“I heard you were sick,” he said as he stopped and turned to Violet.
“Yes. The conditions in the wagon were …”
“Terrible,” he said, a wave of guilt crashing over him. He’d managed to save the staff he abandoned in the wagon, but it took several days. He couldn’t imagine being stuck in that hot, stuffy wagon for so long. He didn’t know how many had died, but it was too many.
“I never got a chance to thank you,” she said. “For saving us. We know Jovita wanted you to leave us, and we all appreciate what you did.”
“Of course. I couldn’t just abandon you.”
“Yes, you could have.” She held his gaze as she spoke. “I haven’t introduced myself properly. Violet Montero. My father was the governor of the southern province.”
“I heard. Why didn’t you identify yourself in the wagon?”
“It didn’t seem all that important. What would you have done with that information?”
She had a point. He could barely think straight in the wagon. His father had just died and he’d still been reeling about Em. Violet could have told him she’d suddenly sprouted three extra heads and he probably would have simply shrugged.
“There are people here who know me,” she said. “If you’d like to confirm.”
“I would. Can’t blame me, can you?” After Emelina pretended to be the princess of Vallos and his fiancée, he’d likely never take anyone’s identity at their word ever again.
“No, I can’t.”
“Why didn’t we meet in the castle?” he asked.
“I’d just arrived when the attack happened. I was going to come to the wedding, but my grandmother was ill and I was taking care of her.”
“I’m sorry about your father,” he said.
“Yours too.”
“Is your mother still alive?” His breath hitched in his throat, and he focused on a spot past her shoulder.
“No. She died a few years ago.”
“Are you the eldest child?”
“The only.”
“Then you’ve inherited the southern province.” He meant for the words to sound congratulatory, but they came out weary instead. He wondered if she was as thrilled to inherit the southern province as he was to inherit the throne.
“I have. I heard you were going to meet with advisers soon, and I thought I should be included.”
“You should. The south is the only province that hasn’t been taken over by Olso.”
“It is.” She said it with pride.
A powerful wind swept over them. Violet pulled her arms against her chest as her dress flapped in the cold breeze. She didn’t shiver, even though she must have been freezing.
“Have you spoken with Jovita yet?” he asked carefully.
“No, Your Majesty.”
“You can call me Cas.” He didn’t let anyone but Galo and Jovita call him Cas, but he knew how important this girl was. He needed her as an ally. As a friend. He glanced at the fortress and took a step closer to her. “Will you tell me if Jovita tries to speak with you? About anything?”
Violet drew her eyebrows together. “Is something wrong?”
“No. My cousin isn’t very fond of me at the moment. I’d like to know I have you on my side if needed.”
“I’m already on your side, Your—Cas.”
At least someone was. “Thank you, Violet.”
THREE
OLIVIA LIFTED HER head to the sky and took in a long breath. The sun had just come up, but it was hidden behind dark clouds. A chilly wind blew her dark hair across her face. After a year locked in a Lera dungeon, every breath of fresh air was a gift.
She plopped down in the middle of the rubble that used to be her home. She hadn’t believed that the castle was completely gone. Olivia had thought there would be walls still standing, chests of her mother’s clothes to sift through. But the fire had burned everything. The humans’ fear had destroyed everything, precisely as her mother said it would.
She nudged a blackened piece of wood aside to reveal a white eye and a nose peeking out at her. The statue of Boda. She grabbed it to find only half of her head was left. Olivia must have been sitting in the remains of the library. The statue of the ancestor had stood in the corner since Wenda Flores became queen.
Olivia closed her eyes, the image of her mother taking shape in her mind. Her long dark hair was often loose, flying behind her as she zipped around the castle. She wore lavish dresses even when there was no occasion, and Olivia would always associate the sound of skirts swishing with her mother.
She tossed the statue head aside. Her mother’s favorite ancestor had done nothing to save her, in the end. If anyone was going to save the Ruined, it was going to be Olivia.
“Liv.”
Olivia turned to see Em walking to her. Olivia could sense humans and Ruined around her, even at great distances. But not Em. Em wasn’t human or Ruined. She was the only person in the world who could sneak up on Olivia.
In Olivia’s mind, she still saw the Em she’d known the first fifteen years of her life. The Em who was sarcastic and often surly, bitter about her uselessness and annoyed at having to watch Olivia practice her magic.
Or maybe she was scared, not bitter. In the past, Olivia would often look over at her sister to find Em turned away, wincing at the screams of a man Olivia was torturing. Olivia would sometimes pretend not to be able to remove a head simply because she didn’t want to see the horrified expression on her sister’s face.
Fear was no longer an option for Em. The year she’d spent away from Olivia had made her ruthless and dangerous. She had the same olive skin and dark hair, but the sadness in her eyes was new. Olivia thought she had it bad in the dungeon. She wasn’t even fully able to grasp what Em had been through the past year.
Despite the horrors she’d endured, Em had taken down Lera, organized the Ruined, and saved Olivia. And they called Em the useless one. Olivia’s mouth tasted bitter suddenly.
