20. Aries

20

ARIES

M orning arrives gray and quiet. Through the window opposite where I lay, the sun barely pierces through the thick clouds hanging low over Astronia's capital city. Inside the empty barracks room where we slept, the air is damp from the cramped quarters. After leaving my mother's quarters—and several hours of putting our plan into motion—we found a vacant barracks room where Paige and I pushed two single cots together before completely crashing. Leo passed out in a cot shoved against the opposite wall. Bingo, who refused to leave despite the small space, sleeps curled up beside Leo's bed—snoring.

My shoulders are heavy with the weight of the decisions that will be made today. We've traded one battle for another. A war for a war. I ache for the day I can put down my weapons—physical or otherwise.

My mate deserves peace after everything.

But first, we have one more enemy to face.

After waking the others, we all dress quickly. Mag is already coming toward us as we emerge from our room.

"Morning," he says. "I'd ask how you slept, but I'm pretty sure I already know." He rolls his shoulders, and I know his cot was about the same level of comfort as mine.

Honestly, the ground might have been better.

I grunt an answer, not yet ready for small talk.

Blossom walks up, offering me and the others a mug. "Tea?"

"Bless you," Leo says, taking his quickly as Paige does the same.

"Thanks," Paige says.

I gulp mine without a word, grateful for its bitter warmth.

"Everyone ready then?" Mag asks after a moment.

We all share a look.

"Right then," Mag says. "Paige, Blossom, and I know what to do. But we better get going if we're going to pull this off."

"You remember how to get there?" I ask.

Paige's hand lands on my arm. "I remember," she reassures me. "Go."

I take her face in my hands and kiss her, audience be damned. But for once, no one cracks a single joke at our display. Not even Leo.

I give them all one last look and then hand my empty mug over. Leo does the same. Then we're off, headed to the meeting that will decide all our futures once and for all.

We're met by guards at the castle entrance. They are clearly waiting for us with orders to escort us directly to the throne room. In subdued silence, we make our way through the castle's winding corridors, the familiar paths now feeling foreign, as if the very walls have turned against us. Beside me, Leo's expression is set in a grim line.

If this doesn't work…

Fuck. I can't think about that.

When we reach the throne room, the guards stationed outside don't even meet our eyes as they push open the heavy doors. It's a subtle reminder that the power in this place no longer belongs to us. But that will change.

And these traitors will be the next to go.

Inside, the council has gathered at the far end of the space. The two thrones on the dais sit empty, and I'm glad for it. If Esma or Thorne had decided to lounge in either of them, I might not have managed to control myself long enough for our plan to work.

Instead, a table has been brought in at the base of the steps.

Esma is already seated at the head, a predatory smile curling at the corners of her lips as we enter. Porthew and the other council members are seated around her, their expressions ranging from smug to indifferent.

There's no reason to have this meeting here in this too-large room. Other than rubbing their coup in our faces, of course, which they've cleared deemed a worthy enough cause.

"Good morning, citizens," Esma purrs, her tone dripping with false warmth. "I'm so pleased you could join us. I trust you slept well?"

Thorne snorts at that, but I keep my face impassive as I take a seat across from the flamingo shifter.

"We're here, Esma. Let's get on with it."

Her smile widens, and she leans forward slightly, her eyes gleaming with a mix of anticipation and triumph. "Straight to the point as always, Aries. I do like that about you. Very well." She flicks her gaze to the other council members before settling back on me. "The council has discussed your... unique situation, and we've come to a decision."

"And what might that be?" Leo asks.

Esma's gaze flickers to Leo then back to me. "Our scouts brought word of some changes along our borders."

"What changes are those?" I ask, trying and failing to keep the concern out of my voice.

Esma's expression is tight as she says, "The wastelands have spread farther into Astronia." Her confidence slips for a moment. She glances at Porthew then back to me, raising her chin. "It seems the goddess knows your mother has been removed, and the land is reacting."

The blight.

It had nothing to do with Constantine after all.

Leo curses viciously enough that Esma flinches.

I look out over the faces of the others. None of them meet my eyes. Pathetic.

Esma clears her throat. "It's clear that Astronia needs a dragon shifter on the throne to maintain the land's magic. Without one, the kingdom will suffer—something we all want to avoid." She pauses, letting the words hang in the air for a moment. "However, we also recognize that the crown is a heavy burden, one that perhaps neither of you is fit to carry on your own."

Leo huffs, but I catch his eye, silently telling him to stay calm. We need them to keep talking.

