Page 77

“What else do you need to discuss?” My voice held steady, but a knot tightened in my chest. I already knew the news would be grim.

Ronan’s gaze lifted to meet mine, and the pain etched across his face made my heart clench. His gaze, usually hard and unyielding, flickered with anguish beneath the weight of what he had to say.

“The poison that bastard used on Elora… its effects are unthinkable. It’s not just a weapon—it’s a threat to every siren and triton in Aetheria.

” His voice trembled slightly before he steadied it, exhaling deeply.

“Combined with the torture she endured, it’ll take time, possibly a long time, for her to fully recover. ”

The raw torment in his tone broke through the room’s tension like a wave crashing on jagged rocks. He clenched his fists tightly, the veins in his hands standing out as he continued.

“We need to end this. We need to find the witch who developed that poison and destroy the formula before it’s used again. It’s too dangerous.”

The fire in his eyes burned bright, fueled by vengeance, a fire I knew too well. He wasn’t just speaking as a soldier. He was speaking as someone who cared deeply for Elora, someone who had failed to protect her when it mattered most.

Someone like me.

“If I may,” Sienna interjected, her voice soft but firm, a calm midst the storm of emotions swirling in the room. Her lavender eyes glistened with restrained sorrow.

“This potion in enemy hands could destroy entire kingdoms, Your Highness. When Thalor made me drink it…” She hesitated, a shadow of pain crossing her face, but her resolve held. “It severed my connection to the Goddess, nullified my powers, and… it severed my bond with the pod.”

The room fell into stunned silence.

Kieran, standing beside Sienna, went rigid at her words.

His jaw tightened, his hands balling into fists at his sides.

His usually oceanic-blue eyes darkened with fury, and his entire frame tensed like a beast coiled in silence, waiting to pounce.

The air around him felt electric, his unspoken rage radiating through the room.

I could see it, the desire to have been the one to end Thalor himself, to make him suffer for daring to touch Sienna.

The gravity of what they were telling me pressed down on my shoulders, and I knew what I had to do. My first act as queen couldn’t wait. It had to be decisive.

“Very well,” I said, my voice carrying the weight of my new authority. “Ronan, after the coronation, I want you to infiltrate the witches’ ranks. Find the one who created this poison. Locate the formula, destroy it, and bring the witch to me alive.”

Ronan straightened, his anguish giving way to purpose. “Yes, my queen,” he said, his tone resolute, though the faintest shadow of sorrow still lingered in his eyes.

“Sienna,” I turned to her, “gather the council. I need to inform them about the Queen’s assassination, my upcoming coronation, and Adrian’s position as my king.”

Sienna nodded, a faint, sad smile tugging at her lips. “Yes, Your Highness,” she said softly before exiting the room, Ronan following close behind her.

That left Kieran. His stance remained stiff, his anger barely contained. I turned to him.

“Kieran,” I began, my tone firm, “I have a task for you.”

I conjured an enchanted shell, its surface glowing faintly with magic, and handed it to him.

“I need you to take this to Erythion and deliver it to their king. It contains my memories of his daughter and his grandson. It’s vital that this reaches him, and only him.

Once you’ve delivered it, I need you to return immediately with his response.

This is of the utmost importance. Do you understand? ”

His dark eyes met mine, steady and unwavering. “Yes, my queen,” he said, bowing his head slightly.

“Good,” I added, holding his gaze for a moment longer. “Now go. ”

Without hesitation, he turned and left, his mission clear.

As the door closed, I felt Adrian’s hand brush mine, grounding me. The weight of the decisions I’d made and the ones still to come pressed heavily on me. But I wasn’t alone anymore. Together, we would face whatever lay ahead.

***

I sat on the throne not because I wanted to—but because I had to. Spine straight, chin lifted, I wore the crown like armor. My parents were ashes. My grandmother was dust. But I was not alone. And this council would learn the cost of underestimating me.

Adrian stood to my right like a shadow carved from purpose, silent, resolute, mine. The lords glanced at him, unease flickering behind their polished facades. Then, their gazes climbed to the crown on my head.

