Avery pursed his lips, falling silent.

​

Salaryn? Victor spoke mentally to his spirit guide. Does Karayan wish for me to end this war?

​

Salaryn’s hissed response entered his mind. ~He has not commanded that. Karayan would never, can never, take from you your free will. However, Ingwen and her jerik have been called to another task. It is your place to lead the ceremony.~

​

Which means I cannot focus on the war. Victor smirked, summing it all up as a yes. He almost didn’t realize Avery had started speaking again.

​

“It might still be possible to follow through with the celebration, having you lead it, and keep up the campaign,” Avery stated. “In fact, it would be a great opportunity for the prince to lead the troops.”

​

“Avery,” Victor admonished. “You know better than that. If I’ve been called to task, then it is a likely assumption that Vaelyn, and Raziel for that matter, will also be called in. We’re all Keepers. It is our duty.”

​

“Then let me run it.”

​

Victor scoffed. “You are not qualified, my friend.”

​

“The Eldaine Kingdom saw fit to excuse themselves from our laws, trading with our vassal without permission. They had no right to bypass us! Don’t take the coward’s route on this!”

​

Victor looked askance at Avery. “I’d appreciate you not using that term.” He shook his head, placing his unfinished brandy on the small table again. “Avery, I do not want to annex the island kingdom. The risk to the men and the necessary resources to win that war far outweigh the potential gains from conquering Eldaine. It’s become a foolish campaign, and you know that!”

​

Avery gripped the edge of his armrests, his voice rising slightly. “That does not mean we back out of this fight now! We cannot show weakness simply because a god wants you to be the head of some party!”

​

“Some party?” Victor growled, feeling anger flowing from his spirit guide, through his tyrr, and into him. It fueled his annoyance, and his voice lowered to a threatening note. “Karayan is not just a god, Avery. He is my god. I am his chosen leader of his chosen kingdom. If Karayan wishes me to preside over his most sacred holiday, then I will damned well find a way to make certain I preside over his most sacred holiday!”

​

“We do not have to give up the war, though!” Avery shouted.

​

He’s still a wall! “The war is done, Avery! Eldaine is defeated!”

​

“They are not defeated! They still live!”

​

“I don’t want to kill them all!” Victor screamed. “It’s not worth the price!”

​

“They killed Kaelyn!”

​

Victor stopped, his anger deflating, completely taken aback. “What?”

​

Avery stood, glaring at his king. “I can’t let that slide, even if you can.”

​

“Your sister?” It took Victor a few tries before he found his words. “Wh—but, how? What are you talking about?”

​

Avery slammed his glass down on the table with the brandy and refilled it. “Eldaine is responsible for my sister’s death.”

​

“That is not what you told me half a century ago!” Victor watched Avery down half a glass of brandy. Had he lied to me? “How, Avery. You told me she drowned.”

​

“She did.” Avery spun around, tears forming yet not falling. “But she was the only one. The others on that ship survived. Including Eldaine’s half-wit ambassador that stole her away from us! They did it on purpose!”

​

“She told me that she loved him,” Victor whispered, staring at Avery in disbelief. “She went willingly.”

​

“She did not.” Avery scowled, downing the rest of his brandy. “She told you that to protect your emotions. So you wouldn’t worry about her. They did it as an attack on you. She loved you.”

​

Victor shook his head, refusing to listen. He had cared for Kaelyn once, a long time ago. And while she wasn’t fit to be a queen, the desire never left. Feeling betrayed, his eyebrows knitted together, and his voice lowered when he looked at his steward. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

​

“Tell you?” Avery snorted. He glanced at the brandy bottle, shook his head, then placed the glass upside down on the table. “How could I? ‘It’s just one life,’ right? You were so infatuated with that foreign elf, you wouldn’t have cared. You would have done nothing about it, so I bided my time. Now—”

​

“Infatuated?” Victor rose to his feet, fists clenching at his side. “That foreign elf that you speak of was my wife, Avery. My soul mate. Elizabeth was the best thing that ever happened to me. To this kingdom!”

​

“She had no place being here!” Avery shouted. “Kaelyn—”

​

Victor stepped closer to Avery and raised his hand, pointing at him. “You might not like it, but that ‘foreign elf’ was your queen, and you will speak of her with respect. Only with respect.”

​

Avery threw his hand up. “Kaelyn should have been your queen! You told me that you loved her! You frequently took her to your bed. Hell, you even—”

​

Victor closed the gap between him and Avery, grabbing the steward by the shirt. “That is enough!” Lightning crackled over Victor’s form as rage surged through him. “You take too many liberties!”

​

A high-pitched voice from the doorway stopped Victor. “Hi Daddy!” The innocence in the single phrase, shouted with such joy, struck Victor to the core, diminishing his anger. The child giggled. “You’re glowing.”

​

The power surrounding the king dissipated, and he gave one last glare to Avery before shoving him away. Victor turned to see the light of his life walk into the sitting room, leaving the door open behind her. With golden hair kissed by the sun god himself and curious, sapphire eyes, she was almost an exact replica of her deceased mother.

​

“Victoria,” the king whispered ...