Esma continues, clearly enjoying herself. "The solution is simple. One of you will retain the crown, but only if you agree to marry me and allow the council to govern in your stead. You will be king in name only while the real decisions are made by those of us more... suited to the task."

Leo bristles, but I force myself to remain composed. "So that's your offer? A marriage of convenience, where I or Leo would become nothing more than a figurehead while you and the council rule behind the scenes?"

Esma's smile is cold, her eyes calculating. "Precisely. It's the only way to ensure stability and prosperity for Astronia. And it's a generous offer, considering the circumstances."

"Generous," I repeat, my voice flat. "You mean generous to you and your fellow council members, who stand to gain everything while we lose what the goddess bestowed on us."

Porthew, who has been silent until now, clears his throat. "This is for the good of the kingdom. Surely you understand that."

I lean back in my chair, crossing my arms over my chest. "What I understand is that you've manipulated your way into power, lied to the people, and now you expect us to simply hand over the crown in exchange for... what? A meaningless title?"

"None of this would have been necessary if you'd been willing to cooperate from the start," Porthew snaps, his calm demeanor slipping. "We did what needed to be done."

"Aries kept up his end of the deal," Leo says. "He fought the horde and won by the strength of our army alone. No royal lineage magic. No crown atop his head. And still, you've found a way to steal his birthright."

Thorne glares, but none of them argue Leo's claims.

Good.

"You have lost the confidence of the people," Esma says. "You left them when they needed you most?—"

"Liar." I lock eyes with Esma, my gaze unwavering. "Admit it. This is something you'd already begun to plan long before I conveniently went away. This isn't about protecting Astronia—it's about your own greed and ambition. And you know it."

For a moment, the room is silent, the tension so thick it's almost suffocating. Then, Esma's smile returns, but it's more strained now, the cracks beginning to show. "Believe what you want, Aries. But the fact remains that, without the council's leadership, Astronia will fall. The people will suffer. Is that what you want?"

"You're the ones making them suffer," I reply, my voice low but firm. "You've lied to them, manipulated them, all to satisfy your own desire for power. And now you think you can just sweep everything under the rug with a forced marriage and a puppet king?"

Esma's eyes flash with anger. "I wouldn't have had to force you if Aries had just chosen me like he was supposed to the day we met. Porthew assured me he'd grown desperate enough?—"

She stops, her face flushing as she realizes what she's just admitted.

The rest of the room is silent, but I note most of the faces of the other council members hold no surprise at her confession of scheming.

Myantha is the only one whose face is pale and eyes are wide as she stares at Esma. "You really set all this in motion," she breathes. Esma doesn't answer. Myantha glances at Porthew then Thorne. "All of you did this and forced me right along with it."

"Don't act like such a saint," Esma snaps at her.

Leo leans forward, his expression stony. "You're admitting that you've taken the crown for yourselves, then. That this was your plan all along—to use us as pawns while you rule in secret."

The council members exchange uneasy glances, but Esma remains defiant. "We've done what was necessary," she repeats, but there's a hint of desperation in her voice now. "The crown belongs to those who can wield it properly, who understand the complexities of ruling a kingdom."

"And who would that be?" I ask, letting the challenge ring clear. "You? The council? Or the people who actually live and breathe Astronia every day?"

Esma scoffs. "The people are imbeciles. They don't understand what it takes to run a kingdom."

Leo shakes his head, a grim smile tugging at his lips. "You really believe that, don't you?"

Esma opens her mouth to respond, but something in the room shifts. The light seems to shimmer around the edges, and I see the flicker of recognition in her eyes a split second before the illusion breaks.

The room, once seemingly empty save for the council and us, is suddenly full of people. Astronians—townspeople, soldiers, nobles—who have been silently watching, listening to every word. Gasps ripple through the crowd as they realize what they've heard, the betrayal laid bare before them.

Esma pales, her eyes widening in horror as she takes in the crowd. The other council members are frozen in shock, their arrogance crumbling in the face of the truth. The people of Astronia have heard everything.

Paige steps forward, the faint glow of her magic still clinging to her as the glamour fades completely. She meets Esma's gaze, and for the first time, I see real fear in Esma's eyes.

"As you said, the people of Astronia are the ones who decide who wears the crown," Paige says, her voice strong, carrying through the room. "And they've heard the truth."

Esma stares at her, speechless, as the murmurs in the crowd grow louder, anger and disbelief mixing into a rising tide. "We can explain," Esma begins.

"Don't bother," a soldier calls out.

"We've heard more than enough," a woman says from somewhere in the back.

"But—" Esma sputters.

"Rule Forty-seven-dash-six of the Agreement," Leo cuts in.

