**Ethan’s POV
A stillness fell over the throne room as I walked in. King Jas looked exhausted, with dark bags under his eyes, and Talon looked distressed. His teeth were gritted together, and I felt like he wanted to tell sothing.
But I had left Rosalie and my baby to travel a great distance to be here. It was clear that sothing chaotic was happening as I used a little-known tunnel to make my way into the capital with the n who had accompanied .
Now, I stood before a group of n who were glaring at , waiting for the king to answer my question.
“Who doesn’t need to speak unless spoken to?” I asked him. Surely, no one was to speak to Talon in such a disrespectful way.
Granted, my Beta was a subordinate, but he’d never been anything but a loyal, respectful soldier for the king.
“Ethan, you’ve returned,” my cousin said, a look of relief washing over him. “And not a mont too soon, I’m afraid.”
“Alpha!” Talon greeted , although I could tell from his expression that he wished I hadn’t returned.
“What’s going on?” I asked. “Were those villagers running into the capital shouting about enemy soldiers?” It didn’t seem possible. When I’d left the capital, not long ago, the western forces were miles and miles away. Our army was strong enough to keep them at bay and drive them back with no problem whatsoever.
“I’m afraid so,” Jas said, dragging a hand down his face. “Everyone, leave Ethan and . We need to discuss this matter in private.”
Talon, who had started his exit the mont the king made the request, mindlinked . I could see by the look in his eyes that sothing was wrong.
A few of the other leaders, ones who thought that they were more important than they truly were, lingered around the throne, possibly thinking they were too critical to the king’s decision-making to truly need to be dismissed.
“Go at once!” Jas barked, and everyone filtered out.
‘Alpha, be on your guard. There’s no ti for to explain, but don’t trust anything Jas says to you. Things aren’t what they seem,’ Talon said, preparing for the conversation with the king.
I stared at my Beta for a mont in confusion, wondering what he was getting at. A cold chill went down my spine as I contemplated what it might be that Talon was trying to warn about. I wished he had more ti to prepare for what was about to happen.
However, he couldn’t go into more details before the room went silent with only the king and left.
“What’s happening, Jas?” I eventually asked, approaching the throne and speaking more bluntly, now that the others had cleared out.
Jas wouldn’t look at , so I didn’t take that as a good sign.
“Kal sent a ssenger,” he began, his eyes downcast. “He said Kal is making only one demand. He will call his troops off if I comply. Only one.” Jas let out a sigh and got up from his throne, his footsteps heavy as he walked over to the window.
Resting a weary hand on the windowsill, he looked outside. What used to be a beautiful flower garden was now trampled by the boots of villagers running for their lives and guards trying to contain them.
“I have not been put in an easy position, Ethan,” he said. I kept my distance, watching him, trying to understand what he was getting at. What condition could Kal possibly be demanding that King Jas could be considering? “Thousands of citizens could die if I don’t comply.”
“What is it?” I asked even though Talon had prepped . My voice was quiet as I tried to figure it out on my own. “I don’t even understand how they’ve gotten so close.”
“Neither do I, and yet, here they are...” he said, his eyes still focused outside.
They had to have used the tunnels. It was the only way. But how would they have even known of their existence?
I already knew the answer to that question. We knew there was a traitor in our midst. And now, I felt certain I knew exactly who it was.
When I got my hands on him...
However, what Jas said next took by surprise.
“Before, when I needed an heir, the situation was different,” Jas continued. “You were my only hope then. I needed to make sure that soone was here to continue our grandfather’s bloodline, soone who hadn’t taken a mate, soone who hadn’t promised the woman they loved that they’d never forsake her the way that I had.”
He turned and glanced over his shoulder at then, but he had to look away quickly, and I stared at him in confusion, though I thought I was beginning to put the situation into perspective.
“Before?” I asked him.
“Yes, but now... through so miracle, sothing I can’t quite understand... none of that matters now. We no longer need to pressure you for an heir. The bloodline will be secure without burdening you.” He turned and t my gaze then, and I stepped toward him.
