To his right, next to throne, stood Karein and Prince Kaelezrin, accompanied by their respective mates. Rachen was with them, and although his expression was completely neutral, Hareem would have bet money that he was uncomfortable because Alwyn Cyraltin hadn’t joined him. Sadly, Alwyn wasn’t an official part of the imperial family, not even close. While Hareem would have gladly ignored the issue, Alwyn himself had insisted that it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to be there.
Hareem found renewed strength in the proximity of his family, and even more so in the man who was waiting for him in the adjoining room. “Here goes nothing, sweeting,” he sent to his mate.
“Go get ’em,” Taryn replied.
Hareem did. Getting up from his throne, he smiled brightly. “Welcome, my people, and thank you for attending this gathering today. I have summoned you to bear witness to a momentous event. Starting this moment, Ornoz will become the powerful force it was always meant to be, three times as strong as before.”
No one spoke, but then Hareem hadn’t said anything particularly frightening until now. “We have long prided ourselves in the strength and long-lasting life of our empire. But faced with the challenges of the present, that strength is no longer enough. Unfortunately, countless power struggles have weakened us, making us vulnerable to outside attack.”
Now, the nobles were starting to look uncomfortable. Good. Hareem wanted them to realize that they had been the ones to erode at the solidity of the Tersain dynasty. Granted, the arrogance of previous emperors had long ago set the basis of what was happening now, but Hareem had no intention of pointing that out.
“Our own people hurt each other, and even the members of the imperial family have been known to aim attacks at the dynasty. But no longer. Today, for the first time in history, an Ornozian emperor will become something else.”
Murmurs started to sound into the room. Some of the nobles smirked, obviously believing that Hareem planned to step down from his position. Hareem rushed to clarify that misunderstanding. “I was born to lead,” he said, “and I will continue to do so. But I find that it is unfair for two other men who are just as capable as me—albeit in different ways—to have to be robbed of the chance to fully contribute in the decision-making process.”
He gestured for his brothers and Prince Kaelezrin to approach. Talrasar and Sari were both smiling proudly, and waved them off. It was actually nice to see them together like this. The two Ivenians had yet to give birth, and that really showed, especially for Sari. Both fae had gotten pretty big, and Karein and Prince Kaelezrin grew more protective of them every day. Hareem could empathize. He was more than ever glad that soon, he’d be able to have what they did, time he could just spend at Taryn and Galyn’s side, without worrying the empire would collapse on top of them.
Hareem turned toward the gathering once again. “As you are all well aware, Prince Kael was once first-born son, too. Unfortunate circumstances made him unable to take over Ornoz, as he should have, perhaps. Meanwhile, my brother, Prince Shtamakarein, was the one to end the tyranny of the previous emperor, our father. I trust them all with my life and with our empire. Starting today, the two of them will join me in the leadership of Ornoz. They will gain a new role, beyond the one of mere advisors. Today, the three of us will become the new ruling body of Ornoz, the Imperial Consuls.”
Hareem’s idea to change the Ornoz political system hadn’t come out of nowhere. For a long time, he had been burdened by the throne, to the extent that he’d started making compromises and shying away from what needed to be done. Of course, he had only ever wanted what was best, but he had tried so hard to please that in the end, he had been jumping through hoops to make sure everyone was happy and failing to see what was most important. His family.
As shifters, draechen naturally had the urge to put their mates and children first. Anything else would have been an abomination. However, when they were also faced with having a demanding duty, like in Hareem’s case, it naturally followed that they became torn between what they wanted and what they needed to do.
That was a problem that Hareem would probably never fully fix. Nevertheless, this change in policy would go a long way to improving the situation. “We will be dividing responsibilities between the three of us so that we can be more efficient in our work. Our consorts will assist us. And on this note, for my second announcement, I’d like to introduce my new consort and my son.”
