Page 7

Clarissa

T he murmurings of the council dimmed when I entered the chamber once more. As I took my seat, Lord Stryker opened his mouth, but I spoke over him. “Tell me the terms of King Grimaldi’s request.”

Again, Lord Cabot was the one who answered.

“You’re invited to Mysthelm in one week to tour their kingdom and meet the people in the hopes of improving relationships with them.

” Stryker grunted at that. “You’ll be gone for approximately five weeks.

King Grimaldi has told us he’s already lined up celebrations in your honor in his four territories.

But he—he believes a visit is simply not enough to strengthen our bond. ”

“What does he want then, a pair of handcuffs?” I muttered under my breath.

“What was that, Your Majesty?” Cabot raised an eyebrow.

“Nothing. Continue.”

He cleared his throat. “Their king has proposed a marriage of alliance to unite the Veridian Empire and Mysthelm in a way our people haven’t seen for centuries, if ever.”

“I understand the idea of peace, but I won’t abandon my empire to stand and play wife at his side,” I said. “That’s out of the question. ”

Lord Cabot nodded. “His terms don’t request you relocate to Mysthelm permanently.

Rather, he wishes for the marriage to be in name only.

A symbol of the union. You will continue to rule the Veridian Empire while he reigns in Mysthelm, with the promise of aid if needed.

Strength and solidarity from across the sea, so to speak. ”

I scratched the back of my ear, considering his words. “Has anything like this ever been done before?”

“Not that we know of,” Cabot said. “There are many waters we’d need to navigate. Line of succession, for example. The possibility of heirs and what entity they would rule over once they come of age. These are things we can discuss with the Mysthelm council and come to an agreement on.”

My heart stuttered at the thought of heirs with this stranger, and the implications it brought. The men must have noted my state of shock, for Lord Temvaren quickly interjected.

“If I may, Empress Aris,” he said with a raised hand.

His pale, freckled cheeks were flushed red, as if fearing my reaction.

“I know it’s sudden, and not all of the provinces will agree, but a marriage between the two of you would be most advantageous at this point in our rebuilding.

It would secure good will, extinguishing any future possibility of war. ”

“Not to mention open up opportunities for trade with them,” Lord Griffen added.

I rapped my fingers against the wooden tabletop as several of them nodded. Feet shuffled in the silence, with the occasional scratch of pencil on parchment as I took slow breaths.

They weren’t wrong. There was a reason marriage alliances between families of power happened so often—my parents were proof of that.

It strengthened ties and widened resources on both sides.

If the Veridian Empire ever needed anything, Mysthelm would be obligated to provide what aid they could, and vice versa.

And the king already insisted it would be a marriage on paper only.

We could both continue ruling from our corners of the world.

If the question of lineage came into play, perhaps our heirs could be born from consorts, if that was something we both agreed on and desired.

Honestly, it could work.

But it wasn’t the proposal that grated on my nerves. It was the fact that I seemingly had no choice in the matter.

“And you’ve already told King Grimaldi that I’ve agreed to this?” I finally asked, meeting each of their eyes. A couple of them looked away.

It was Stryker who responded. “You seem to forget, Aris, that you have not yet been crowned, despite the titles others throw at you. We’re well within our power to make this decision,” he said, the hint of a sneer on his lips. “It is your duty , after all.”

My congenial veneer began to slip again. It was so quiet in the chamber, I could hear each individual heartbeat with my Shifter senses. Slowly, I said, “What, exactly, do you mean by that, Lord Stryker?”

He shrugged. “You’re young. Able-bodied.” He tapped a pencil on the table as his gaze slipped below my neck with a smirk. “Women of your…affinity have a purpose, and it would be a waste not to fulfill that for your empire.”

Rage, the kind I was usually able to bury and funnel into direction, blasted through me. My enhanced Shifter speed burst to the surface. Before anyone could blink, I was on my feet and at Stryker’s side.

I ripped out one of the twin daggers I kept sheathed to my thigh and slammed it between his fingers, straight through the top of the table. The handle wobbled precariously back and forth. “For once in your life, Stryker, hold your tongue, or I will cut it from you and pin it to my wall.”

To his credit, he held my gaze, but I didn’t miss the way his shoulders shook as I pulled the blade out and backed away.

“I will marry their king,” I said to the council, my voice unfamiliarly cold. “But if you ever make a decision regarding my life and my people without consulting me first, your days on this council will be over. Am I understood?”

A stilted chorus of agreement rang out in the hall. Flicking my hair over my shoulder, I turned to Lark. “Work out the plans for my departure. Lord Cabot will reside in my place while I’m gone, with you at his side. There will be no announcement of this engagement until I return.”

Lark dipped her head at me. “Of course, Empress.”

I glanced back at the council. “Gentlemen,” I said, nodding stiffly. “We’ll reconvene next week before I leave. Until then, all inquiries will go through Miss Everest.”

Without waiting for a response, I strode to the door and pulled it open, heading straight for the north entrance of the palace. My fox half vibrated beneath my skin. I wouldn’t be able to keep it at bay much longer.

I barged down the endless corridors until I reached the exit, throwing the doors wide and taking the steps two at a time as I passed the grand gardens arrayed in sunlight. The arid summer wind whipped at my cheeks, heat beating down on my exposed skin.

Reaching the thin forest surrounding the palace, I unlatched the door to my anger and frustration. It barreled into me, quick as lightning, and a growl erupted from my chest.

I broke into a run. Every cell, every muscle, every bone in my body began to shift, exploding inside me like a tidal wave. There was always a single, brief moment of pain as my body rewrote itself, but once the magic flooded me, it was euphoric. Like beams of gold lighting up my veins.

With a final burst of speed, I launched myself into the air, dried leaves and dirt spraying in my wake. Red fur ruptured across my skin. My legs and arms shortened and filled with muscle, my ears and nose lengthening as I shook my head back and forth. Claws split from my fingertips.

I landed on all fours in the middle of the forest. Paws pounding against hard grass, I sprinted into the afternoon, not once looking back.