He pushes forward, holding up a copy of the document he's pulled from his jacket.

The room hushes as he reads from it. "If any member of the council, appointed by the king, is found to have committed crimes against the crown, they shall be removed and imprisoned immediately. A trial of their peers will be held to determine a sentence."

Esma squeaks, and her face flushes red. The other council members exchange panicked glances, but it's too late. The illusion has shattered, and with it, their grip on power.

"What about the rest of us?" Myantha calls.

Thorne and Porthew cast me wary looks, but I ignore them. "The law states you must have the favor of the people if not the crown," I say, my voice cutting through the noise. "They trusted you, and you betrayed them. But now, the truth is out. And the people will decide who their true leaders are."

Myantha's shoulders droop, but she doesn't argue.

The crowd erupts, voices calling for justice, for accountability.

I watch as Esma's composure cracks completely, her facade of control crumbling. Without another word, Paige walks calmly over to where the crown rests on the table—a symbol of everything the council tried to steal. She picks it up, the golden metal gleaming in the light, and the room falls into a hushed silence as she turns toward Queen Dorthea.

My mother, who has been watching silently along with the rest of the crowd, steps forward, her gaze steady and full of quiet strength. Paige meets her eyes. Then, with deliberate care, she places the crown back on Dorthea's head, restoring her to her rightful place.

Esma's shock snaps into fury. "No!" she shrieks, her voice high and desperate. "Guards, arrest her! Arrest them all!"

But the guards, the same ones who had followed the council's orders without question, now stand still. Their eyes flicker to Queen Dorthea, to me, and finally to Paige, and it's clear they no longer recognize Esma's authority.

Paige turns slowly, her gaze sweeping over the soldiers who remain unmoving. "No," she says firmly, her voice ringing with command. "Arrest them."

For a moment, no one moves. The tension is so thick it feels like the entire room is holding its breath. Then, as if released from a spell, the guards step forward, shifting their attention from us to the council members. Esma's face twists in panic as the soldiers move toward her and the others.

"You can't do this!" she cries, backing away as the guards close in. "This isn't how it's supposed to be!"

No one speaks up on her behalf.

As the guards lead the council members away, Esma's shrieks of protest fade into the background. My gaze meets Paige's, and I find a fierce, triumphant light in her eyes that mirrors my own feelings.

The kingdom is safe. The people are safe. And we're finally free of the shadows that have hung over us for so long.

But as the noise of the departing guards and murmuring crowd begins to subside, another feeling rises in my chest—something warmer, more hopeful. My mother catches my eye and inclines her head pointedly toward my mate. I take a step toward Paige, my heart pounding, not with the adrenaline of battle but with the clarity of what I need to do next.

"Paige," I begin, my voice low, just for her despite the crowded room. She turns to me fully, the fierce light in her eyes softening as she reads the emotion in my face.

"Yes?" she asks, her voice a blend of curiosity and something else—something that makes me believe she already knows what I'm about to say.

I reach out, taking both of her hands in mine. The room, the crowd, the entire kingdom seems to fade away, leaving just the two of us in this moment. "We've been through so much together," I say, my voice thick with emotion. "You've stood by me, fought beside me, and shown me what it means to truly love and protect this kingdom."

Her eyes glisten with unshed tears, but she doesn't look away. I can see the understanding there, the connection that has grown stronger with every challenge we've faced.

"I can't imagine ruling Astronia without you," I continue, my grip on her hands tightening just slightly. "I can't imagine my life without you."

She inhales sharply, and I see the tears welling up, though she tries to blink them away. I step closer, our foreheads almost touching, the space between us charged with everything we haven't yet said.

"Paige," I say, my voice barely a whisper now, "will you marry me and build a life together here with me in Astronia—as its queen?"

For a moment, she doesn't respond—doesn't seem to breathe. But then, a tear slips free, and she nods, a smile breaking through the emotion on her face. "Yes," she whispers, her voice full of joy and relief. "Yes, Aries, I will."

The world rushes back in as I pull her into a tight embrace, the cheers of the crowd swelling around us, but all I can focus on is her—Paige, my mate, my love, my future queen. When I pull back to look at her, the tears in her eyes are mirrored in my own, but for once, there's no sadness here—only the promise of what's to come.

As the crowd continues to cheer, I lean in and press a kiss to her forehead then to her lips, sealing the promise we've just made to each other. This is our new beginning, the start of a life together that we've both fought so hard to build.

And as we turn to face the people of Astronia, hand in hand, I know that, no matter what challenges lie ahead, we will face them together. Astronia will have a mated dragon pair on its throne once again.