Chapter 406: A Vow To Protect

Koda;The walk to the throne room is quiet.

My mind is busy replaying everything Zephan just relayed to me.

I glance sideways at Zephan, but his gaze is fixed ahead.

He, too, has been silent for several minutes.

Thinking. Calculating... Fuming.

Then, finally, I break the silence.

"You really didn’t know?"

He scoffs in response as he rolls his eyes.

"No."

The pain in the answer is loud.

"I was told my grandfather died of an illness." He adds, and I watch as his fists clench.

"I wasn’t told he sacrificed himself protecting Nagari. I wasn’t told there was such a war in Nagari that leaves even Father trembling. And I foolishly thought no one knew my kingdom better than me."

I don’t know what to say to that. Because honestly?

I’d be angry too.

If there was something capable of threatening Gravemaw... Something capable of wiping out entire bloodlines...

And everyone knew except me?

I’d lose my mind. I’d feel like an incompetent joke.

Zephan suddenly exhales, then mutters:

"How does the future king not know the greatest threat his kingdom ever faced?"

I look away from him and stare at the doors we’re approaching.

Because I don’t have an answer to that. The only ones who can answer that question are the ones we are going to meet, and in all sincerity, I am pressed to know more about Balinar being behind this, and why he’s targeting Elián.

***

The throne room doors swing open, and the first person my eyes land on is Father, sitting on Queen Selthia’s throne like it’s his, and before him, pacing is Queen Selthia.

The moment Zephan and I step into the room, they both freeze.

They share a brief look between themselves, and my eyes narrow.

Okay. This is just as serious as Zephan said it was.

Zephan walks forward first. Straight toward the centre of the room, with no bow, or greeting, or formalities.

He just stares at them—An angry young man demanding answers.

"When were you planning on telling me?" He goes straight to the point, and Queen Selthia closes her eyes.

"Zephan," She calls softly in that way mothers do when they’re about to cajole you, but Zephan cuts her off.

"No."

The force in that simple word makes me blink, as it’s rare to see Zephan in this mood. When he’s like this, he’s just seconds away from tearing everything down.

"You don’t get to start with my name. That’s not what I asked you." He says coldly, and the hall falls into thicker silence.

Queen Selthia stares at him while Father watches silently.

I remain where I am. Because something tells me this conversation has been waiting years to happen, and as curious as I am. This is more of Zephan’s rage to settle.

"How many people knew?" he then asks, and Queen Selthia looks away.

"Mother." He calls, and she lets out a breath.

"Your father and I. The elders... And the surviving commanders." Every answer makes Zephan’s expression darken further.

Because every answer confirms the same thing. Everyone who means something knew. Everyone except him.

"So, Zethar and I have been trained our whole lives to ascend Nagari’s throne as part of our duty to Beast heaven, and yet, you hid something so... important from us?" He points out, and Queen Selthia looks over at Father, who simply keeps his gaze fixed on the ground.

The calmness in Zephan’s voice worries me, because loud Zephan can be argued with. But calm Zephan is already reaching conclusions. Conclusions that are difficult to sway him from. And right now, I don’t know which wheels are spinning in his mind.

My gaze shifts between everyone before me, and I sigh as I want to get to the bottom of this and understand how much trouble we’re actually in.

I saw the thing that attacked Elian that night. It killed that witch. The same witch who almost killed my mother. The same witch who was powerful enough to rob my mother of her beast. If that creature could kill a woman that powerful, I want to know what it is and what it wants with Elian.

Zephan told me he heard them say Balinar has something to do with this, but what exactly is his role? And why is that bastard involved in this?

"What is the Black Sect?" I break the silence, and all eyes turn to me.

Father looks at me, and the hesitance in his eyes genuinely scares me. Because over the years, I’ve learnt. That powerful people only hesitate like this when the answer is ugly.

Very ugly.

Father finally exhales slowly from where he’s sat, and Queen Selthia looks up at him.

He rises from the throne, and for a moment, I see that he looks older than usual. Exhausted in the way he’s been of late—the way that’s starting to worry me.

"They were Nagarians," He says dryly, and my brows crease.

Nagarians?

I look over at Queen Selthia and Zephan, but they’re both staring at Father. One eager to hear his next words, and the other seemingly anxious about them.

"They were not born monsters," Father adds, and my gaze returns to him.

"They were born here." He goes on as his eyes drift to one of the stained-glass windows.

"They were raised here. Children of this land and soil." He whispers, and I listen in silence.

I stare at the wrinkles on his face and hands. I stare at how his blue robe and coat pop against his skin. I stare at how his blue eyes dim as he seems to remember something seemingly heavier than his heart.

Then he looks at me.

His blue eyes are unreadable at first, but then I see something shift. I know my Father well enough to understand him without words. He looks like he’s sad for me. Sad that one day, I’d be in his place.

I’d be the one to carry heavy secrets and tell heavier stories.

I hold his gaze to assure him that I know what leadership entails. I’ve been trained for it my whole life, and as tough as it may get, I will not cower from it. I will face it like a man. Like a king. Like an Alpha who has his entire world to protect. Because I do.

The ghost of a smile graces his lips before he looks away. Almost like he can read my mind, and then his gaze returns to Zephan, who’s still angrily waiting for answers.