“About fifty more Ruined just arrived,” Em said as she sat down next to Olivia. “They said they had no trouble getting out of Olso. Apparently the Olso king invited them to stay, but didn’t try to detain them when they declined.”
“Attempting to keep them against their will would have been deeply stupid,” Olivia said.
“I expect we’ll be seeing some warriors soon.”
“You think so?”
“They wanted us to go to Olso to meet their king. I can’t imagine they’ve decided to let us go.”
Olivia snorted. “Let us? We don’t need them to let us do anything.”
“We don’t want to make enemies of the warriors,” Em said. “We’re not strong enough to stand on our own yet.”
Olivia took in a long breath, batting down the rage that swelled in her chest. Em was right, as much as she hated to admit it.
“I’ll have to negotiate with the warriors, won’t I?” Olivia asked.
“Probably.”
“What if I kill them instead?” She grinned. “Take a strong position right out of the gate.”
“I can’t tell if you’re kidding.”
Olivia tilted her hand back and forth. “Kind of.” Not at all, actually. The only thing that lessened her rage was to rip someone to shreds. She could still feel the Lera queen’s heart in her hand. The pulse against her palm. The queen had deserved it. She’d been there during several of the experiments they’d run on Olivia. Ripping the queen’s heart out of her chest had been kind, actually.
“I really suggest you don’t kill them,” Em said.
“Fine.” She’d find someone else to kill. There were plenty of Lera hunters running around Ruina, attempting to get out now that they were the ones being hunted. She would close her fingers around each of their hearts soon.
“We need to find more permanent shelter,” Em said. “I’d like to take a group out to the coal miners’ lodgings. They should be abandoned by now, and we can use them until the castle is rebuilt.”
Olivia remem
bered the coal miners’ lodgings. They were small and pitiful, in need of updating years ago.
“Is that really our best option?” Olivia asked.
Em nudged a piece of rubble with her shoe. “Unfortunately.”
Olivia thought of the fortress, with its sturdy walls and enough rooms to house a small army. Casimir was comfortable, while they sat in the mess that used to be their home. The Lerans had always been comfortable, since they took Lera from the Ruined and cast them out.
“The cabins aren’t much, but I think we’ll be able to house all the Ruined there,” Em said.
“You still want to take care of them?” Olivia asked.
“What do you mean?”
“The Ruined turned their backs on you. Everyone, except for Aren, chose to follow someone else. Someone who is now dead.”
Sadness flickered across Em’s face at the mention of Damian. Olivia had no sympathy for their dead friend, even if he had helped Em. He’d grown up with Em and Olivia only to betray them when they needed help the most. He deserved to be beheaded by the Lera king.
“They were scared,” Em said. “And I proved that they were wrong to reject me.”
“You sure did. And I did nothing but sit in a cell and plot a million escape attempts. Every one of which failed.”
“It’s not your fault that you were taken. I only took the lead because you were gone.”
“You took the lead even after it had been ripped from you. You put together a plan that took down the most powerful of the four kingdoms. You pulled off a highly risky plot to kill the Vallos princess and marry the Lera prince in her place. You rescued everyone, even after they rejected you. I don’t know if I would have done the same.” Olivia might have let everyone die just to prove them wrong.
“You would have,” Em said, ever the optimist.
“The point is, I didn’t. And I’ve never been interested in all of the political stuff that goes along with the throne. The meetings, the discussions, the compromises. I dreaded having my husband chosen for me, and you went out and married our mortal enemy.”
Em looked at the ground at the mention of Cas. She had barely spoken of the prince—now king—since leaving Lera, but Olivia had seen how they interacted with each other. It seemed Em had developed feelings for that awful boy.
“Did you actually have sex with him?” Olivia asked, trying to keep the horror out of her voice.
“No. He could tell I was terrified and he didn’t push the issue.”
“Huh. Strange.”
“He’s not like his father, Liv. He was kind to me.”
“Well, at least you didn’t have to sleep with him.” She shuddered.
“You’ll have a say in your marriage,” Em said. “Especially with the way things are now. I’m sure anyone you pick will be suitable.”
“You should be the one marrying for political alliances. You’re clearly good at it.”
“But you’re the queen.”
“Why do I have to be the only one? Where is the law that says I have to rule alone?”
“There is actually a law,” Em said with a laugh. “Ruina law states that the eldest inherits the throne, unless the eldest is born useless. Then it goes to the next heir.”
“You’ve proved that you’re not useless. You have other powers, like our mother said.”
“The Ruined will never allow someone useless to rule them.”
“What if we ruled together?”
Em’s eyebrows shot up. “What?”
“There are some parts of being queen that I’ll be very good at. Commanding armies. Training Ruined. The dresses.” She grinned when Em chuckled. “I’m a fighter. You’re a politician. You can actually sit in a meeting with warriors without ripping their heads off.”
“What are you suggesting?”
“A diarchy. We rule Ruina together, as queens.”
“A diarchy.” Em’s mouth formed an O, and Olivia smiled. She knew her sister would be grateful for the opportunity to lead the Ruined. Perhaps she was even better suited for the position than Olivia, but she couldn’t bring herself to give up the throne entirely. Em had made great strides to restore the Ruined to their former glory, but she was still tied up in her ludicrous feelings for Casimir. Olivia needed to guide Em and their people. Olivia needed to prove herself, after being locked away for a year.
