Chapter 33

33

B reakfast is interrupted when Dax marches through the door and announces, “ We need to make our way to Arcelia .”

I look around the room to find the others watching me with concern. Brows pinched, I ask, “ What ?”

Asher is the first to speak up. “ Are you well enough to travel?”

I shrug as I continue to eat. “ I’m feeling as well as one can after briefly dying.”

Kas growls. “ Can we not joke about the fact that you died?”

I smirk in his direction. “ Are you admitting you like me, Kasim ?”

He narrows eyes at me and grumbles, “ You know the answer to that, Princess .”

Snickering , I hurry to finish my breakfast. I love messing with the grump; he makes it so easy. “ So we need to go to Arcelia ?”

Dax nods and stands in front of me. “ Now that the king is dead, we need to present a united front, so no one tries to take the throne in my absence.”

It takes a moment for me to realize what he’s saying. We killed the king, which, by default, means Dax is now the king of not only Wylan but Arcelia as well. But I am confused as to why we need to present a united front. “ What does presenting a united front have to do with me? You are now the king of not only Wylan but also Arcelia .”

He arches a brow. “ I am the King of Wylan only. You are the rightful Queen of Arcelia . If we wish to ease the nerves of the people of Cybele and Islwyn , we need to show that Arcelia and Wylan are peaceful allies.”

Mouth agape, I stutter, “ Queen of Arcelia ?”

He nods as he pushes away from the counter. “ Of course. Why would you not be queen?”

“ I just assumed you would want to be the king of both kingdoms.”

His brows pinch as he shakes his head. “ My father stole your kingdom from you, why would I wish to do the same? It is your kingdom to rule, not mine.”

I look around the room, starting to panic as I ask, “ Does that mean you no longer wish for me to stay here with you? You wish for me to stay in Arcelia ?”

The men converge on me, and Asher wraps his arms around me. He tightens his embrace as he says, “ We do not wish to be rid of you, Snow Bunny . You are welcome to stay with us if you wish.”

Dax reaches across the table to grasp my hand and says, “ I wish only to give you back your kingdom. We can rule together if you would like, Little Raven .”

I take a deep breath to calm my panic and nod without hesitation. I am not sure I can rule by myself. I’m still learning the ways of this new world. I don’t feel comfortable doing so without my men. Taking a deep breath, I ask, “ Is there a reason we must go to the castle today? I would rather wait if possible.”

A look of guilt passes over Dax’s face before he huffs out a sigh. “ We must ensure the spells and curses my father attached to the castle have been dispelled.”

Humming , I ask, “ If we destroy everything he has spelled, will that turn the kingdoms back to normal?”

Kas snorts a laugh. “ Normal ? This is normal.”

Rolling my eyes, I reply, “ You know what I mean. The kingdoms will not be overshadowed by darkness any longer.”

Dax grunts and replies, “ Actions have very real consequences. My father’s actions caused many things to play out. Unfortunately , we must live with the consequences of his decisions.”

Arching a brow, I ask, “ So … that’s a no?”

Dax hums. “ We will most likely always live in a world overshadowed by my father’s darkness. His influence will forever stain this land. The echoes of the spells he placed will always be there. This isn’t a fairytale where the villain dies, and their curse disappears with them.”

“ Well , that’s unfortunate,” I say with a groan before continuing, “ So we need to make our way to Arcelia today then?”

Dax nods. “ It will be best to just get it over with.”

Getting to my feet, I ask, “ Is there a reason this needs to be done so quickly?”

Dax and his men exchange glances before he looks back to me. “ There is one specific item my father had in his grasp. I fear if anyone were to get their hands on it, we may face a far greater evil than my father.”

“ What item is that?”

“ A mirror,” he grunts.

My eyes widen as unwelcome memories of the castle covered in mirrors flicker through my brain. The mirrors in the king's possession that melt into silver tentacles. I shiver at the memory. “ Will the mirror be dangerous?”

Dax shakes his head as he leaves the kitchen. “ It needs a being to connect itself to, in order to hold power.”

I nod as I hustle after him. “ Then let us make haste to rid our kingdoms of anything that man ever touched.”

I can’t stop the shiver of unease I feel as we journey to Arcelia . It’s odd how this place no longer feels like home; instead, Wylan is where I feel the safest.

Rev had said that the path to Arcelia should be safe, considering the creatures that used to roam under the king’s control no longer have magic commanding them. Alair had pointed out that just because the king no longer controls them doesn’t mean they aren’t dangerous.

“ Will they not die, considering the magic that controls them is no longer there?” I ask in curiosity.

Dax looks over to me as he answers, “ The magic that controls them is no longer there, yes. But the magic that revived them is still active. Until we destroy the mirror, the death-bringers will still move about the lands.”

I nod. “ So once we destroy the mirror, its magic will then leave those it has touched?”

Dax shrugs. “ That is the hope. I doubt that the effects from the magic will disappear completely, but those controlled by it will hopefully be able to find peace.”

“ That would be preferable,” I say as our horses pull to a stop outside the grand front steps leading to the castle doors.

“ Welcome home, Queen Eira ,” Mir says with a smile.

I look at him briefly, shooting him a small smile, before turning back to the castle. I take in the grand majesty of what was once my home. The place where I was raised and where my family was murdered. “ This isn’t my home anymore,” I whisper.

Bene walks up beside my steed and offers me his hand to help dismount my horse. His smile is gentle as he says, “ This is where you called home for so long. How can it no longer be your home? Are you not pleased to be here?”

Once I’m settled on the ground, I rise on my tiptoes to press a soft kiss to his lips. “ My home is where my heart is, and my heart belongs with seven males who reside in Wylan .”

“ Is that so?” he says with a bright smile.

I pull away to look briefly at the others before peering up at the castle again. “ This place holds only memories. It no longer holds my heart nor my love.”

“ Are you saying that we hold not only your heart but your love as well, Princess ?” Kas asks.

I can’t stop myself from messing with him as I reply, “ Everyone except for you, Kas .”

His eyes widen before narrowing again when he sees the smirk I’m trying to hide. “ Bad Princess .”

“ The baddest,” I reply with a wink. Taking a deep breath, I tangle my fingers with Bene’s . “ Let’s get this over with. I would like to return home as soon as possible.”

Dax tangles his fingers with my free hand and lifts it, pressing a kiss to the back of it. With a smile, he says, “ As My Queen wishes.”