"The members of the Black Sect had families. They had all that any simple-hearted person would want. But they wanted more. They wanted power." He explains, and I watch his eyes darken and grow distant as he says the next words,

"They wanted the kind of power ordinary people were never meant to possess. And they... sacrificed everything for it." He adds with his gaze falling to the ground, and something about that word causes my skin to crawl.

"What do you mean, everything?" I ask, and Father lifts his gaze to me. Like I just poked a finger into an open wound.

He sighs, and with that, he and Queen Selthia spend the next several minutes explaining the Black Sect in terrifying detail.

The more they speak, the worse the situation sounds.

They tell us how countless warriors had tried to destroy the sect over the years. Burning them, drowning them, beheading them... None of that worked.

The Sect always came back.

The only thing that had ever succeeded was sealing them away. And even that victory had come at a devastating cost.

Entire bloodlines vanished during the war. Villages disappeared, and thousands died. Including Zephan’s grandfather, the strongest mage Nagari had ever produced.

...Even with Father’s help, Zephan’s Grandfather had given his life merely to seal the Sect. Not destroy them.

But seal them!

And now, after all these years, they are free again.

"Your grandfather was the strongest mage alive." Queen Selthia says with a soft, nostalgic smile on her face.

"But even he couldn’t stand against those creatures’ magic. Nagaria was almost reduced to blood and rubble." She adds, and the image forms despite my best efforts to shut them out.

I picture streets covered in blood. Bodies... Fire and chaos. I think of what Gravemaw was after the attack of those witches and warlocks... but worse. Because I’m starting to understand that this sect is much, much worse than the enemy I’ve known all my life.

I look over at my brother and find him silent. There’s hurt in his eyes. Hurt, and a storm of emotions I cannot begin to decipher.

I know how much family matters to Zephan. I also know how much Nagari matters to him. How seriously he takes his responsibilities.

And now he’s discovering that his grandfather didn’t simply die protecting Nagari.

He sacrificed himself. And nobody thought he deserved to know.

Finally, Zephan speaks. But this time, he doesn’t look up.

"Why?" He whispers.

There’s no anger in his voice anymore. Just hurt.

"Why didn’t you tell me?" He adds, and Queen Selthia’s expression cracks.

I see guilt and pain in her eyes as she moves cautiously towards him.

"I’m sorry." She says with words that sound painfully genuine.

"It was a dark time for the entire kingdom. After recovering, we all agreed never to speak of it again. We hoped the existence of the sect would die behind speculations of it being a myth. We... We just wanted you children to have a childhood." She explains, and Zephan laughs humourlessly.

"A childhood." He repeats, and this time, his eyes lift to hers.

"I was studying military strategy at eleven. I was already negotiating trade disputes before I was old enough to drink." He adds, and Queen Selthia falls silent.

"I’ve spent my entire life preparing to rule Nagari. And somehow this was the thing you decided I wasn’t ready to know?" He demands, and Queen Selthia flinches. The movement is small... Almost invisible.

But I see it. For a moment, I almost feel bad for her.

But then. Zehan has every right to be upset. So I won’t step in now, and try to make him feel wrong for reacting the same way I would have.

Eventually, Father steps forward.

"There wasn’t a right time."

Zephan looks at him.

"There never is." Father continues, and my brows crease.

"You tell a child about monsters too early, and you give them nightmares. You tell them too late, and they accuse you of lying. Tell me why we would have burdened with such horrible truths when we worked so hard to recover from them and bury them? What business had you with it? What would telling about it have changed? Even now that you know. What does it change, Zephan?" Father then demands, and silence crawls over my skin.

Because there is truth in that. Uncomfortable as it may be... It’s the truth all the same.

Zephan looks away, and I can tell Father’s words don’t sit well with him, but he can not argue.

I sigh, and then a question bleeds into my mind. It’s a question that’s been eating at me since Zephan told me all that he did, and since I heard all they’ve said this morning.

I look between Father and Queen Selthia. I know it might be a difficult question, but I want... and need answers. Because now? Now, I am not just meant to protect Elian; we have a child on the way. I have my own family now, and I will not sit cluelessly in a corner because my Father thinks that me know the answer wouldn’t change anything.

"Is their goal Beast Heaven, or is their goal Elián?" I ask, and both of them freeze.

Nobody answers. Not Father, and certainly not Queen Selthia.

I look at Father, and the look in his eyes twists something inside my heart so violently that suddenly I don’t want the answer anymore.

Because their silence is answer enough.

The Black Sect returned after Elián arrived. The entity wanted Elián. Asa died protecting Elián.

And Balinar is involved. The same Balinar who casually requested that we hand Elian over to him back at the capital.

Every road somehow circles back to the same person—the same omega...the young man currently sleeping a few hallways away...the same young man carrying my daughter.

A cold weight settles heavily inside my chest as fear takes root inside me.

Not fear of the Black Sect... or of war. It’s not even fear of Balinar.

I’m afraid for Elián.

And the worst part of it all... Is looking around this room.

At Father, at Queen Selthia, and at Zephan... I realize something that terrifies me even more.

None of them knows how to protect Elian. We are being faced with an enemy far stronger than anything we’ve ever had to face. And not one. Not one of us knows how to protect Elian when he’s clearly the target.

Am I about to lose him? I’ve only just gotten him back. Am I really on the verge of losing him?

No. No, I won’t. I’d rather die before I let any harm come to him or our child.

That’s a vow.