“We’ll make decisions together,” Olivia said. “We’ll each have certain responsibilities. We’ll have certain veto powers.” Olivia gently punched Em’s shoulder. “Come on. You know you want to lead the Ruined. You know you should be queen.”
“B-but they’ve already rejected me once,” Em stuttered. “They won’t accept me as their queen.”
“We will make them accept you.”
“Maybe we should discuss it with a few people, ask—”
“We do not ask.” Olivia sat up straighter. She was a little shorter than Em, though not by much. “We take. We will take the throne, we will take responsibility, and we will crush anyone who defies us. Got it?”
Em let out a small laugh. “Really? Crush anyone who defies us?”
“Fine. I’ll crush them. I’m good at that part.” In truth, Olivia knew she needed to take a strong stance with the Ruined. They weren’t going to respect a queen who’d been kidnapped and then rescued by her useless sister. Olivia had to demand, not request.
“Are you sure?” Em asked.
“Absolutely. Don’t make me do this by myself. The Ruined need to be united right now. I think it will make a powerful statement if we start by coming together to lead.”
Em blinked back tears. “I love you, Liv.”
“I know. You married Casimir for me. I figure you must really love me.” Olivia hopped up, extending her hand to Em. “Come on. Let’s go introduce the Ruined to Queen Emelina.”
FOUR
CAS DESCENDED THE steps of the fortress, turning his head at the sound of laughter coming from the rear part of the building. He walked down the hallway, Galo trailing behind him.
“Put some muscle into it!” a woman yelled.
“I am!” another female voice replied.
Cas stopped at the entrance of the kitchen to see the cook, Blanca, pushing a young girl aside with her hips. She pressed her palms into the pile of dough on the counter.
“Like this,” she said. “Massage it like you’re mad at it.” Blanca stepped back, catching sight of Cas standing in the doorway. She straightened and wiped her hands on her apron. “Your Majesty.” The young girl whirled around and squeaked out a greeting.
“Good morning,” Cas said. “How are things going?”
“Very well. Have you been happy with the food?”
“Of course.” He tried to give her a reassuring smile. Blanca had been an assistant chef in the castle, but the head chef was still missing. Probably dead. He pointed to the ball of dough. “I didn’t know we had flour.”
“It came in yesterday. One of the arrivals from Gallego City brought everything he had from his bakery so it wouldn’t go bad.”
He heard footsteps behind him and turned to see Daniela walking toward them, a basket of vegetables in her arms. Her wrinkled face brightened when she spotted him.
“Nice to see you, Your Majesty,” she said, bowing her head. She’d been in the wagon with him, like many of the staff members at the fortress, and Cas seemed to have earned their undying loyalty as a result.
“Can I get you anything?” Blanca asked.
“No, thank you.” He was headed to a meeting with Jovita and the advisers, and his stomach was too knotted to even think about food. He said good-bye and turned away. The laughter didn’t pick up again as he left. Laughter always stopped when he entered a room these days.
He walked back up to the second floor of the fortress and into a large empty room. His father had always been the last to arrive at meetings; Cas had decided to do the opposite.
The staff had removed the couches and chairs and made one long table in the middle of
the room from several smaller tables. There were no windows, so several lanterns hung on the walls, and two sat on the tables. It was nothing compared to the Ocean Room at home, where the meetings were held in the Lera castle. If Cas closed his eyes, he could still see the sun sparkling off the ocean from those windows.
He sank into the chair at the head of the table. Galo lingered in the doorway.
“Sit,” Cas said. He used his foot to push out the chair next to him. “Here.”
Galo looked from the seat to Cas. “Are you sure?” Cas’s father would never have let a guard sit at the table during an adviser meeting. That made Cas only more determined to have Galo next to him.
“Just sit down.”
The guard obeyed and pulled out the chair next to him. Cas cracked his knuckles nervously as he waited. It was still unbelievable that everyone took orders from him.
A few minutes later, Colonel Dimas and General Amaro walked in and murmured their greetings. General Amaro avoided Cas’s gaze as she sat in the seat farthest away from him.
The two advisers he’d met with yesterday entered, their heads bent together in conversation. Cas knew the older one, Julieta, fairly well. She was about the same age as his mother, and she’d lived in Royal City. He’d met the other, Danna, a few times, but she lived in the eastern province and only visited the castle a few times a year. They’d been friendly yesterday, offering condolences for his parents, but today they seemed tense. Julieta flashed Cas a smile that was obviously forced.
Violet stepped into the room, her face brightening when she spotted Cas. He gestured for her to take the seat next to Galo and she quickly scurried over.
The governor of the southern province has a daughter. She was our second choice, after Mary. She’s lovely. Much prettier than Emelina.
His father’s voice echoed in his head as he stole a glance at Violet. His father hadn’t been wrong. Violet was striking, with her long black hair, intense dark eyes, and full lips, but the comparison to Em was inapt. Em might not have been the prettiest girl in the room, but everyone stared at her anyway. It was like she held a secret they all wanted to know.