The side door of the throne room opened, and Taryn headed inside, dressed in draechen finery and outfitted with jewelry that marked him as belonging to the Tersain dynasty. He carried Galyn in his arms, and he was as nervous as hell. However, he didn’t show it in the slightest. He walked to Hareem’s side with his head held high and a small smile on his face, like he didn’t have a care in the world.
In his heart, Hareem regretted forcing Taryn into such a difficult situation. However, the only alternative to it would have been Hareem giving up the throne. He had considered it, but that would have meant that all of his efforts up to this point had been for nothing. Ornoz would still be shaken by instability due to his decision, but at least they would have continuity.
Besides, Hareem was no quitter. He believed that the paranormal world could be better, that people needed to see the members of the separate castes weren’t so different after all. They needed to learn that the Directive was a poisonous law. Hareem couldn’t in good conscience leave the task up to his brothers. After all, they had families and mates, too. The best thing they could do was to cooperate at a level far higher than before.
Meanwhile, Taryn would have to become Hareem’s official mate and consort. This meant blatantly going against the Directive that distinctly forbade mate bonds between shifters from different castes. In fact, Galyn should have never existed, and as an enforcer of the Directive, Hareem should have ended the pregnancy. However, whoever dared to say that would find that Hareem was done following the rules created by others. And he had every intention to point that out today.
Smirking, Hareem wrapped his arm around Taryn’s waist. “This is my mate, Taryn Lovington, and our son, Galyn. As is only natural, he will participate in building a better Ornoz. In fact, he’ll have a very important role, as in the future, we aim to reach out to the other castes and mend the rift between our different nations.”
“Rift?” a noble in the front repeated with a dismissive scoff. “They’re trash, animals. You cannot possibly expect us to cooperate with—”
Hareem waved a hand, and an ice bolt shot from his fingertips. Instantly, the noble in question was frozen completely. Hareem didn’t even look in his direction from that point on.
“Naturally, if you have any concerns at all regarding these changes, you can bring them to either of us.” He smiled brightly as he spoke to the rest of the nobles. “However, I will request all draechen citizens to comply with the new legislation. Trespasses will not be permitted.”
“With all due respect, Your Imperial Majesty,” someone else said, “what about the Directive?”
“The Directive was a law created by us. Similarly, we’re the ones who can change it. But that is something all of the castes will discuss. In fact, my mate will be directly in charge of that.” Prince Camden Isaiat would assist him and had already approached his family with plans to gather the rest of the rare shifters for a preliminary meeting. Hareem would reveal all that in due time. “The Shifter Directive is centuries old. Circumstances have changed greatly since then, and we have other enemies to worry about rather than werewolves and vampires.” As he spoke, Sagenamadeen Zager slipped into the throne room and nodded at him. Hareem continued on to say, “And on this note, we have some very important guests today.”
On cue, the throne room doors opened. Stanton and Fallon Hanover walked inside, not seeming in the least bit impressed by the gathering of draechen.
It was more than obvious that the two of them were vampires. They didn’t actually wear badges with little bats on them, but they didn’t have to. It
showed in their gait, in their eyes. Unlike before, they were guests, not prisoners. Raul Gomez was by Stanton’s side, his gaze fixed on Hareem, as if he was expecting Hareem to fall back on his word.
The fact that Fallon Hanover had awoken was another sign that the Ancient Horror had disappeared. Hareem wasn’t sure if the creature had been eliminated for good, but it had certainly received a devastating blow.
This was one of the reasons why he’d decided on an alliance with the vampires. They needed to be ready if the Ancient Horror ever returned.
The two vampires and their fae companion headed his way. The draechen nobles moved out of their path, perhaps sensing Hareem wasn’t in the mood to be crossed. The man turned into an icicle clearly attested to that. He wasn’t dead, but by the time the spell wore off, he’d be in very much pain indeed.
That reminded Hareem of another problem that needed to be solved. Behind the vampires and Raul, Elina followed. Her accomplices were naturally with her, and they were all surrounded by guards.
