Page 113 of The Wild Prince’s Favorite (The Dragon Empire Saga #3)
“I can’t protect her if I don’t have the north,” he continued.
“Not the military camp, but all of the territories. From the Onyx Castle to the North Sea, I need it all. I want to rule the land she steps on, to protect her. I want to own every single mountain, so there’s nowhere they can hide her from me. ”
Those last words struck a chord with his brother as Kassian’s mouth ticked again. His eyes went to his fists, and slowly, he spread his hands, his long fingers gripping the edge of his armrests instead.
There was a long silence, during which Kassein exchanged another look with his siblings. When Kassian wasn’t looking, Shenan had somehow lost his smirk and looked as surprised and confused as he was, but Sadara had a sorry expression riveted on the Emperor.
Whatever had happened to Kassian, she knew, and she felt his pain.
“...Did she run away from you?” Kassian asked with a strangely hollow, choked-up voice.
Kassein was surprised by how accurate his older brother’s guess was, but after a second, he realized that, perhaps, his older brother actually understood him better than anyone.
“Not of her own will,” Kassein confessed after a while. “She had to.”
His brother let out a strangled chuckle that had nothing funny to it.
“Maybe she doesn’t want to be found,” he muttered, staring at the rain. “Maybe that’s just your wishful thinking.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Kassein retorted, his brother’s eyes flying back to him. “...I’m a dragon, Brother. I don’t let go of what I own, of my treasure. ...And she is mine.”
Nothing had ever made him feel so strong, so determined.
He wanted it all: a future with Alezya in the north, her mountains she could return to whenever she wanted, the child she needed back.
He wanted it all with her. Facing the brother he feared the most was nothing compared to the prospect of losing that future.
Kassian stared at him for a while, silently, as if gauging his younger brother, reassessing him for the first time in a long time. Shenan and Sadara remained quiet, both holding their breaths.
“Kassian–” Sadara started, but Kassian interrupted her, raising his hand.
“...Take it,” he muttered after a while, leaning back.
He’d spoken in such a low voice that his three younger siblings exchanged glances, equally confused.
“You’ll let me have the north?” Kassein insisted, barely believing his own ears.
“Whatever you want to do with it,” Kassian shrugged. “Be an emperor, a king, a tyrant... Whatever suits you. I don’t care. ...Take the Shadelands and whatever lies beyond. I don’t care anymore.”
Kassein nodded and didn’t comment.
Now that his facade had slipped, he could see his brother’s actual state, and he didn’t like what he saw.
Kassian’s eyes had already drifted back to one of the windows, watching the sky without seeing it, ignoring all three siblings who were staring in confusion.
One could tell his thoughts were far beyond, toward someone or something out of his reach.
“...Kassian, you know if you ever need our help–”
“Go away, Kassein. All of you, leave.”
It wasn’t a tone that left any room for refusal, although Sadara looked like she wanted to say something.
Still, Kassein gave his older brother one last glance, and turned away, his siblings following him out of the throne room. Whatever monsters Kassian was battling, it was for his older brother to deal with. Right now, he had to focus on the north and this incredible new reality.
That was it. He owned the north. He’d expected his older brother’s refusal, to have to fight maybe, not to walk away with an answer that would change the continent’s history.
Kassian had just agreed to fracture an empire that had stood centuries with its borders unchallenged, leaving Kassein a fraction of the Empire, giving it away like it was nothing.
Kassein had never dreamed of becoming a king or an emperor; he’d never envied his brother’s throne for a second.
But what he wanted was the power to own those mountains up north.
To deal with the tribes, crush those who resisted, and own those who’d submit to him.
He didn’t care if he became the Dragon Tyrant they’d feared for decades; nothing would stop him from making the north safe for Alezya and her child.
For their children.
“That was unexpected,” Shenan said with a light-hearted voice.
“You shouldn’t have been eavesdropping,” Sadara scolded him.
But their older brother shrugged.
“So?” he asked, turning to her. “Where is Kassian’s little–”
“Kassein,” Sadara ignored him, “I’m glad you came back, even if it’s just for a short while... I’m guessing you don’t want to stay for a bit? This is dreadful weather to fly in, and Tievin could see his family.”
Kassein glanced at the Intendant, who raised an eyebrow, hopeful. He let out a faint sigh.
