Chapter 18

18

M ikhail stood atop the palace balcony, his heart pounding beneath the rich brocade of his robe. The sun glinted off his golden crown, newly polished for the occasion. Below him, a sea of faces filled the courtyard—his subjects, his people—who had mourned him as dead this past year.

He gripped the ornate railing, feeling the cool metal beneath his fingers, and took a deep breath of the crisp morning air. He forgot how to breathe for a moment, his lungs seizing up. His heart pounded so furiously that he was worried it would burst from his chest. Fearing he would embarrass himself irreparably, he looked away from the crowd.

As if drawn by a magnet, he met the steady gaze of Jinx, who was standing out of sight of the crowd to his left. His heart raced even faster as her gaze seemed to reach out and grab hold of him, pulling him closer despite the physical distance between them. It was as if they were connected by an invisible thread. He should have pulled his gaze away, but he was cowardly enough to cling to it instead.

Her bright eyes bored into his, unwavering and intense. Her neutral expression didn’t change, but the corners of her mouth turned up in a small, reassuring smile. Then she mouthed silently, “You’ve got this,” and he found he could breathe after all.

Standing here like this was close to the last thing he wanted. But the news of Z spreading lies and recruiting made Mikhail’s ruse impossible and dangerous to continue. Plus, he’d be damned if he allowed Brax’s name to be dragged through the mud. Not when everything about the current circumstance was Mikhail’s fault.

Brax had taken the news well, much better than Mikhail and Sabre, who had taken it personally. But Brax simply shrugged it off, saying he couldn’t blame the people of Purgatory. Mikhail felt like shit. So here he was, seconds away from revealing the truth to his kingdom.

“I have betrayed you,” he began, ignoring the gasps and murmurs from below. “I have betrayed you. And I am deeply sorry. I humbly ask for your forgiveness. In trying to save you and my family, I have hurt you. Over a year ago, I faced a terrible choice,” Mikhail continued, his voice growing stronger with each word. “The royal line stood on the brink of destruction, threatened by an unknown force that would see us all fall. There was an assassination plot, not just against me, but against my entire family— your royal family.”

He paused, letting his gaze sweep across the sea of faces below. Some wore expressions of shock, others of confusion, and still others of dawning understanding. “I could not allow that to happen, not to my loved ones and not to you. So, I made the hardest decision of my life. I chose to disappear, to let our enemies believe they had succeeded. In doing so, I hoped to buy us time and to work from the shadows to unravel their schemes and protect Purgatory.” His voice cracked with emotion, and he gripped the railing tighter. “But in my absence, I realise now that I caused you all pain and uncertainty. And for that, I am sorry.”

“I know it may seem unforgivable, but I assure you, every move I made was with our kingdom’s best interests at heart,” Mikhail declared, his voice ringing with determination. “And now, with the help of those loyal to our crown, we have uncovered the plot against us. We know who is behind everything, though we’re not safe yet. Our enemy is still free. But not for long. This I promise you. I will not stop until they have been thwarted and Purgatory is safe once again.”

The crowd erupted into cheers and applause at this news, but Mikhail held up a hand for silence. “There’s more to this story,” he continued, taking a deep breath before revealing the most painful part of his deception. “In my absence, General Abraxis has acted as King in my stead. He has shown bravery and resilience and stepped up in the face of personal grief.”

He did his best to ignore the intense gaze he could feel boring into his back. They had discussed what Mikhail would say and what he would not. He’d kept this part to himself, knowing Brax wouldn’t approve. “I am ashamed to admit that I did not share my plans with my brothers,” he confessed, his voice heavy with regret. “I feared for their safety and kept them in the dark. It was a mistake that nearly cost us everything.”

Mikhail turned and met Brax’s eyes. “Abraxis has shown me what it truly means to be a leader—selfless and dedicated,” he said sincerely. “He has taught me a valuable lesson about trust, and I can only hope that one day he can find it in his heart to forgive me for my misguided actions.”

A hush fell over the crowd, and Brax stepped forward, his eyes shining with a mixture of emotions. “Your Majesty,” he began formally, “there is nothing to forgive. I understand your reasons for keeping me in the dark, and I trust in your judgment implicitly.” His firm voice carried across the courtyard.

Brax extended his hand in a public gesture of forgiveness and reconciliation. Mikhail hesitated for a moment before clasping his hand firmly and pulling him into a hug. The crowd erupted into cheers once again, this time for their reunited King and General. After releasing Brax, Mikhail turned back to address his people once more, thanking them for their patience and loyalty during his absence. He promised to work tirelessly for the betterment of their society and to ensure that such chaos would never happen again.

