Chapter 450 (2/2)

With each word the two exchanged, I grew ons had spentus safe from additional attacks from Alacrya They were sometimes difficult to understand, and their dispositions were not like any humans, elves, or dwarves I had ever met, but that was to be expected They weren’t like us, and it was ie them on our metrics

And yet it had been Arthur ept across the continent like a storm of fire to burn away the Alacryan occupation Arthur, too, was responsible for the treaty with the lord of Epheotus, the dragon Kezess Indrath, which brought the dragons to our shores

Seeing their conflict caused a raw, caustic ache in my stomach Dicathen couldn’t afford for these forces to be pitted against one another, although I thought I understood the reason for Arthur’s attitude, at least

After all, the smoke still rose over much of Elenoir, where our old ally, General Aldir, turned the forests to ash

I dreaded the thought of threading myself like a needle between these two titanic forces, but who else was there to do it? There was far too much at stake to let the antipathy between the a step forward so the movement would draw their attention to estured toward the palace entrance “Windsom, Edirith, please attendmy tone as neutral as I was able, I continued “Charon Indrath has been…keen toto hear you out”

Arthur relaxed and fell in besideout his arm for me to take it Windsolance, his hands grasped behind his back, while Curtis somewhat aardly marched on Arthur’s other side Edirith fell into step behind us, his agitated aura lashi+ng us like a whip My body was rigid with tension, each step like I was crossing broken glass, but I held it all in

Somehow, despite his earlier intensity, Arthur seemed as relaxed and at ease as if ere out for an afternoon stroll in the palace gardens I’d ardens than—

I clipped the i I was the thread that would stitch the wound between Guardian Charon and Arthur, and I couldn’t afford to start showing either favoritishts eventually became action, even inadvertently

When we arrived at the throne room, I was unsurprised to see the entire council had already been convened Although it took us ages to discuss even the simplest issues, when the Guardian called on them, they practically teleported to his feet I didn’t hold this against the, and the Guardian hiame of politics as best they kne

Otto and cousin Florian had their heads together, whispering ani as close to Guardian Charon as he dared, and I saw Jackun Maxwell and Lady Lambert as well The others of the council either spoke quietly a themselves or waited in tense silence

Charon himself sat stiffly on the dais at the foot of the throne, where he always sat when events caused us to use this rooal or powerful

A row of guards lined the walls to the left and right, at least four times the number we usually requested for such events It was an i me back to my days as a child in these very halls, when it wason that throne with my mother at his side

I felt cold and distant as I thought of the that particular eht

Windsom came to a halt before we’d crossed a quarter of the throne roo me to stop behind him He opened his mouth to introduce us, but hesitated when the sharp sound of footfalls continued to resound through the cavernous charavitated to Arthur as he left on were as unreht for the Guardian, his stride unbroken by nerves or the bitterness of self-doubt I could only watch, spellbound, as Arthur crossed the throne roo in the bay

Edirith hurried after hi over Arthur’s shoulder “None approach the Guardian without—”

Arthur turned, his golden eyes flashi+ng like the edge of a blade

The dragon faltered, and Arthur continued on, never breaking his stride

The entire chamber remained frozen in rapt anticipation

“Guardian Charon,” Arthur said He stopped walking as he spoke, standing just before the throne, and the sound of his voice was like the breaking of the spell, and the entire congregation seemed to take a breath all at once “Guardian I didn’t think to ask Vajrakor whose idea that title was But then, he and I didn’t get along very well I’o better”

Charon stood, standing head and shoulders above Arthur fro instead to step down and y crackled like a physical force between the conflict between them, or rather the intent they both wielded like a weapon In a way, they were a sort of ht as Arthur and yet seemed to tower over everyone around hiraceful athleticisth was visible in his every ht-colored hair, which I assu to do with Arthur’s transformation, I wonder?—but his eyes were deep, dark pools of pluh, the tere nothing alike Although Arthur had returned aged, his face sharper and more mature than before the war, he still looked like a boy next to Charon, whose features were grizzled with the scars of a thousand battles, pock- expectation

It was a face that conjured both fear and respect with nothing more than a look

What it did not do was smile often, and yet the Guardian’s scarred cheek twitched, and the corner of his lips quirked up in ah in his description of that , as well as in his approximation of your abilities and temperament”

Windsoain, taking up his position to their left The dragon guard flanked Charon Wanting roup from Windsom, my brother at my side

“Welcome to Etistin, Arthur Leywin,” Charon said, his deep voice a thunderous ru, even if the circumstances are less than ideal The disturbance outside the city—ere you up to?”

