“Answer the question, Aria,” he encouraged.
“In order to create a new realm…” I paused, swallowing memories of the parents crying and screaming in grief. “Another realm would need to fall. It would cease to exist. Those within it, they’d die as well. In short, the realm that falls during the creation of the other ceases to exist anymore. Everything inside the realm would become ruins.”
Eva snorted before asking, “How can you claim such a thing?”
“I intended to create one, Eva. In desperation, I sought to create a place the children of the Nine Realms could go to escape the horrors of what was happening within them. Knox prevented me from doing so, sparing me the weight or even more guilt I wouldn’t have been able to carry. He knew the cost of creation, as he’d been searching for a way to hide his people from the monstrosities unfolding in his kingdom.”
“You’re saying Griffon destroyed another realm in order to create this one?” she countered skeptically. As I nodded, her eyes drifted to Zyion. Distrust churned over her face, wrinkling her delicate features. “He wouldn’t have done that. You know him as well as I do. Griffon is soft-hearted and an excellent king to our people. Even if he holds no crown, he’s been generous to our people when he need not be so.”
“He’s a wonderful king, Evaleigh. In fact, Griffon is a damn excellent king. That doesn’t change the fact that he allowed this realm to be built at Hagen’s behest. His choice to allow it resulted in the true Kingdom of Fire to fall to ruins. His actions led to those who hadn’t escaped with us perishing in the collapse of our homeland.” Evaleigh? At his use of her name, Eva’s features softened briefly. They’d been lovers, easy to catch from the way they held each other’s gazes. Regret simmered between them, but I felt nothing at the thought of them being together. Childish, but it was how I felt.
“The first people forged the truce that ensured no other land was created outside of the nine pre-existing kingdoms. The land needs balance, or else it becomes unstable. The price for creating one is the loss of another. They gave up everything, including their own lands and citizens, to form a new kingdom, which destabilized immediately after its creation. Griffon had pure intentions when he made this realm, but it doesn’t change the fact that he did it or the consequences.”
Eva had had tears trailing down her cheeks. “Does Griffon know what he did?” Eva’s voice shook. “Does he know he sentenced those who hadn’t escaped with us, to death?”
“No, Griffon isn’t aware of it, nor does he need to be. At least not yet, anyway. As you pointed out, Griffon wouldn’t handle the truth well. He’d break, which isn’t what our people need from him right now.”
That made my heart clench with a drop of hope. If Griffon hadn’t known what the cost was as I suspected, maybe he wasn’t like everyone else in my life. Maybe he wasn’t as terrible as I’d been convincing myself he was.
“He’d want to know what he’d done.”
“I never said he’d never find out. I said not yet. First, we need to worry about what will happen now that Aria must ascend the throne.” Zyion's posture stiffened. “Griffon’s no longer the king. Hagen ascended to the throne shortly after Basilius got Aria out of there. Vane is at his side, but it is only a matter of time before he takes the throne for himself.”
Of all the things to occur, being here when a coup was happening wasn’t one that I’d planned to witness. Esme’s claws withdrew, as if she was seeking to escape my possessed body. The moment she stepped behind me, Basilius’s glare landed on me.
“Did they harm Griffon?” Eva seemed genuinely fearful that Hagen, Griffon’s own brother, could very well harm him.
“I can’t tell you that,” Zyion admitted. “However, I’ve sent spies out to learn what they could and see if we can reach the dungeon where they’re holding him. Right now, Hagen and his sons are scouring the realm to find where we’ve hidden Aria. We can’t allow them to find her, not until she’s ready to face them. They intend to murder her before she can become queen, ousting them through the right of the land. We’re short on time here, because the moment they alter the balance of power, it will deteriorate quickly. That means we can either return to our rightful home or remain in the passes. That is what I learned moments ago from our spiders.”
“Isn’t there a process to ascending the throne? I mean, don’t they have to have a parade through the streets and then gather at the abbey?” Okay, maybe I’d read entirely too many novels set in England, but I was doing my best to ignore the two shit-poor options he’d just ticked off.
“If you can overthrow a king, you can declare yourself one. It’s as easy as that, Aria. Unless you have the backing of the land, but you sort of lost that for a bit. No, Griffon held it because they feared tipping the scale and upsetting the balance. But you coming here? You were about to do the same as they’ve done. Once you took the throne, the world would have destabilized,” Eva returned icily as anger radiated from where she stood. “We should have been prepared for their deceit. We knew it would come, just not when it would. Hagen expressed his ire at her, which fell on deaf ears. Griffon was elated over his daughter coming here, uncaring that it would force us all back into the midst of this bloody, unending war with the witches.”
“Then what the fuck did you bring me here for? To play A Game of Thrones? Because fuck that. I’ve seen the ending to it, and I’ll be damned if I’m sitting my ass on a throne. It never works out for them. Ever.” I stopped, noting everyone was staring at me. “And you have no idea what the fuck I’m talking about. Brilliant.”
He’d known my presence here would tip the scales, forcing them to return to the ruins they’d left of the Kingdom of Fire? And he’d still came for me?
“Griffon knew Aria’s presence would create tension. He knowingly ignored the issue, praying she’d take her rightful place at his side. Griffon never wanted to be king, but Scylla made him promise her he’d hold the throne until Aria was ready to take it from him.” Turning toward me, he continued. “It isn’t a choice you can make. You were born to become the queen, not just of the Kingdom of Fire, but the entire Nine Realms.”
“So, then let’s do it. Let’s crown the queen and then storm that palace to free Griffon. He won’t survive if we leave him there. If Vane murders Griffon, the people won’t follow Aria. They’ll turn to who they think they can trust. They’ll turn to the prince, who ensured they did not see him deposing his own father from the throne he coveted.”
“It isn’t time for her to ascend, Eva. You forget, this realm isn’t the Kingdom of Fire. Aria must ascend her throne in the land which chose her to rule over it, which means we are going home. Aria doesn’t want nor need this land. Claiming it won’t allow her to reach for her birthright.”
“What about her father?” Eva demanded. “What the fuck are you looking at, wyrm?” The moment the slur left her lips, a dangerous tension exploded throughout the cramped space.