Sienna had pulled the threads to make this meeting happen with impossible urgency, less than a day since I clawed my way back from near-death. I owed her more than thanks. Still, gratitude warred with dread. Telling them about Thalor—about Grandmother—was a blade I’d have to twist in my own chest.

“What is the meaning of this?” Lord Filipos snapped, voice slick with contempt. Always Thalor’s mouthpiece. Always assuming I wouldn’t bite. I said nothing, just let the silence stretch, taut and deliberate, as I met his eyes with a gaze that did not blink.

“Now that all of you are here,” I began, my voice steady. Lord Tryfon opened his mouth to interrupt, but one sharp glare from me was enough to silence him. “I have requested this meeting to make two critical announcements.”

“But Princess Iryen,” Lord Elias interjected, bowing slightly in a rare show of respect. “Lord Thalor has yet to arrive.”

A flicker of knowing passed between my court and me before I turned my attention back to the lords .

“I’m sorry to—actually, no, I’m not sorry.” I said, voice cool, detached, “Lord Thalor will not be joining us. Not today. Or ever.” I let the words hang, brittle and dangerous. “He committed treason. He tortured and conspired to kill the regent queen.”

The chamber fractured into gasps and stunned murmurs, outrage blooming like ink in water.

Shock, denial, fury.

I watched it all play across their faces like ripples on a surface they never expected me to shatter.

“Where is that traitor?” General Pyros’s voice shook the room, flames already flickering around his form. “I’ll burn him piece by piece.”

“He’s dead,” I said plainly.

Lord Elias muttered, “That’s not possible.”

“You doubt our princess, Lord Elias?” Lady Thalia’s voice rang out, sharp and fiery. Her eyes blazed as she rose in my defense.

“Enough!” The word cracked through the air like a storm. Silence fell.

“If any of you doubt my word,” I said, gesturing to Sienna, Kieran, and Ronan, “speak to those who were there. Draven Dolon, Thalor’s son, and Lady Ithra were behind the deaths of Queen Kaia and King Nero.

Draven nearly killed Lady Elora.” I paused, letting their names rot in the water.

“Thalor plotted such from the moment he slithered into this council.”

Stillness. Then flame—General Kai’s aura blazed like a tempest. His rage ignited, fire consuming the water in a violent vortex.

“My daughter,” he said, his voice trembling with barely restrained rage. His piercing gaze shifted to Ronan, then to me. “What happened to my daughter? What injuries? Please tell me she’s alive.” His tone was no longer that of a formidable general, but of a desperate father, pleading for answers.

Before I could answer, a voice, soft but defiant, echoed behind us.

“I’m fine, Dad.”

All eyes turned as Elora swam into the room like a storm wrapped in silence. Pale and bruised, but unbroken. Her eyes held a kind of fire that pain couldn’t extinguish.

“Thanks to Her Highness’s healing,” she added, turning to me with a smile too bright to be painless, “I’m alive.”

She turned to me, bowing deeply with a dazzling smile that masked the pain she still carried.

“You should rest,” Ronan muttered, concern slipping out before he snapped his expression back into something hard. “You’re not recovered enough for this meeting.”

Elora rolled her eyes. “What I should do,” she said pointedly, “is show my side of the events.”

She looked at me. “With your permission, Your Highness, I’d like to share what happened. From the mission until the regent queen’s demise.”

My chest tightened, but I nodded. “You may.”

She took her place in the chamber’s center. I moved behind her, laying my hands on her temples, steadying myself for what we were about to relive. My fingers trembled. So did hers.

“This might hurt,” I warned, my voice quieter now, laced with both caution and concern. “Are you sure you want to share your memories?”

“I’m sure,” she whispered. “I’m still doing it.” Her bravery shone through, but I couldn’t ignore the flicker of fear in her eyes.

I inhaled deeply, anchored myself, and then connected. The link formed in an instant, sharp and overwhelming, and I projected her memories to the council through the mind connection with the pod.

The memories hit like a tidal wave. Her mission. Her capture. The torture. I felt it through her—every scream, every fracture of hope .

The pain.

The despair. The resistance.

The council gasped. Ronan flinched. I held steady, though my heart clenched with every moment.

