32 – The Plan - Sweeney

32 – The Plan - Sweeney
32 – The Plan - Sweeney
Prince Darlon Sweeney

The silence in the room was oppressive, broken only by the echo of my own footsteps as I approached the throne. My father sat in his usual pose of authority, his black eyes fixed on me, as though trying to read every thought in my mind before I could speak it aloud.

“Well, look who finally decided to show up...” he said without breaking eye contact. His voice was deep, laced with the kind of irony I’d come to know all too well. “Feeling better?”

“I was summoned. Yes, I’m fine,” I replied curtly, unable to keep the disapproval out of my tone. The Voice of the Veil is a forbidden spell. For the person transported, the side effects include dizziness, weakness, and blindness. For the caster, it can lead to death—or worse, bind their soul to the magic, leaving them consumed by darkness.

“Why do I hear reproach in your voice?” he asked, studying my face. “What is it you want to say?”

“I wasn’t informed about this part of the plan,” I said, clasping my hands behind my back and straightening my posture. “It wasn’t time.”

He gave a cold, almost amused smile and leaned back on the throne.

“You didn’t sleep with her?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Are you spying on my room now?” I couldn’t help but retort.

“I have eyes across all my territory, son,” he said, his tone a veiled reminder that everything here was his—including me.

“It wasn’t the right time. She wasn’t ready,” I said, clenching my jaw to keep my rising anger in check.

“Ahhh, the little wolf does know how to capture hearts...” He laughed darkly. “Are you speaking about the plan—or something else that seems to go beyond it?”

I wanted to answer, wanted to tell him how reckless and impulsive his actions were, how much they could cost us—cost me.

“The plan...” he continued, his voice now steeped in darkness. “...was to win her over, put a little shadow mage in her belly, and make her our weapon within Lunar territory. And given the nights of indulgence you two have been having, I’m confident the plan is well on its way.”

“The plan wasn’t to hand her over to them,” I growled. “We were supposed to wait until the pregnancy advanced, reveal her roots to her, and negotiate with the pack.”

“What, exactly, are you so worried about?” he asked, the shadows on his face growing more menacing. That was the king speaking now.

“What if she doesn’t come back? What if she chooses their side?” I asked.

He smiled coldly, placing a heavy hand on my shoulder.

“She will return. Because you were trained well enough to manipulate her, to ensure she comes back. And if she doesn’t? She’s just another piece on the board. We already have what we need—your future heir. That is why you will be a king worthy of Umbra.” He inhaled deeply. “Now go. And don’t lose sight of your objective.”

Those words hit me like a blow. I shouldn’t be worried about this. I wasn’t trained to fall for her. She could choose their side, refuse to return, and the mission would still be accomplished. My child would be there, giving us leverage to claim what is rightfully ours.

For a fleeting moment, I found myself hoping it wouldn’t work... Knowing that she had been willing to risk her life for me stirred something unfamiliar within me. She cast that spell, knowing full well it could kill her and that everything could change. She would’ve stayed behind to die just so I could live.

I left the council room feeling uneasy. What was happening to me? I needed to get my head back on straight to remember who I was. But Meridian had awakened a part of me that had only existed when my mother was alive, and now I was grappling with who I was meant to be—who I wanted to be.

How was I supposed to handle this?