This was one matter that puzzled Hareem. On one hand, his dragon wanted to tear her apart for lifting a finger against Taryn. He also needed to point out to the gathering that those who dared to go against him would pay dearly, with far more serious consequences than a spell that would fade away. At the same time, though, Hareem’s reason reminded him that he had his own share of blame in this fiasco. If he hadn’t shown interest in Elina in the first place, she never would have gone after Taryn. Not to mention that she’d been influenced, to a certain extent, by the Ancient Horror when it had been inside Onyerre.
By his side, Taryn winced but didn’t move away from Hareem. “I suppose there’s only one solution to our predicament,” he said through their bond. “Send her to prison.”
He didn’t sound very satisfied with the idea, and to be true, Hareem wasn’t either. Nevertheless, he didn’t have many other options. With a mental sigh, he did his best to look welcoming toward the vampires. “Thank you for joining us on this important day, Your Grace,” he told Stanton.
“You honor us, Your Imperial Majesty,” Stanton replied with a brief and so very appropriate bow. “We look forward to working with you for the benefit of both our peoples.”
Obviously noticing that Hareem wanted to deal with Elina, the two vampires and Raul stepped aside. The traitors who’d attacked Taryn were nudged forward by the guards.
Hareem hadn’t actually given too many details to his people regarding Elina’s capture. However, the men who’d been with him were aware that she’d betrayed him in some way, and had likely drawn their own conclusions based on Hareem’s behavior. Hareem chose to confirm them, regardless. “You attacked my mate and my son, members of the Tersain dynasty. You committed treason. You are aware of the penalties for your crimes, are you not?”
“Your Imperial Majesty, I understand that our transgression was great,” Elina said. “I can only defend myself by saying that I wasn’t thinking clearly at the time. I was so angry and jealous. I thought that…”
She trailed off, obviously reluctant to say more. Frustratingly enough, she shot Taryn an ugly look, which really put things into perspective. If she couldn’t hold back her hostility for Hareem’s mate when she was here, in front of everyone, she was a danger to them all.
“Even more worrisome,” Hareem continued, “you recruited others to your treacherous cause. What do you have to say for yourselves?”
The two male dragons who’d accompanied Elina on the expedition fidgeted in discomfort. It seemed obvious that they didn’t want to reveal their reasoning, but judging by their expressions and the way they stared at Taryn and Galyn, it had a lot to do with the principle of it. This was what Hareem had feared, that other dragons would target Taryn because of their bond.
To be true, it was a little encouraging that the group had been pretty small, but that didn’t mean Hareem could be lenient in this. “Very well then,” he said. “I won’t prolong this for longer than I have to. I hereby sentence you to prison for life.”
Elina released a soft gasp. “Wait,” she said. “I’m loyal to Ornoz. This was just a mistake, a huge mistake.”
Hareem would have actually been inclined to believe her, except he also realized this error was the type that repeated itself. He realized it was partially his fault for her unfortunate choices, and if this had been just about him, he might have given her a second chance. But she had threatened the lives of Taryn and Galyn, and that was the one thing that he could not accept. It didn’t even have anything to do with his original idea that he should give the rest of the draechen a little demonstration of strength. There would be time enough for that. His decision was based on a very simple fact, that of his protectiveness toward his mate.
Elina interpreted his thoughtful silence in a different way. She must have been thinking that he was hesitating with regard to the punishment, because her expression grew hopeful. “You wouldn’t regret being merciful. I have some important information I can provide.” She smiled. “It’s about someone very close to the imperial family. Somehow who can do great harm.”
Hareem blinked. This was an unexpected and somewhat frustrating development. Hareem didn’t like the way she was looking at him. What did she know that he didn’t? Hareem didn’t want to start his new rule in the company of his brother and Prince Kaelezrin by succumbing to Elina’s manipulations, but there was something in her eyes that told him she wasn’t bluffing.