As the gathering began to disperse, Mikhail found himself alone with Brax on the balcony overlooking the courtyard. Draven and Sabre were still on high alert in the shadows, watching out for them both. Half the Horde was on crowd control in the courtyard while the other half was on security detail, watching sharply for any and all threats. Sabre hadn’t been pleased with his decision to make a very public speech, believing it was the perfect opportunity for Z to attack. But he’d persevered, knowing the people needed to see and hear him.

The two brothers stood side by side in silence for a few moments before Mikhail spoke. “I meant what I said. I can’t thank you enough for all that you’ve done,” he said sincerely.

Brax’s broad shoulders were taut with tension. “I believe you. I’ve already told you that. No more thanks, okay? And certainly, no more flattery. I was a shitty king. I hated every fucking moment of it.”

“But you did it anyway,” Mikhail was quick to point out.

“What other choice did I have?” Brax asked bitterly. His jaw was clenched and his posture rigid, showing the weight of responsibility and worry he had carried.

Mikhail shook his head. Brax may have been the easy-going triplet, but he was also the hardest on himself. “Plenty,” Mikhail replied. “You had plenty of choices. But you chose the noble one.”

“Noble, my arse,” Brax retorted. “I made the only choice I could that wouldn’t shame you or Father.”

Mikhail’s head snapped up. “You did it for us,” he breathed, realisation setting in.

“I sure as shit didn’t do it for myself,” Brax replied swiftly. “Or the people—who seem to love you unconditionally if today is anything to go by.”

Mikhail wasn’t so sure about that. There was bound to be drama on the horizon. But he would deal with it. He nudged Brax. “Not even a little bit for the people?”

“Maybe a little,” Brax allowed with a scowl.

Mikhail chuckled. He knew his brother better than the man knew himself. “Brax, I owe you a debt I can never repay. But feel free to call it in anytime.”

Brax’s face was a canvas of conflicting emotions, and Mikhail remained silent, giving him time to process. Eventually, he clasped Mikhail's forearm in a warrior's grip, then pulled him into a fierce embrace, slapping his back. “I missed you so fucking much, Mikhail,” he said roughly.

Mikhail swallowed back the lump in his throat, giving Brax his weight. The last of the friction keeping them off balance sloughed away. “I missed you too.”

“And I miss Z, damnit,” Brax confessed into Mikhail’s shoulder. He pulled away abruptly and began to pace. “I miss the little shit. I still love him, I think,” he said quietly, almost too low to hear.

Mikhail’s throat burned. “I do, too.”

“What are we going to do, Mikhail? We have to find him. This has gone on long enough. We can’t let him win,” Brax proclaimed.

“We won’t,” Mikhail guaranteed, meeting Brax’s tortured gaze. “We’ve come too far. And we’ll do to him what we would do to any other crazy fucker who kills so many people and threatens the throne.”

“Make him pay,” Brax stated, squaring his shoulders.

Mikhail nodded once. “Right.”

They made their way from the balcony, receiving support and praise from the team. “There’s already a line of people waiting to see you,” Sabre informed Mikhail.

Mikhail groaned. “Great.”

Brax grinned genuinely as he rubbed his hands together. “I’m so glad this is no longer my problem.” He slapped Mikhail on the back. “Good luck, brother.”

Mikhail grabbed his arm before he could flee. “You’re coming with me.”

Brax tried to free himself to no avail. “Like hell I am.”

“The people need to see us united,” Mikhail said, not letting go. Brax would make a run for it if he did.

“We just stood on your fancy balcony like a couple of princelings and hugged it out for all of Purgatory to see,” Brax reminded him. “They know we’re united.”

Brax had a point. Still … “They need to see a smooth transition then. Your leadership to mine. The only way to do that is to address the initial craziness together.” Mikhail released Brax slowly, watching for any sudden movements.

Brax narrowed his eyes, planting his hands on his hips. “One hour.”

“One week,” Mikhail countered.

Brax scoffed. “Not gonna happen. One day.”

“Fine. One day. This day,” Mikhail emphasised.

Two minutes later, Mikhail followed a sulky Brax downstairs with their guardians. Looking back one last time, he smiled when Jinx’s eyes met his own. She offered him a thumbs-up, giving him the confidence he needed to face the consequences of his actions.