Then, the dining hall. Grandmother’s agony.

Her captors’ laughter, low and cruel. The moment of her death, a crown falling, a light dying.

It clawed at me. And I gave them more. My own memories surged into the projection—Elora’s broken body in my arms, the desperate pour of magic, and the silent failure.

Cradling my grandmother’s lifeless form.

Her blood mingled with the currents. The helpless rage that followed.

The brutal deaths of Thalor, Ithra, and Draven. My hands did not shake then.

I let them see it all. No filters. No mercy.

Hopelessness. Rage. Loss. I laid it bare.

When I finally pulled away, Elora’s breath hitched, pain soft on her lips.

The silence in the chamber was deafening.

My pulse thundered, but I stood tall, letting the silence serve its purpose.

This council needed to see the cost of treason, and the lengths I would go to protect Aetheria from ever falling again.

No one spoke. No one dared.

I straightened my posture, letting the lingering emotions of my memories settle into a resolute calm.

Then I spoke.

“Now, for the second announcement.” My words cut through the tension like a blade, drawing every gaze to me. “Two weeks from now, I will have my coronation as the rightful heir to the throne.”

I paused deliberately, allowing my declaration to press on them. The council’s expressions ranged from stunned silence to cautious intrigue, but none dared to interrupt me. Slowly, I turned and gestured to Adrian, who stood tall and unwavering beside my throne .

“And my mate,” I continued, my voice unwavering, “will be your king, ruling beside me.”

A ripple of murmurs swept through the room, hushed yet unmistakable. The council members exchanged glances, their reactions a mixture of shock, curiosity, and, sometimes, veiled displeasure.

Lord Tryfon shot to his feet, his tone sharp and unyielding.

“We won’t accept him,” he snapped, his voice echoing in the chamber. “He is a hybrid! He must die!”

Adrian’s muscles tensed beside me, controlled fury behind his stillness.

“You really weren’t kidding about them wanting my head.” He said dryly, the mate bond humming between us.

“No,” I replied. “ But I should’ve warned them instead. You’re strong enough to make them beg before they hit the floor.”

“I’m just glad I’m with you.” He murmured.

I lowered myself back onto the throne deliberately, gaze fixed on Tryfon with a chill that stripped skin from bone.

“Oh, but you will,” I said, voice honeyed with venom.

“He is my mate. The heir to the Erythion throne. He has killed for this kingdom. Killed for me. He is your king. And if that offends your sensibilities…” I leaned forward slightly, letting the fury simmer under every word, “you’re welcome to join Hades in the underworld. ”

The council flinched.

“This throne is mine. This kingdom is mine. And my word is final. He is not your enemy.” I smiled coldly. “He is your ruler.”

Sienna stepped forward then, her tone soft but soaked in divinity. “This is the will of the goddess,” she said, lavender eyes glowing faintly. “And you know what happens to those who defy her.”

General Kai straightened, fire steady again. “You all saw the truth,” he growled. “Thalor betrayed us. He tried to murder the princess. He killed our queen. Anyone who agrees with him will be dealt with accordingly.”

Lady Thalia rose next, elegant and merciless. “We outnumber you, Tryfon. And we stand with our queen.”

Tryfon’s lips thinned. He met my gaze, the weight of his bitterness dragging at the edges of his mask.

“I suppose I don’t have a choice,” he said.

“You don’t,” I replied. “But you have a warning.”

His gaze narrowed.

“I won’t tolerate defiance.”

He didn’t blink. “Then I’ll be watching, Queen Iryen.”

I leaned back, lips curling. “Look all you want. You’ll find nothing.”

I rose, regal and untouchable.

“I will hold the funeral for Regent Queen in the grand hall,” I announced. “Sunset. Week’s end. The citizens may attend.”

I let my gaze drag across every one of them. “You are all dismissed.”

Then I turned, not waiting for their obedience, only expecting it. I almost lost my kingdom.

The crown I once resented so fiercely now rests heavy on my head, my parents’ legacy, now mine to protect. And I will die before I ever let anything jeopardize it again. Never again.

For now… we are safe.