FOR HER, HE WILL SET EVERY KINGDOM ON FIRE.
Kyron LeFur never wanted to be king. He may have united a torn people and ended a bloody war, but none of that matters without his queen. She sacrificed her crown for him, and now he will stop at nothing t...
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The Esspress emperor has spent the last five minutes in a fit of laughter. The two women lounging with him in the high back settee at the front of the throne room rub his round, hairy stomach and nuzzle into his bushy gray beard. The rest of his wives sit on a colorful array of pillows around him, while his court relaxes on the floor throughout the round room. Everyone's sneers and chuckles carry on the breeze blowing through the sheer curtains that do little to protect the open space for the elements.
I clench my jaw, and my gaze doesn't waver. Despite the reaction of my audience, the request I've presented is as serious as they get. Esspress is my only hope of getting to the Allaji island. I refuse to the let emperor or court detour me from my mission. I need their ships.
Straightening his long embellished vest, the emperor catches his breath and says, "So let me see if I understand. You want me to supply you with a fleet of my battleships and the crew to sail them. And there is a great chance that you will not return them or my sailors to me intact?"
"That is what I'm asking." I shift on my knees, fighting to keep upright. My leather breeches slide atop the satin gold and pink pillow beneath me. The asshole has yet to grant me permission to stand.
"Battleships take years to build. The loss of one, let alone many, could greatly weaken my fleet."
"I understand, and I will compensate you in both goods and coin for any damage done while they are under my command."
The emperor shakes his head and strokes his wife's long ebony hair draped across his abdomen. "Many of the spirits of your ancestors are at unrest with your decision to take on this quest. You are meddling in the affairs of the Statera, and the outcome could be detrimental to your kingdom."
"I don't care what those who ruled before me think. Each of them can fuck off. They had their chance to rule Pliris; this is mine." The words leave my mouth with a snarl, my indifferent demeanor cracking as my emotions are brought to a boil. I'm tired of fighting for an ounce of respect and proving my judgment is sound. I've led countless soldiers into battle and suffered minimal losses. Every move I make is calculated, and this rescue mission is no different.
"And what of your people?" the emperor asks. "The spirits say there is unrest in your kingdom. Your subjects are on the verge of riots. You've dismantled their traditions and they are not taking kindly to that. Now, you ask them to stand by your decision to thrust them into a war against a kingdom which fights by no rules."
I don't hesitate to give my answer. They are words I've spoken to my council time and time again. "Change is always met with resistance, and tradition doesn't make an act right. It will take time to dismantle the distrust and prejudice my predecessors fostered. I've chosen to take up the mantle of my uncle, and I fight to bring equality to my kingdom. Everyone under my rule may not agree with me, but there are those who stand by my choice to retrieve Micah's beloved goddaughter. The day he sacrificed his life for Pliris on the battlefield, he had one dying wish—Raelle and I were to unite our broken kingdom and rule together. I plan on seeing that promise through."
