Baron, a Reverse Harem Fantasy Romance Series
Page 22
He studies me as if to decipher if I’m telling him the truth or if I’m lying. “Prophecies?”
“I have seen the truth, my liege. And it is a truth that revealed that only you, the one true king, could reshape the realms and evolve magic in a way that has never been seen before.”
“There’s so much that needs to be done,” he states as he shakes his head and sighs.
“There will soon be enough magic to tear down the barriers between the realms once and for all,” I offer, hoping to lighten his mood.
“Then I will expand my borders and push towards the other kingdoms—those of the Veil and those of Silvanus’.”
“Yes, my king,” I say with a pronounced smile and nod. But there is still one more subject we need to touch on. “What of Theren?” I demand. “His allegiance to you is fragile at best, my king. Should we not do something about it? We have an army at our disposal.”
“Theren still has power as the Unseelie King. His defeat will not come easily.”
“But, it is necessary all the same. And defeating Theren will further strike fear into the hearts of those who doubt you,” I add.
Variant nods. “I can’t afford to have the people question my authority over the realms when I’m so close to getting everything.” He takes a breath and then faces me. “And it is important the people understand you serve me.”
He truly thinks I serve him? Pitiful. It’s almost enough to make me laugh.
Variant has no idea what sort of power churns within me and he has yet to even guess at my treachery.
I do not serve him.
He serves me and the fool has yet to understand that fact. Which is just as well. My plan is unfolding just as I intended and it requires continued patience and forethought.
If I’m to defeat the one who poses a threat to my very existence, I need Variant to play his part. The silly little pawn is clueless.
“What if we turn them against one another again?” He asks.
“Them?”
He nods and appears annoyed I’m not following his line of thinking. “Cambion and Theren.”
It’s my turn to nod. “Unleash decades of tension between them, brother against brother. Yes,” I say with a grin. “You are quite brilliant, my liege,” I compliment him though it was I who planted this seed in his mind. But Variant must believe the thought originated with him.
“They’ve forever hated one another,” Variant says.
“Yes, they have. And there’s a treasure trove of anger beneath Cambion’s icy facade. We can use it to our advantage.”
“I must admit your cunningness surprises me at times.” Variant’s smile is quite handsome, but it lacks the bloodlust that usually sends my heart aflutter. Even so, I stare at him from beneath my long lashes, giving him my best demure expression. Where usually he eats my praise like a starving man before a smorgasbord, now he appears perplexed, his mind elsewhere. I smile beguilingly at him.
“What holds your mind prisoner, my liege?” I ask.
He frowns and glances down at his fingertips where they strum against the arm of his throne. “The angel.”
“Why?” I ask.
“I… I don’t know. Her power…”
“Is nothing compared to yours,” I lie.
“I should have destroyed her when I had the chance,” he starts but then he shakes his head and stands, as though the very thought causes him duress.
“No,” I say. “We still need her.”
“I feel… I feel this… need,” he says as he begins pacing the room, stepping over the dead bodies that litter it. “I want her.”
“And so you shall have her, my king,” I say as I eye him knowingly. “Just follow my council as you have done.”
“I feel impatient where the angel is concerned,” he admits.
“You must not bend to your impulsiveness,” I council. “When first I came to you and told you that Baron was your enemy and sought the power of the realms for himself, you acted swiftly and according to my council. You alleviated the threat of the King of Death,” I say and offer him another charming smile. “And look at you now. You have risen above both the King of Nature and the King of Shadow.”
“This is true,” he says with a firm nod.
“The angels are fading and the Fae live in fear of your name. The things we can accomplish together are beyond this life and the next... the possibilities are endless.”
“Yes, endless,” he says and takes on that faraway expression of his that irks me to no end. It usually means he isn’t paying attention to the words coming out of my mouth. And on this next point, he needs to pay attention.
“And we will continue to do great things, Variant, on one condition.”
He faces me immediately. “Which is?”
“You must keep your distance from Eilish for now.”
“I don’t understand why,” he responds and there’s a pouty expression in his eyes. Clearly, he’s already taken with the girl. Fool.
“Because she’s a danger and one you underestimate.”
“And danger is a threat,” he says, nodding.
“You will have her when the time is right, my liege,” I insist, knowing the way to ensure Variant’s acquiescence is to promise him whatever he wants. He’s quite like an impatient and demanding child in that regard.
He faces me and smiles. “The future is ours, Morrigan.”
I lean close to Variant, brushing a phantom kiss on his lips before I ease back into the ethers. As long as I keep him obedient and loyal, nothing can stand in my way. His little slip up with the angel will cost him in the end, but I will personally see to it that Variant cleans up his messes. And while this next chapter will see me in the company of my enemies, I will sway them in the same manner I’ve swayed all the others.
The battles we fought throughout history still rage on outside our doors. And this ancient battle between myself and my enemies will tear the realms asunder. Not even the Veil can hide from the powers that will be at my disposal once the process is complete. And when the dust settles, I will be there to rise from the ashes as a pinnacle of hope for those who survive.
The worlds will tremble beneath the might of my glory and they will call me god.
~
To Be Continued
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SNOW:
Hair black as night, lips red as blood, skin white as snow.
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Bought and sold for male entertainment, Neva Valkoinen, or Snow White, as patrons know her, dances for the wealthy and lecherous at the Wicked Lyre Tavern in the city of Ascor.
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a night with Neva but doesn’t touch her. Instead, he asks her questions she can’t answer and reveals his belief that she’s a witchling capable of great magic.
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I don’t know who I am or where I came from.
The only thing I do know is that I’m running from something.
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When I’m taken prisoner to be thrust into a lifetime of prostitution, I learn I’m an angel. Yes, I bear the markings on my back: markings that reveal my wings have been removed. But when my only ally, a foul-mouthed sprite, insists my wings are intact, I realize the danger I’m facing.
I need protection. And that protection can only come from three magically powerful men who were destined to protect the balance between shadow and light:
Dragan, a gargoyle and the King of Shadow;
Cambion, an elf and the King of Nature;
and Baron, a vampire and the King of Death.
At one time there were four but Variant, the King of Light, grew greedy and usurped control for himself. He banished Cambion to the fae realm and Dragan to the shadow realm. And he murdered Baron.
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Famous last words.
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