have someone to question. We’ve found all the bottles of the poisoned wine. Four of them were given to Learen as people began to realize they had the same wine that killed Leshaun…the last was drunk just two nights ago.”
“Who died?” Alchan knew someone must have died.
“A young warrior, a recently escaped slave who wanted to show off his stealing skills learned while surviving in the Empire,” Rain answered softly. “And one of his friends, a previous gladiator. Kenav isn’t happy, but he’s not angry with us. He’s pissed at how stupid those two were.”
“Hmm.” Alchan rubbed his face. “Thank you. Anything else?”
“Leria’s sending more troops down. They’ll be here by Al Moro Nat, but it will leave her with only the minimal guard to protect her community. After that, we have some nobles and a few unit commanders becoming hostile about Dave and Trevan. I think Kenav is a part of it, but I can’t be certain. The moment we started telling some about the spy, it got out like a wildfire. They’re facing hostility from different groups in the village. It’s only going to get worse before it gets better. Alchan…”
“I know. We’re losing. We’re going to keep losing. We’re desperate. I know.”
Varon and Mave are right, but…Can I really convince Lariana I’m worthy of her power?
It clicked in a strange way. His thoughts came together, and he realized what his problem was.
I can never be worthy of ruling the Andinna if I’m not worthy of ruling the strongest of us. Mave is the strongest of the Andinna. She’s not the most dominant, but she holds raw power, feral, uncontrolled power. She could defeat me and leave our people with no one to rule them. I need her like I need my right arm, and I rule only because she allows it, because she thinks I’m worthy to rule. I need her to back me up, and the only way to be enough for someone like Mave is to be worthy of her love. Not by being more dominant and demanding her submission but to earn her love.
If I don’t try to do this for her, I’ll lose the love of the only sister I’ve ever known. She called me king, but she meant brother.
I can’t let that happen.
It felt foolish, love and all that. He was a fucking king and had done with very little of it most of his life. Now, it was going to convince him to stare down a goddess and dare her to give him a chance.
The pieces clicked, and he knew exactly what he would say to her when he was confronted by her.
He grabbed Rain and kissed his husband.
“We’re going on a trip,” he said against the soft lips he loved.
“Are we?” Rain asked, his eyebrows going up into his black hair.
“Yes. We’re going to the Capital. There is something I have to do.”
“Is it anything like what Mave is trying?” Rain frowned, not as joyous as Alchan had hoped he would be.
“Very similar,” Alchan said, nodding. “I’m going to sit on the throne in the Hall of Queens, and I am going to ask Lariana to make me her Avatar as she had for every queen who has ever ruled Anden.”
“What?” Rain blinked.
“She’s never allowed a male to claim her power, and all the successful kings of our people step down when a female can take the throne. I’m going to ask her to make me the true ruler of Anden. We need it. I need it.”
“What happens if this doesn’t work?” Rain asked. Alchan heard fear and understood. He understood because he was terrified as well, but he had to do this. Mave was right.
“I die and with me, her royal bloodline. There will be no more queens to claim her power and rule because I have no children.”
“And Luykas is a mutt,” Rain said softly.
“Exactly.” Alchan nodded. “The power itself requires a…pure body. Other races could never hold the power of the dragons because they aren’t dragons in their souls. Luykas isn’t fully a dragon. He’ll always be half-Elvasi. I have three options. I don’t try at all and watch as my people slowly die to this war. Or I try, which can go two ways. I die because I’m male, and she deems my reasons not enough, or I claim the power, and we might have a chance.”
“I’ll start packing,” Rain said, full of determination now.