Page 103 of The Throne Seeker (Vallorian #1)
A suffocating silence filled the room. The request wasn’t as burdensome as used to be.
The phoenix had proven it wasn’t tainted.
Not the way she had once believed. It was a light, rather than a haunting shadow, a gift rather than a curse.
As Rose looked down into the eyes of a dying woman, how could she refuse?
“I haven’t sung in some time,” Rose cautioned softly.
A weak smile formed on the queen’s lips. “I have a feeling it’s just as beautiful as I remember.”
Rose forced a tense smile, refraining from eye contact with the others, afraid that it would paralyze her into silence. Taking a deep breath, she clasped her hands together, and a soft, melodic voice flowed from her lips.
Frost clings to battered leaves
and petals’ velvet depths wane.
Gazed upon in rose-distorted glass
Frozen in time, it stands still.
Until summer comes.
When summer comes, you’ll be
near shores of high-rising tides,
feasting in grand halls under pale moonlight.
When summer comes, you’ll be
Dancing in a sea of orange hues
And playing in pearl granules.
When summer comes.
Frigid cold steals back happiness.
How can one season feel so endless?
Though you can’t skip a bitter winter,
Summer will never miss its turn,
Returned to rose-distorted glass
Until summer comes.
When summer comes, you’ll be
Looking up into icy blue skies,
or burning up next to amber flames.
When summer comes, you’ll be
Drowning in ocean depths,
Wishing you could stay.
When summer comes.
Forced to find strength in softness,
It finds itself blooming in disaster.
The cursed beauty will no longer be used,
the rose-colored glass shatters.
At last, summer is here to stay.
When summer comes, you’ll be
near the shores of high-rising tides,
feasting in grand halls under pale moonlight.
When summer comes, you’ll be
Dancing in a sea of orange hues
And playing in pearl granules.
When summer comes
When summer comes
When summer comes
Rose’s last note faded as the queen’s hand went limp in hers, and her aura faded until it was nonexistent.
Queen Lenna was gone.
The last thread that’d been holding everyone together broke—slicing their souls into a thousand pieces.
The king’s anguish was indescribable, suffocating Rose’s bleeding heart from every angle. His broad shoulders trembled uncontrollably as he sobbed. With his eyes squeezed shut, he grasped his beloved’s hand, kissing it before bringing it to his forehead.
It was what Rose imagined it would be like to lose Roman.
She shrunk from it, taking a step back. It was unbearable, as though a part of him was dying alongside her—she supposed it was. Tears of empathy streamed from her eyes, absorbing everyone’s grief; she had no idea how to turn it off.
She wanted to escape—flee from it. But she wouldn’t leave Roman, not now.
Roman’s face twisted in pain as silent tears ran down his cheeks, leaning his forehead into his palms. His aura hit her in a different way than the others. Magnified. Excruciating.
She couldn’t stand the distance any longer.
Rose knelt before him, wrapping her arms around his strong shoulders, trying to absorb his pain. He clung to her without a moment’s hesitation, his hands gripping her dress. He burrowed his face in the curve of her neck, his tears soaking her shoulder.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered so low only he could hear. “I’m so, so sorry.”
He gripped her tighter. “Thank you,” he whispered. “Thank you for doing that for her.”
Rose didn’t look to see if Tristan was watching; right now, she really didn’t care.
Xavier helped serve as a distraction. “We should tell the servants,” he announced softly. “They’ll take her and prepare her for the ceremony.”
“Not yet,” the king said through tears. “I need one last moment with my wife—alone.”
His tortured tone was so piercing, they all respected his wishes.
Harriet left first, barely able to hold back her sobs. Xavier followed close behind, his icy eyes void of all emotion. Tristan and Satin followed after, then Roman.
Rose was the last one out, reaching to close the door. Just as she was about to close it, a loud sob erupted from the king, who lay beside Queen Lenna on the bed, cradling her for the last time.
A tear escaped Rose’s defenses as she watched him through the narrowing gap, gently closing the door. She held on until she heard it click, quickly wiping her tears before anyone saw.
They gathered outside the door, waiting for the king to say his goodbyes.
Harriet broke the silence, turning to Xavier. “What the hell took you so long?” she asked, sniffing.
All eyes looked to Xavier, curious to hear his answer.
Xavier only said, “I’ve been busy in Amernth.” His eyes flitted to Roman.
“Did you find anything?” Roman asked.
Rose straightened, looking between them, unaware they’d been corresponding with one another.
“Nothing,” Xavier said with irritation, leaning against the wall as he crossed his arms. “These men are about as elusive as a puff of smoke. Did you learn anything more from Moretti?”
Rose’s gaze returned to Roman in awe. They had been writing.
