62. Kellan

Chapter sixty-two

Kellan

Messenger falcons had been sent to all armed cities and towns south of the Sylis Forest seeking their assistance in the war. Nearly all the lords in power responded to the queen’s demands in search of payment. They desired gold to give up their armies and a substantial amount of it. The lords expressed that the mortal army could potentially conquer their unguarded cities, much to the queen's discontent. So, she did what any ruler would do and offered her daughter’s hand in marriage to the lord who provided the largest army to our own forces.

Days later, thousands of soldiers were knocking at the Islan gates.

The armies worked in shifts. One lord’s fleet kept watch beyond the gate during the day and the next in the evening, all of them rotating through the cycle to be sure that eyes were kept on the task at hand. Ships had also arrived and positioned themselves in the harbor, ready with cannons to destroy any enemy vessels that approached the city from the sea.

Isla now resembled an enormous war camp, where the only souls who filled the streets were that of patrolling soldiers. The air was thick with tension as we awaited the looming attack from Elianna’s army. Personally, I couldn’t fucking wait.

I kept a close eye on everyone to ensure they were at their assigned posts and focused on their tasks. Soldiers, draped in armor adorned with Velyra’s emblem, moved with practiced precision in their march up the cobblestone streets.

The citizens huddled in the corners of their homes and shops like frightened animals and cowered on the street beneath my stare as I passed. Their wide, terrified eyes revealed the fear that the queen had instilled in them.

The distant echoes of a blacksmith's hammer added to the eeriness of the near-silent city as weapons continued to be forged. The sharp clinks and metallic clangs resonated through the air, matching that of the armor of the parading guards.

My mind delved into the tactics of battle, but I considered it to be already won. There would never be a way for Elianna to win her throne from the queen with everything we had stacked against her. At the very least, not as long as the High Witch remained in the queen’s ear.

I strolled back up to the castle, where my wyvern mount remained perched upon its battlement, watching every person who walked by. Its glowing, all-knowing eyes meant it was currently under the control of the crone, which irritated me. Mostly because we shared a bond connecting our minds, thanks to the cuffs permanently on each of us. I didn’t know how deeply the witch magic reached and if, by breaking into the wyvern’s mind, they could also see into my own.

The unknown of it only pissed me off—an oversight I never thought of in the dungeons when they forged the blood bond with me and the beast.

When the wyvern wasn’t in use with me, it was used as the only castle guard, ready to ignite anyone unwelcome who strolled too close. I gave it a curt nod, and the beast rolled its shoulders as it moved its attention back to the streets.

Tugging open the castle’s doors, I was surprised when I came face-to-face with the queen and was even more aggravated when I saw Azenna silently standing at her side.

“Captain,” she greeted.

“Get off of me!” Avery’s voice echoed throughout the hall, making me peer over the queen's shoulder as I watched two of my guards forcefully drag her towards us.

“You are just in time,” the queen continued. “We are about to make an announcement to the realm.”

The queen, princess, and High Witch stood upon the stage before the quivering masses in the city square. I sat atop my mount; the beast perched on the top of the center stone fountain, the structure groaning at the weight of him. Thousands of pairs of eyes were locked on the stage, refusing to meet the stare of my wyvern as soldiers loomed on the outskirts of Isla.

Azenna had placed the princess under a spell to incite cooperation, which kept her frozen in obedience. The queen’s hands were clasped in front of her as she stood next to them, her ruby gown flowing behind her from the wind rolling off the sea.

“Thank you for gathering here today for your queen.” Silence answered her. “My sincerest apologies, for I know I do not venture out here often, but threats have been made against our city. Against all of you.”

Wide eyes frantically glanced in all different directions in the crowd as murmurs echoed from them all.

“Now, I know you all adored my late husband and king and that some of you believe in the false claim that the treasonous Lukas Salvinae declared regarding the proper ascension of the throne. I am here to put an end to your blind allegiance to her because of some statement screamed by a traitorous guard. Where is Elianna Solus now? Do any of you see her among you?”

The crowd’s occupants turned from side to side, looking at one another as if they were attempting to search for her within the masses.

“No, and you will not. Would you like to know why? Because she has turned her back on the Kingdom of Velyra. She turned her back on the crown and the family of the king that she declared to love so much…all so she could build up the armies of our own enemy. And what did she do with this army? She murdered your heir and rightful king! Kai Valderre’s life was brutally taken by her in cold blood. Your prince and future king, dead! All because she believes she has laid claim to the throne. A bastard daughter. An unwanted burden of your late king.”

Shouts of agreement rang out all around, and my eyes flashed back down to the princess, whose neck was straining as if she was internally screaming, begging for the words to come out of her.

I swallowed thickly at the sight, remembering what it felt like to be caught under the witch’s talons.

“Yes, you heard me correctly. Elianna Solus now leads an army of mortals straight to our city. My own daughter,”—the queen turned and pointed to the princess—“barely escaped with her life as she came back to warn us of Elianna’s treachery and can still barely speak of the acts she has witnessed. My Finnian is still a prisoner to the mortals. Only the gods know what is happening to my only living son.”

My eyes remained on Avery as her stare of burning hatred bore into the back of the queen’s head.

“Now, I know you have not always had a love for me as you had for Jameson. You fear the company I keep and the wyvern that soars above the city, but these are all for your protection. Every choice made by your queen has been in your best interest.”

I smirked to myself, knowing damn well that these were strictly to incite obedience—it had nothing to do with protection.

“The lords of Velyra have graciously sent us their soldiers to protect their realm’s capital and its citizens. They will be led by your fearless captain, Kellan Adler, and we will put an end to the treasonous usurper once and for all!”

Cheering roars of agreement came, but echoing from the outskirts of the crowd—from the soldiers she spoke of. Not a single cheer came from the masses of citizens, who still looked mortified at everything occurring before their eyes.

The queen held up a hand to silence the troops. “The streets may be quiet and empty now, but soon they will be filled with the clashing of steel. Remember who brought it to you when that day arrives. Consider who tried to protect you and who brought blood and flame to our gates.”

The queen lifted her stare to me and gave me a nod, signaling our show of power.

I dug my boot into the wyvern’s side and willed it to launch into the air. With a deafening screech and a crouch from its powerful legs, the beast shot up into the sky, soaring over the crowd below as they ducked and tried to run for cover.

I peered down as we circled Isla from above and watched as the civilians dispersed and were ordered back to their homes. Azenna then grabbed the arms of the royals and pulled them through a rift she had conjured to return to the castle.