“What are you saying, Jas?” I asked him. “Do you an—”
“Yes,” he said, his eyes wide with wonder. “The queen is pregnant. It’s a miracle. It’s been confird. I don’t know how it happened, but it has.”
I didn’t know why he brought this up at the mont, but it was great news.
“That’s astounding!” Joy bubbled up inside of as I realized what this ant for both of us. I took my cousin by the shoulders. “Congratulations, Your Majesty. You’ll have an heir from your own bloodline, and I... I can go and be free.”
Thoughts of what this would an for and Rosalie surfaced. I would no longer need to worry about what the crown required of . I could go and find her and be with her. We could raise our child together however we wanted. Neither of us would ever have to worry about the baby being the heir to the kingdom again.
But my joy was short-lived when I saw the expression on Jas’s face. He slowly shook his head. “No, Ethan. You don’t understand,” he said. “King Kal... he wants... you.”
I stared at him for a long mont, letting those words soak into my consciousness. “He wants ?” I repeated. “Why in the world would he want ?”
Jas shook his head. “Don’t you know who he is, Ethan? I didn’t know until the ssenger told . But you... surely you must know. With all of the investigative work and sleuthing you do as part of your job, you must’ve learned at so point that King Kal is the brother of... your stepfather.”
My eyes widened as my grip around Jas faltered. But no... I hadn’t known. Victor was King Kal’s brother?
It all made sense now... though. For all of those years, I’d tried to track Victor’s family down and had been unsuccessful. He had appeared in our land like a ghost, untraceable, like a phantom who had just appeared one day out of the fog. And no matter how hard I looked, I hadn’t been able to secure any proof of where he’d co from.
Now I knew why.
He had to make sure there was no way to trace him from the west to our kingdom. Because if it was known that he was from an enemy kingdom, let alone that he was related to royalty there, I wouldn’t be the only one who wanted to kill him.
To Jas, I could only mutter, “I didn’t know.”
“You didn’t?” Jas tipped his head to the side and studied my face, clearly surprised to hear that.
“No, I had no idea.” I still needed ti to process this, but I didn’t have ti. “And now... he wants in return for killing his horrible brother all those years ago?”
“That’s right,” Jas said.
Soren would be waiting for , too, no doubt. All of that was beginning to co together, too. Kal would let his nephew command his forces, for certain.
I shook my head. “And you’re considering handing over? Why would you even contemplate handing over when I could go out there right now with a force a quarter of the size of his n and destroy him?”
“Don’t put in a position to have to make that decision, Ethan,” Jas said. “You are my cousin, and you’ve always been loyal to . I’m asking you, please... sacrifice yourself. Do it for your kingdom. These people... they’re dying for you. For what you’ve done. Turn yourself over to him. Please.”
“For what I’ve done?” Once again, I was stunned at the words coming out of Jas’s mouth. “Cousin, we both know that I’ve served this kingdom faithfully for my entire life.”
Anger welled up inside of as I thought about everything I’d given up. For what I’d done? What had I done? Watched the woman I love die? Watched my child disappear, slip through my fingers, for what? So that he could make a scapegoat?
I could go out there right now with a hundred n and push King Kal’s soldiers so far away from here that they would never see the castle walls again. I could destroy them completely.
Yet, I was asked to hand myself over to Kal!
A loud clap of laughter burst out of my mouth uncontrollably.
This world could really be so ridiculous. Jas’s gaze was unwavering, and I could tell right then he had already made up his mind. He wanted to slink out of there and raise the white flag, to go to King Kal’s kingdom and let him beat and defile , humiliate , torture , and kill like a dog.
He didn’t want to fight.
Not because he believed we’d already lost too many n.
Not because he didn’t think I could win.
He wanted dead because he didn’t want to ever be able to compete for the throne with his unborn child!
I couldn’t stop laughing. I laughed so hard that I could feel tears start to co out of my eyes. He remained silent, watching .
I shook my head. “I won’t do it.”
“Then you leave little choice, Ethan Gray,” King Jas said, his eyes cast to the ground. Raising them slightly, with no conviction in his voice he said, “From this mont forward, Ethan, you are banished!”
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