“A little,” Roman answered. “Thanks to Rose, we learned they were last seen camped just outside of Carnthe. And there’s more.” His gaze shifted hesitantly to Rose. “We still don’t know why, but they’re looking for Rose. And they know she’s here.”
Xavier straightened from his sluggish position against the wall. “What? Are you sure?”
“I believe so,” Roman said grimly.
Tristan’s outraged eyes flared, furious for being kept out of the loop. “How long have you known this?”
“We just barely found out,” Roman replied. “Moretti said they were looking for her.”
Tristan raised a skeptical eyebrow. “And we’re going to trust him? Moretti is nothing but a self-serving prick.”
“He was telling the truth… Don’t ask me how I know,” Rose said, too exhausted to explain.
Xavier’s eyes snapped to Rose. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
She opened her mouth to speak, but Roman got there first. “Perhaps she wasn’t sure if you’d stick around long enough for it to matter.”
Rose intervened before they could fight. “I didn’t tell you because it wasn’t important at that moment.”
“Not important?!” Xavier exclaimed, pivoting to fume at Roman. “How could you let her come back? If they’re here, she needs to leave. Now. Before they discover she’s returned. It may already be too late.”
“The safest place is here,” Tristan disagreed. “If they already know she’s here, going somewhere else isn’t going to help. They’ll only follow her.”
She chewed her lip. The snawfus had told her these men would help her find her destiny. Maybe Tristan was right. She needed to stay to find out more, not run away.
“If they’re here, then perhaps here is exactly where I ought to be,” Rose said, agreeing with Tristan. “This could be the opportunity I’ve been waiting for. Maybe it’s time I move to offense, show myself, draw them out. Maybe then we’d stand a chance.”
Tristan nodded. “And we’d be ready this time.”
Satin scoffed, shaking her head in silent disapproval.
“We aren’t prepared for this,” Xavier said, vexed. “I’ve seen what they can do. We have no idea of their numbers, weapons, or what they even want from you. You need to know an enemy to fight them.” He looked at Roman. “Help me out here.”
Roman was silent, looking down, lost in thought.
Xavier’s face twisted into an aggravated scowl. “You can’t seriously be considering this ridiculous plan.”
Roman let out a defeated sigh. “As much as I hate to admit it… I agree with Rose. If they wanted to kill her, they would have already. We’ll have to confront them eventually; here would be just as good of a place as any. At least here we have an advantage.”
“And just how are you supposed to draw them out?” Harriet asked. “It’s obvious they want to stay hidden.”
“Not necessarily,” Roman said. “They had to be the ones in the woods that day. The ones who kidnapped Rose and put her in the cove. They are here. We just need to create another opportunity for them.”
An opportunity.
She had an idea.
“We could hold a ball,” she said as she searched her mind. “It would be the perfect place for exposure without raising suspicion. I could reveal myself as a siren and get the court’s attention—the news would spread like wildfire. It may just draw them out.”
Tristan nodded, his eyes growing brighter at the idea. “We could say it’s a celebration to honor our mother; no one would think twice about it.”
“And what if these men decide to take out their rage on the people of this court?” Satin spoke up, glaring. “I’m not willing to protect a siren who’s just using our grief for her own benefit.”
“Satin, stop it,” Tristan said with an impatient snap. “She isn’t going to hurt anyone.”
Satin scowled back with malice. “You’re making a mistake. This will bring hell upon us all, I promise you.”
Without another word, Satin left them, stomping down the hallway.
Tristan sighed in frustration, letting her go.
“He’s taking a long time,” Harriet said, gazing at the door with puffy eyes. “Do whatever you have to do… I just want this all to stop.” Without another word, Harriet opened the door and returned to her mother’s room.
Xavier didn’t miss a beat after Harriet closed the door. “You realize once the court discovers what you are, the council will turn on you. They’ve given us space for my mother’s sake, but as soon as they find out about you, they’ll lock you up, sell you, maybe even kill you.”
She winced out of reflex.
Roman squared his shoulders as his beautiful honey eyes held hers. “I’ll stand by you, whatever you decide.”
She paused, considering the risks. “I have to try,” she concluded. “It’s our best chance.”
“I’m telling you, this is a mistake,” Xavier warned. “I have half a mind to drag you out of here before this all blows up.”
“Feel free to run any time it’s convenient for you,” Tristan seethed.
Xavier ignored him, keeping his gaze on Rose. “I’m not leaving you again.”
“Then don’t say things like that,” she rebutted. “If you want to help, you’re going to have to stay to do that.”
Xavier looked at Roman, to his last hope. “Are you going to try to talk any sense into her?”
Roman paused to think, rubbing the side of his face. “No. I trust her. I’ll talk to our father. If he agrees, we’ll hold the ball… tonight.”