Arthur scanned the crowd of counselors and guards “Perhaps we could speak in a less public setting?” Arthur suggested quietly

The Guardian uards spun on their heels and beganan aisle between them where the counselors and other noble types could leave as well, although this latter group did so hesitantly, without the snappy military precision of the soldiers

Curtis shi+fted, glancing at the retreating counselors, and I kneished he could join theuidance” from our counselors since Lyra Dreide officially ended the occupation of Dicathen and Arthur left us in charge of Etistin Not all of the advice we received hat I would call “good advice,” and that had only gotten worse since the dragons’ arrival Curtis in particular struggled to balance his own desires with those of the people, the dragons, and our chosen council

The truth was that we needed the dragons We needed their power and their leadershi+p, and the confidence it gave our people in the future Too s and queens, the defeat of the Lances, the loss of the war and subsequent occupation, the destruction of Elenoir—for our people to simply expect that we could rebuild e’d lost

The dragons provided a new foundation on which to build, and without theht out from under our feet

And yet…I had been raised around politics and court intrigue my entire life I could see the ons had silently been undercutting the people’s view of Arthur It was an “out with the old, in with the new” mentality that I understood, but it was unjust and terribly unfair to a iven so ain for the dragons’ protection I also felt it was necessary to trust that he knehat he was doing

The last of the crowd left, and two guards worked together to shut the large throne roo his hands out to his sides as he gestured around the wide, e here? What happened?”

Arthur retold the story that Lady Sylvie had toldwitnessed the attack in a vision Arthur, in fact, seeloss over how exactly the evidence of an attack had coh I’ve eliminated one, there will be others,” Arthur concluded “I can’t promise that this will dissuade their attack, either”

Charon crossed his arms and shook a lock of hair out of his face The look of intensity he projected was one I’d seen many tiainst Agrona’s soldiers Your earlier defeat of the Wraiths should have disabused you of this notion that they can defeat my kind Certainly not warriors I pro children in training to guard this continent”

Arthur took a couple of steps as he began to pace, then forced himself to be still His eyes jumped to mine for the briefest instant of contact “Even a battle where you defeated them could result in the deaths of dozens, even hundreds of the city’s residents All I’ countryside Let’s ed, aelse about his posture and expression, which rarely relaxed into anything less than that rigidlythe people of Etistin by turning the city upside down in a search for ghosts” He looked at Windsoons fronize And they should be adept at hiding the the lessers”

“Of course,” Windsorona’s most powerful forces on Dicathen only reinforceshere, however,” Arthur continued, his voice carrying the weight of words he expected not to be taken well “I have spent soside Seris Vritra, the leader of a rebel faction fighting back against Agrona”

“That is a rather generous way to phrase that,” Charon ruh in his words

Arthur didn’t acknowledge the interruption “I have offered Seris and any of her people that wanted to join her sanctuary in Dicathen, safely in the Elenoir Wastes with the submitted Alacryan army Seris has asked me to extend my hand in friendshi+p with you and your kin She hopes that, in exchange for the protection you’re already offering this continent, she can provide you with useful infors”

Charon’s brows, left half bald and tattered by the scarring on his face, had slowly crawled up his forehead as Arthur had spoken For a moment, he seemed at a loss for words “That is certainly a brave request, if not a rational one That you can so boldly clailed an undisclosed nu an eneeneral with many thousands of her soldiers in the process, and not seeests to erated by the people here”

I held htly to the side, but before he could respond I took a quick step forward From the corner of rasp and put aze of Charon’s dark eyes

“Guardian Charon,” I began, my words clearly enunciated and polite, “thank you for including reatly appreciate the healthy working relationshi+p you havebody, and I hope that you’ll allowknown him since ere children and benefited directly from his actions on multiple occasions since then, I can tell you with no hesitation or doubt that the reality of his accooes well beyond the rumors that follow in his wake”

I took a breath, having rushed to get everything out before I was interrupted Windso me with thinly veiled annoyance, but Charon was attentive

“Although he has never taken steps to make it so, Arthur is looked up to byhumans, elves, and dwarves in their respect for hi, Guardian, one ill never be able to repay, but not everyone has it in theons really ing them to listen to me “You need each other, Dicathen needs you both, for this ever to work Charon, as naent of the continent, I believe Arthur is ithin his authority to offer sanctuary—”

“Regent is not a title we acknowledge,” Charon said s mine “A title invented by invaders and handed down by a turncoat There is no legitiht beside that, of course Our presence in Dicathen is down to this agreement between Arthur and Lord Indrath, and I don’t intend to work against , a heavy knock on the doors pulled everyone’s attention in that direction One opened partially, but instead of a guard, Lady Sylvie Indrath walked in, her fair hair and skin practically glowing against the darkness of her horns and clothes I felt a spike of disconcerting fear, but knew that Arthur could speak with her telepathically I could only assun

“Cousin Charon,” she said,down the aisle toward us at speed, the soles of her boots clacking with each step

Caera slipped through the door behind her, walking in her shadow

Windsom’s nose wrinkled up in annoyance or frustration, I couldn’t be certain which He glared at Arthur

But Charon gave a warm smile that softened his harsh features and broke away fro to meet Lady Sylvie “Second cousin, thrice removed, but I suppose that doesn’taround the palace all this ti increasingly irritated “Charon, Sylvie is to be returned to Lord Indrath ialaxy-colored eyes bore down on Arthur “This is not a request, Arthur If you value this continent, you’ll—”

“Guardian Charon, is it you or Windsoons in Dicathen?” Arthur asked s of a dagger

“Windso

As the terful asuras exchanged a long, aze slipped away fro a ful look behind the asuras’ backs were Arthur and Sylvie Soh the air between them, drawn on nearly visible line of their shared eye contact

After a handful of very long seconds, Windsohtened his uniforer on Windso moment even afterward, then turned back to Sylvie “Now, I believe ere having a reunion Please, let us all go somewhere more comfortable We have a lot to talk about”