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But is it not the most unsuspecting people who do the most extraordinary things?
The princess and her dragons were one. They were tethered by their souls.
People are often threatened by love when they realize both the absence and power of it. What is love if not the one thing in this world that defies logic? Love is the emotion that can make someone run toward danger, but those threatened by it sometimes become the danger.
And in the dungeons of Imirath, the happy child became a creature of darkness.
She gathered all the pain that was dealt to her and forged herself into a weapon that she vowed to one day turn on the kingdom, forcing them to suffer her wrath for all they had taken from her.
Wherever I go, he goes. Wherever he goes, I go.
Cayden Veles, Commander of Vareveth, is both the most feared and youngest warlord on the continent at only twenty-nine.
Many even refer to him as the demon commander, or demon of Ravaryn.
“I think you should have pinned me to a wall in a bigger room. I don’t think it’s large enough to accommodate your ego.”
“Knives, spying, and a sharp tongue. You’re playing a dangerous game because I’m intrigued.”
“You have me pinned to a wall, and yet you’re asking permission to remove my mask?”
“Chivalry’s not entirely dead.”
“There isn’t a single place in this world where you can hide from me, you understand?”
“If you run, I’ll find you,”
Oh gods, I kneed the most feared warlord on the continent in the balls.
I want too much out of this life and have too much resting on my shoulders to cower in the dark. I may keep to the shadows, but I also wield them.
“Relax, little shadow. It’s me.”
Hope is a dangerous emotion. It renders us immune to logic.
The worst part about anxiety is trying to conceal it.
I deserve more out of this life than hiding away. I love Aestilian, and I always will. But love shouldn’t cripple you; it should flourish with you.
He’s talking about his own king and queen as if they’re nothing more than pawns in his game.
It shouldn’t be seen as selfish to know what you deserve and to take it for yourself.
“Plan on dying in Imirath?”
“If I do, I promise to drag you down with me.”
“Elowen Atarah, queen of Aestilian and princess of Imirath. I, Cayden Veles, Commander of Vareveth, vow to protect you from harm from this day until my last.” He briefly glances down at my parted lips. “Your enemies are my enemies. My sword is yours.”
“Cayden Veles, Commander of Vareveth. I, Elowen Atarah, queen of Aestilian and princess of Imirath, vow to fight beside you in the upcoming war as a true ally. My knives and dragon fire are yours,”
“Because I will personally punish those who defy my orders.”
“I’ve lived as a ghost for fifteen years. I can easily slip back into the shadows. You’ll never hear of me or see me again.”
“As I told you before, I will find you in any corner of this world.” He takes a step forward, eyes blazing with unrelenting promise and challenge.
“You’re not the only person who can help me.” He bites out the last two words. “You’re the only one who’s worth it.”
“Do you have any other issues, Your Majesty?”
“The only issue coming to mind is you.”
“Being in the thoughts of the lost princes...
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“If any of you touch her, you die,” Cayden declares while stretching his broadsword before me, “and I promise to make it painful.”
“Make them fear the flames of a queen.” She pauses for a moment. “We will meet again, Queen of Fire.”
I want to intertwine my fate with my dragons and alter the course of this world.
“You know you always have me, witty remarks, arrows in necks, the whole package.”
Your father is not a threat to be taken lightly.”
“Neither am I,” I darkly state.
“I stand with Elowen in this decision. I’m going to Vareveth with her not only because she’s my best friend, but she’s also my queen. I’m aware your reaction comes from a place of caring, as did mine when she first told me, but I suggest you convey your feelings with more respect.”
“But Imirath has no idea what’s coming for them.”
I have two forms of defense other than fighting—sarcasm and humor.
“I’m tired of being a bystander in my own life,” I admit
“I brought you out of Imirath, and I’ll be with you when you ride into Vareveth. I’ve watched you become the queen you are, and I’m not missing a moment more.
“No, you stick out your neck for everyone else and say you’re fine until you’re bleeding puddles on my floor—puddles I’ve had to cover with rugs.”
“Never let anyone make you feel guilty for letting yourself choose how you want to live your life”—she blinks rapidly—“and give those bastards the hell they deserve.”
“You were the first face I saw when I woke up in Aestilian; let me be the last face you see before you leave.”
My home isn’t the place we stand in front of; my home is standing beside me with his arm looped through mine.
The wicked parts of me are not easily suppressed, and my blades call for payment in blood. Every corner of the world will say the lost princess has returned as a vengeful queen, and they won’t be wrong.
But I’m not only doing this for me. I’m doing this for the people who had their worth stripped away. The people who have only received hatred at the hand of someone who should have loved them. The people who have been shoved into darkness and clawed their way out with the sheer willpower to survive. Imirath wants me dead, but I still stand. Only now, I stand with knives drawn and a crown on my head.