“We’re leaving in an hour,” he told the Intendant.
“Thank you, Your Highness,” Tievin said, before running off.
Shenan scoffed.
“For someone who looks so much like his father, he sure is a mama’s boy...”
“Isn’t Evin retired yet?” Kassein frowned.
“As if he would ever retire.” Shenan rolled his eyes, taking one of the cups from their sister. “No matter how much he may complain, that Imperial Intendant will work until his very last day, that’s for sure.”
“How are things in the north?” Sadara asked.
She glared at Shenan, who downed the drink in one gulp before stealing the other one to do the same.
“The usual,” Kassein shrugged, “but it won’t remain so for much longer.”
“So you really plan to conquer those damn tribes?” Shenan asked before letting out a little burp that made their sister grimace. “They’ve been an eyesore for generations. Kassian may whine about it, but you’ll be doing us a favor. No one but you gives a fuck about them.”
“It is our birthland,” Sadara frowned. “The north is... It is sad that our parents don’t live there anymore, but it was still our home for a long time. Our older siblings grew up there even longer.”
“I will take care of it,” Kassein said, feeling the weight of his promise to his sister. “The Onyx Castle will always be our home.”
“And if Kassein takes on the dirty job with the Northern tribes, Kassian will be able to focus on the damn west,” Shenan scoffed.
“What’s wrong with the west?” Kassein frowned.
Sadara slapped their brother’s arm, making him grimace and rub his bicep.
“Nothing,” she said. “All politics between here and there, but don’t worry, Kassian is working on it.”
“Should I tell Kiera to come back?” Kassein frowned.
“You’ve seen Kiera?” Both siblings looked surprised.
“She came to the north to help me,” he nodded. “I had a few issues I needed her and Lorey’s help with. As soon as I’m done with the north though, she will be free to leave.”
“Oh, it’s good to hear you’ve seen her,” Sadara smiled.
“Our parents were getting worried she hadn’t stopped by in a while.
.. although that’s our same old Kiera. Mother will turn fifty this year though, and I’m sure she would love to see her for her birthday celebration.
Darsan and Cessilia are making the journey. ”
“I’ll tell her,” Kassein nodded.
“That includes you too.”
He didn’t reply. The prospect of facing his entire family filled him with even more dread than confronting Kassian had.
It made his throat dry, and for a second, he wished he’d downed those drinks before Shenan had.
He could take Kassian being mad at him, but facing his disappointed parents was far worse, especially if all his siblings were going to be in attendance.
His mother’s birthday was still months away, but the mere idea of either letting her down or showing up already felt too stressful.
“...I’m going to go back to Kassian,” Sadara announced. “He might not say it, but he could use the company right now. And you stay away from him, Shenan. Leave him alone; I’m serious.”
She had punctuated her sentence with her index finger pointed at their brother, and Shenan held up his hands, although he had quite the arrogant smirk on.
“As you wish,” he snorted.
“It was nice to catch a glimpse of you, Kassein,” she smiled again at him.
Then, she turned around, shot another warning glare at Shenan, and walked back toward the throne room. The two brothers watched until she was out of sight, and Shenan rolled his eyes, looking down at the two empty cups.
“Better I drank those than him,” he commented. “Kassian can’t appreciate alcohol anyway.”
“What’s wrong with him?”
“What isn’t?”
Shenan’s scoff felt more factual than mocking, which made Kassein frown. He had rarely seen his older brother anything but calm, quiet, and composed. It felt like he had witnessed a completely different side of him in there, and it made Kassein genuinely curious about the Emperor’s circumstances.
“How are things here?” he asked Shenan, hoping to get a straight answer from him, for once.
His brother let out a long, dramatic sigh.
“Lots and lots going on. With Father and Aunt Shareen gone, the politicians think they have a chance at pulling the Emperor’s strings.
They either kiss his ass or kill his mood, or a sweet balance of both for the smartest of them.
There’s a lot of unrest with the tribes in the west, as you may have heard.
.. Kassian’s trying to continue what our aunt started with the slavery abolishment, but it is not going according to plan. ”
“What’s wrong with that?” Kassein frowned.
It had been their parents’ dream to end slavery in the Empire. Their mother, a slave herself, had advocated for it as much as she could, and their aunt had already done a lot, forcing the hands of the nobles to agree to more and more regulations until they could eradicate it completely.