Page 51 of Enchanted Shadows (The Enchanted Kingdom #6)

Huh. How about that. I wondered if that was the reason we were all gifted these skillsets to begin with. To share them. To protect one another.

Why all the homes of Agria were wrapped around the forest made a whole lot more sense now. Almost all of them were Enchanted, all of them longed to be near the shadows .

But it was the way Kessara turned toward me and bit out, “What?” which wrecked me.

“Do you want to rule, Kess?” I didn’t dare drop my eyes from hers. “If you want to rule here, I will let you go to do just that. That is the opposite of what I truly want, but this is your home . And it’s lovely. If this is something you want?—”

“I want you!” a tear tracked down her cheek. “I just want you. You’re the first thing I’ve gotten to pick for myself. You are my home.”

I moved to brush it from her cheek, feeling awful for being the cause. “Then we will build a life in Wylan together. But Damek is not a viable possibility. He’s too violent. Too unstable.”

“Kessara, honey,” her mother said gently. “While I may be concerned at the speed and rate of your relationship, it is clear to me your Owen loves you. He did not do this to blindside you nor hurt you. He offers this out of love.”

“I can’t believe you would do this,” Kessara argued.

“Sweetheart, I want you ahead of me, behind me, beside me, and every space in between. But if this is something you wanted, we had to offer it. It is beyond time you got to choose; beyond time you had a say.”

“You are listed as a viable option on the treaty wording,” the queen confirmed. “Seems your half-brothers covered their bases too. If Damek remains heir apparent, Wylan has every right to attack.”

Kessara let out a long sigh. “I am sorry your hand is being forced.”

Her mother again pinched her nose. “I can’t sign this, or I will look weak to my people, but I also can’t help but wonder if this is the only way to keep Damek from ruling.

I had thought of removing his heir apparent status before now, but your father and I both knew that we would be persuaded otherwise.

He would have worn us down, told us exactly what we needed or wanted to hear, done just enough to make us believe him, and we’d be right back to where we started.

You’re not the only one who has been manipulated, Kessara. ”

Kessara reached over and grabbed her mother’s hand. “Mother, you name Artem as heir apparent. Then name me as second in line. The only thing Damek would hate more than seeing Artem rule, would be seeing me rule. He’ll keep Artem breathing just to avoid it.”

“Smart,” the queen agreed, “but Artem is not ready to rule yet.”

Kessara’s voice was full of love and determination for her little brother. “No, but he will be. I just don’t know that I trust him to be near Damek.”

“Oh, after killing three people, your testimony to back it in the courts, Damek will serve time for this. In Agria, even royals are not allowed to kill freely. Wylan has every right to issue this decree, even if it’s tinged in war more so than peace.”

Kessara gasped.

“I will ensure that he has therapists provided while he is there. Resources to help him. He will not be unsupervised for a long, long time. Not until after Artem takes the throne.”

All it took was one look at the queen to see how much she hated those words. And yet she had come to them faster than I thought it would take. She believed what Kessara was saying. Had she been preparing herself for this, even subconsciously?

I didn’t have a child, but I couldn’t imagine finding out all of this in this manner, how dark her son had really turned. A son she clearly loved.

And yet because she loved him so, because she knew him, she didn’t seem entirely surprised.

“I wish it didn’t have to be this way,” Kessara told her.

“Damek made his choices. Now he will walk them out,” the queen stated.

“He is not above reproach. While some of his manipulations could be seen as assertiveness, the rest is entirely too far. He was the fool who thought he wouldn’t get caught.

” She moved to put her hand to Kessara’s cheek.

“And you, my dear, have shown him otherwise. Are you sure you do not wish to be queen? Your actions today have been awfully queen-like.”

“No,” Kessara told her. “I never wished to rule, not that anyone ever asked. And I’m not sure I can stay here. I’m sick of people looking at me condescendingly because they know Father isn’t my real father. I’m tired of being treated as less-than. By everyone.”

“Do visit though?” she asked quietly. “Artem will miss you. I will miss you. And I will do better to hear you. To make you feel... enough.” Her voice cracked. “You will always be enough for me.”

“I will miss Artem,” Kessara whispered. “I’m so worried about him, Mother.”

“Well, let’s not delay the inevitable. I’ll go clear the throne room of all guests. Damek’s judgement day is quickly approaching. You may have to give a statement before you leave. Then we will make a plan for Artem’s safe return and future safety as heir apparent.”

And just like that, we had a new future king of Agria.

“Okay,” was all Kessara said.

The queen stood before her daughter. “And if I haven’t told you lately, Kessara, I love you.

I never wanted this for you. That’s why I fought so hard for our countries to unite.

And it all blew up in my face.” She paused.

“Then again, maybe not. You can unite them. You can be that bridge.” She looked to me and back to her daughter. “The both of you.”

Kessara wiped at a tear as the queen left to return to the throne room.

“When?” My wife asked as she turned to me.

“When what?”

“You planned all of this, didn’t you?” she accused.

“Yes.”

“You knew you’d offer to be rid of me so that I could rule? ”

“I—yes. You aren’t listening, Kess. Not because I want that. I just never meant to trap you, to cage you in Wylan.”

I reached for her tear, but she moved away from me, letting my hand fall to my side.

“The fact remains that you planned this entire debacle today and did not have the decency to even tell me. To inform me of its happening. Not with who would arrive nor what you would offer me. We are supposed to be Team Raikes here, and today it was all Owen.”

So was she mad at me for offering her the throne of Agria? Or was it that I didn’t keep her involved in it? Or both. After a moment I admitted, “I’m not used to having a partner like this. I’m sorry. Forgive me.”

“I’m sure I will,” she whispered. “Just not today.”

I moved toward her, but she took a step back, stopping me in my tracks. She hadn’t backed away from me in a long time, and she’d just done it twice.

“Tell me how to help,” I pleaded. “Tell me how to fix it and I will.”

“You can’t,” she said as she followed behind her mother’s footsteps for the hall.

How had this day gone relatively well, better than expected in that we’d snagged a new heir apparent in an hour or less, but also so horribly wrong?

Worse yet, I had only myself to blame for it.