find?”

The princess looked to me. “I found General Raikes. I don’t know you, Your Majesties. I’d like to. Truthfully, I don’t know any of you. But I do know him.”

Esta deadpanned, “Yeah. He has that effect on people.”

I rolled my eyes. This was not the time for jokes.

We had a war coming to Wylan’s shores if we couldn’t figure out a way out of this.

I didn’t blame Kessara or Artem for needing our help, but dammit, more of a heads-up would’ve been nice.

Here I had been foolishly thinking the storm brewing was with the loyalists.

Instead, we also had a legitimate shitstorm with Agria to concern ourselves with.

While Jorah asked a few questions about Artem’s location in Nerede, a thought came to me. There was only one way to avoid a war with Agria here. One way I saw to maintain the peace of the realm.

I walked back over to Krew and my whiskey for a drink. Truth be told, I needed something stronger.

“Can we reason with your mother?” Krew asked Kessara. “Get her to see that Damek almost had Artem killed?”

“Maybe,” the princess said. “I don’t exactly have proof, and I don’t want Artem to step foot in Agria until it’s safe to do so.

Damek will just say whatever is needed to get us back.

He will say that was never his intention to begin with and there will be another accident years later.

Accidents follow Damek wherever he goes. ”

I looked to Jorah. Then to Princess Kessara. And back to Krew. There was only the one way. One simple solution to solve it all. So simple it was silly.

“Owen?” Jorah asked. “What are you plotting over there that has you all torn to pieces?”

“Stop reading my emotions down the bond.”

“Hard not to currently,” she responded, “they’re all over the place.”

I inhaled deeply and asked Krew, “Did you mean what you said about declaring me an honorary prince title? Back when you left me proxy of the kingdom while you and Jorah went to Keir’s coronation?”

He didn’t hesitate. “I did. Still would. It will keep Warrick and Arden safer too.”

“Well, that settles it. ”

“Settles what exactly?” Jorah asked.

“Calm down,” I told her. “You get what you’ve wanted all along.”

“What?”

I looked back to Zara. “The way I see it, there is only one way to keep you safe. To help tensions in Agria.” I knocked back the rest of my whiskey, thankful for the burn in the back of my throat. “You marry me instead, Princess.”