He wanted to discuss the matter with Karein and Kaelezrin, but they’d already established beforehand that this matter concerned him directly, so he should be the one to address it. One thing was certain. If she tried to trick him, she would regret it.
“Technically speaking, she doesn’t have much to lose,” Taryn pointed out. “She can guess that you won’t kill her, and torture is not your style. You’re a fair emperor, Hareem, and that will work against you sometimes.”
“I might be fair, sweeting,” Hareem replied, “but even I have my limits. I’ll agree to speak with her, perhaps later, in private. But I highly doubt she has any information that would convince me to treat her differently.”
He was just about to convey his decision when Elina’s eyes widened. She released a choked sound and paled visibly. Hareem frowned and started to move toward her. Karein and the other guards were already in motion.
Before they could do anything about it, Elina started twitching and collapsed on the floor. Circles of fire started to form around her, making everyone else back off. Hareem had no clue what in the world was going on. She knew better than to attack anyone here with her powers, as even on his own, Hareem was far more powerful than she was. Besides, his brothers could absorb the energy of her magic, making her spells useless.
Indeed, Karein did exactly that. He walked straight toward her, drawing in her magic and quieting it. Talrasar and Sari rushed after him, obviously wanting to assist the woman.
Sadly, it was already too late. When the two fae knelt next to her, they both shook their heads. “I’m sorry,” Talrasar said. “She’s gone.”
“Just like that?” one of her accomplices asked. “You can’t be serious. What game are you playing here, Emperor?”
Hareem didn’t deign the question with a reply. “Take Galyn into our quarters and stay there,” he told his mate. “I don’t like this, and we need to investigate.”
It was more than obvious that someone had killed Elina. But who? Hareem didn’t know, but he aimed to find out.
His brother obviously thought the same. Karein was already scanning the crowd, glancing for the possible culprit and ordering for everyone else to remain inside. Rachen evacuated Sari and Talrasar, and Hareem sent Taryn along with them. Lieutenant Zager took Elina’s accomplices away, their rant only serving to make everyone even more nervous. Meanwhile, Kaelezrin sat next to the dead draechen woman, analyzing her body.
Hareem had no idea what had happened and how she had died so easily. One thing was certain, though. Elina Eretar had known somethin
g about the Tersain, and that secret had killed her.
* * * *
Caelyn sat in the shade of a tree, one hand on his swollen belly, the other in Graham’s grip. He glanced at the woman in front of him, more confused than he remembered being in quite a while. “You wanted to see us, Your Holiness?”
Eanera Myrthylar nodded. She certainly didn’t look like a woman who’d spent the better part of the past months in a coma and almost died after that. But then, she was the Ivenian High Priestess. There were some perks that came with that position.
“Yes,” Eanera replied. “I wanted to address a matter of grave importance. Thank you for indulging me.”
“That’s quite all right,” Graham answered. “After everything you’ve done for us, you know you can always count on us.”
Eanera nodded and paused briefly. “I must point out first that no one except King Selbrian knows about this. I haven’t discussed this matter with Sari, as I don’t want to force him into an awkward position with his mate.”
This was serious indeed if Eanera thought she couldn’t talk about it with Sari. Then again, Eanera had insisted on seeing them away from the actual Eternelle compound so that other people couldn’t hear. In hindsight, that was a little alarming, since Eanera should have been able to create shields to keep anyone from spying.
Caelyn frowned. “What exactly is the matter, Your Holiness?”
“Soon, I suspect you will be asked to visit Draechenburg,” Eanera replied. “Emperor Hareematek is choosing some aggressive policies. In fact, he intends to change the Directive altogether, and it is my belief that he will want to have you there as guests, both because of Sari’s affection toward you and to point out that he genuinely intends to modify the law. When he does so, I need you to watch the actions of a certain person. His name is Alwyn Cyraltin.”
Emperor's Consort [Chronicles of the Shifter Directive 5] (Siren Publishing Epic Romance, ManLove) Page 27