Eno jumped into the front passenger seat while Caelan was squished in the center of the back seat, between Rayne and Drayce. Rayne continued texting with Tomas and Johanna. Every once in a while, he’d randomly spit out updates on soldier counts and locations of Empire soldiers.
“That’s…unexpected,” Rayne murmured.
Caelan turned his head to watch his advisor. “What?”
“General Morgan just reported that much of the New Rosanthe fleet in the harbor is moving out.”
“They’re leaving their soldiers behind?” Drayce gasped. He leaned around Caelan to glare at Rayne. “What the hell?”
Caelan hummed happily. He’d been expecting this, though it took longer than he’d wished. “Sounds like our assistance is causing a stir at God’s Throat.”
Rayne twisted in his seat, looking as if he were planning to strangle Caelan. “Assistance? What are you talking about?”
He smirked at his advisor. “Do you think I’d really leave Sirelis and not broker a little assistance from one of the best navies in all of Thia? Prince Shey promised to send as much of the Caspagir fleet as he could spare to help clean Erya’s waters.”
“The blockade.” Rayne nodded and returned to his texting.
God’s Throat was the narrow entrance into Stormbreak Bay. With enough ships, it was relatively easy to create a blockade. Unfortunately, Erya had never invested heavily in their navy. Their specialty was farming, and the military had remained focused on ground troops. With New Rosanthe on the other side of the world and a steady alliance with Ilon and Caspagir, a strong navy had seemed a waste of money. Now Caelan wasn’t so sure.
With most of the people cleared out of the city and East Ward under Erya control, they managed to make the trip to King’s Square in only twenty minutes. Rayne lowered his phone and they all stared out the windows as the driver pulled through the main gates leading to the Royal Towers and headed along the main drive.
When was the last time he’d been down this route? That night he, Drayce, and Eno had gone to the bar. Rayne had come to fetch him for his final meeting with his mother. It had been late, and the fountains that lined the road were aglow with yellow light. The Tower had gleamed brightly against the velvety black sky. His home had shone like a diamond that night.
Now the fountains were turned off, and there were signs of fighting everywhere. Chunks of concrete were shattered and spread about. Scorch marks and bloody smears dotted the grounds, while many of the trees were now burned.
But it was all fixable. His home could still be restored once his people were taken care of.
Several hundred yards from the Towers, the driver stopped near a line of Erya soldiers. As Rayne stepped out of the vehicle, phone tucked away and bo staff drawn, Tomas came out of the crowd followed by Melita. Both saluted Caelan as he climbed out of the car, but he waved them off. There wasn’t time for that.
“Croft?” he demanded as he started walking through the soldiers with Tomas on his left. Eno immediately moved to his right while Drayce and Rayne were on his heels. The ranks were closed around him; the king was protected. A nice idea, but Caelan was ready to show the Empire why the King of Erya was first and foremost the Guardian of the Godstone.
“Alive, for now. Her assistant has been babbling on about a meeting to secure the peace and New Rosanthe’s betrayal,” Tomas answered with a scoff.
“New Rosanthe’s Emperor has no interest in peace,” Caelan murmured, but even as he said it, part of him wondered if the Emperor had any choice in the matter now. Was he being manipulated by the woman standing beside him?
They stopped at the end of the lane as it opened up into a wide-open area in front of the towers. Hundreds of soldiers dressed in the Empire’s black and gold were arrayed. But in front of them were ten men with rifles pointed at a woman on her knees. Behind her stood a second woman in an officer’s uniform. The officer said something to Croft, wringing a broken sob from her, and pattered her on the head before turning toward Caelan and his group.
“Prince Caelan Talos,” she greeted in a voice that rang through the air. “I thank you for joining us so early in the morning. I’ve always found a good way to start the day is with an execution. Helps to get the blood pumping, don’t you think?”
“I can think of a few more appealing ways to begin my day, but then in Erya, only the local butcher begins his day in death,” Caelan countered. “You’ll forgive me, but who are you? What do you want?”
The woman stepped closer. He could more clearly see her porcelain-white skin and the bright-red lipstick that covered her wide mouth. Her blond hair was swept into a severe bun on the back of her head. She looked as if she were only in her twenties.