Ruins of Chaos (Legacy of the Nine Realms #3) - Amelia Hutchins Page 0,26

into that seeping wound.”

“I know what I fucking did. Imagine having your mate questioned and feeling relief that you are some coldhearted prick who felt that twinge. Aria’s words made me feel liberated from the guilt of not feeling enough for Liliana. I loved her with everything I had, Brander, which turned out to be not enough.” I pushed my hand through my hair before swallowing audibly. “I never slept with my wife next to me in my bed, yet I can’t stand being away from Aria at night. I never craved my wife beneath me, but I am fucking addicted to the taste of Aria’s lips against mine and her body close enough to hold. I feel her, brother. I feel that witch in my soul. I’ve never felt anything like her. And when I thought of Lord Andres touching her, smelling him on her? I lost my fucking shit, and that never happens to me. I didn’t lose my shit when I placed our Queen into her tomb. I was cold, detached, and I allowed myself to become unfeeling. I hated her for dying and leaving me to the pain of Sven’s loss alone. I cursed Liliana to death, and she fucking died.”

“This isn’t about you or Liliana, Knox. Look at Aria, and tell me what you see,” Brander growled.

“I get it, asshole.”

“No, I don’t think you do. Killian said she fought hard to help them from being overtaken on that road. Even after they’d dragged her off, she continued fighting to protect Lore from poisonous arrows, not knowing that it wouldn’t kill him. She told you the truth, and you didn’t like it. You pushed her because you wanted her to hurt so that you hurt.”

I snorted, watching Killian move closer.

“That makes you the biggest asshole here,” Killian stated, peering across the camp to where Aria stared sightlessly at the ground. “If you don’t marry her, I will.”

“Excuse me?” I snapped, hating the tightness that filled my chest.

“Someone has to claim her before she rises. I watched a queen fighting to protect her people on that road, Knox. Aria isn’t some weak being that will stay down. She will get back up, and she will rise. I may not like it, and I may not like her, but what and who she is cannot be ignored anymore. We lost Aria, and yeah, we got her back. That only happened because she fucking fought them hard to get free, which allowed us time to get to her. Had it been her people, she’d be on their side of this war, and we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now.”

“Aria doesn’t want to be my Queen. I don’t blame her either. I was a shitty husband and mate to your sister.”

“Yes, you were. Not because you didn’t love your family, because you did. You were a shitty husband because witches waged war and pushed their agenda to keep you occupied and away from the kingdom. This isn’t about love, though. It’s about marrying a Hecate witch before she rises to her throne. We all know what Aria will become, and only one of us can marry her,” Killian explained.

“You really think marrying Aria Hecate is a good idea? She is from the same blood that murdered my son and wife. The people of Norvalla would revolt if I placed Aria on Liliana’s throne.”

“Stop looking at it like that,” Killian grumbled, folding his arms over his chest. “It isn’t about you or her or anyone else for that matter. It’s about two kingdoms, and who will control them. Aria will rise to be Queen of Vãkya. You are the King of Norvalla. Brander is right, claim her and be the first king ever to claim a Hecate witch.”

“You think she is going to agree to marry me?” I snorted in anger. I was already beyond frustrated with myself for hurting her more when I knew she was already in pain.

Aria was strong, but I’d pushed her hard. She’d pegged me deep with her truth, telling me I should have lain down and died with my wife and son, and maybe she was right. Perhaps I’d left my heart and soul behind in that fucking tomb, but Aria was forcing it back into me, and it hurt viscerally. She’d also said she’d rather fuck the man who almost raped her than me, and that fucking burned because, at that moment, it had been the absolute truth.

“I think Aria’s hurting, and if