Chapter 13 Prince in name
The morning of the full moon should have been calm.
It wasn't.
Word had spread through the city like wildfire that the king was acknowledging his bastard son. Kael Drakon, leader of the Ashen Wolves, commoner by upbringing, warrior by trade, was about to become a prince of the realm.
The nobles scowled and muttered among themselves, casting disapproving glances.
The council chamber was in chaos.
We'd been summoned at dawn, Kael, me, the Duke, even Elena. The king sat at the head of the table, pale and tired but determined. Around him, a dozen nobles argued, shouted, gesticulated, their faces red with outrage.
"This is madness! A commoner? Raised to princehood?" Duke Ashworth slammed his fist.
"He's my son. Not my heir. But my son," the king said, quietly but firmly.
"Your bastard son, Your Majesty. Born of a servant. Raised in the gutter. What next, that lowly woman as his duchess?" Machioness Winthrop's voice dripped with contempt.
I felt Kael tense beside me, a rigid line of fear and anger. Without thinking, I found his hand under the table, squeezing it tight, trying to anchor us both.
"That woman saved this kingdom," Duke Vex said. "She's faced threats you can't imagine. She deserves honor."
"She's still a commoner." Duke Ashworth's eyes narrowed. "Both of them. Commoners."
"She's my daughter." The Duke Vex stood, voice cold. "Liana Vex. Legitimate, born of my marriage to Elena."
Silence crashed over the chamber, sudden and suffocating. A nervous glance passes between them.
The nobles stared, wide-eyed, whispering anxiously. They'd heard rumors; the city was full of them. But hearing it confirmed, seeing Elena alive, watching the Duke defend the woman they'd thought dead, some gasped, others exchanged shocked glances, and a few looked fearful. It changed things.
"Your... daughter?" Machioness Winthrop stammered.
“Your bastard daughter, to be precise?” Duke Ashworth complies.
"Enough! She’s my daughter. Speak against her again, answer to me," the Duke vex said, eyes locked on Machioness Winthrop and Duke Ashworth.
The argument shifted.
No longer about Kael's worthiness, that battle was joined, but not yet lost. Now they fought over details. Titles. Lands. Succession rights. The endless, grinding machinery of politics.
Kael sat through it all in silence, his face blank but his hand trembling violently in mine. I squeezed tighter, wishing I could shield him from every searing glare in the room.
"You alright?" I whispered.
"I don't want any of this," he whispered, just for me. "Titles, lands, politics. I want you. To fight beside you. To live quietly, away from the noise."
"I know."
"But your face is on that document, too. Liana's face. The Vex name. If I refuse, they win. They erase us both." He squeezed my hand. "I won't let that happen."
"Then we face it together."
"Together."
The crown prince, Aldric, watched the proceedings with an expression I couldn't read.
He'd been silent since we arrived, observing, learning. When the arguments reached a fever pitch, he finally rose.
"Enough."
The room quieted. He was, after all, the heir. The one with the most to lose from this new arrangement.
"I've spent the past weeks getting to know my brother." His voice was calm, measured. "I've watched him with his people. They are remarkable.”
"Your Highness—" Ashworth started.
"I'm not finished." Aldric's eyes hardened. "I've watched this council, scheming, backstabbing, endless games. My brother wants none of it. Not my throne. Not to replace me. He just wants to live his life with the people he loves."
He turned to the nobles.
"So here's what's going to happen. Kael will be acknowledged as my father's son. He'll receive a title, lands, and income enough to support himself and his family. But he will not be in the line of succession. He will not be a threat to anyone's ambitions. He will be a prince in name only, a prince of the people, not of the court."
Duke Ashworth's face reddened. "Give him royal blood and expect us to just—"
"Give him what he's owed." Aldric's voice was ice. "And remember, this man and his companions just saved the kingdom from a threat you barely comprehend: Morwen. The ancient seer. The Syndicate. Do you even know what that means?"
Silence.
"No. You don't. Because you were here, in your comfortable halls, while they were fighting in the dark." Aldric looked at each noble in turn. "So when you speak against them, remember this: you owe them your lives. Everyone of you."
The king spoke then, his voice heavy with authority.
"The decision is made. My son will be acknowledged. The ceremony is at sunset, before the full moon." He looked at the nobles. "Attend and show support, or stay away and show your true colors. The choice is yours."
The nobles filed out slowly, many with stiff jaws, averted eyes, or clenched fists, their faces a mixture of resentment, suspicion, and calculation. Duke Ashworth paused at the door, his eyes meeting Kael's with icy challenge.
"Congratulations, Your Highness," he sneered. "Enjoy your position. There are... expectations."
He left before Kael could respond.
After the council, Aldric found us in a private chamber.
"You handled that well," Kael said.
Aldric smiled tiredly. "Thirty years of practice. I meant it, you’re not a threat, not a rival. You’re family."
Kael clasped his arm. "Brother."
Aldric returned the grip. "Brother." Then his expression grew serious. "But you need to understand, they won't stop. Ashworth, Winthrop, and the others. They'll find other ways to oppose you. To use you. To bring you down."
"Let them try."
"They will. And they'll use her." Aldric glanced at me. "The commoners. The Vex bastard. The seer child. They'll turn her against you."
"Then we'll face it together." Kael's voice was steady. "That's what we do."
Aldric nodded slowly. "Good. Because you're going to need that."
The afternoon passed in a blur of preparation.
Kael's ceremony was formal and public, held at sunset and attended by every noble who wanted to keep the king's favor. Robes were fitted. Words were rehearsed. Protocols were explained and promptly forgotten.
Through it all, I stood apart, watching. The ghost in my chest was quiet, not with sadness, but with peace. Liana was content, watching her family rise, watching the man I loved step into a role neither of us had ever imagined.
"You're brooding," Elena said, joining me.
"Thinking. There's a difference."
"Not with you." She smiled. "What's going on in that head of yours?"
"Tonight. The ritual. What comes after?" I met her eyes. "If I don't come back—"
"You will."
"You don't know that."
"No." Elena took my hands. "I know you. I know Liana. The love between you is stronger than any darkness."
I wanted desperately to believe her. Most of me did. But the fear remained—a small, cold knot in my chest, growing tighter with every breath, refusing to let go.
The ceremony was held in the palace's great hall.
Hundreds of nobles filled the space, their jewels glittering in the candlelight, their whispers a constant murmur. Kael stood before the king, dressed in hastily altered robes, his face a mask of calm.
I watched from the side, hidden among the crowd. Pip stood beside me, her small hand in mine.
"He's scared," she whispered.
"I know."
"He's doing it anyway. For us." She looked up. "That's love."
I squeezed her hand. "When did you get so wise?"
"I've always been wise. Now I just talk more."
I almost laughed.
The king's voice rang out, formal and ancient.
"Today, we acknowledge a son long hidden. A bloodline long denied. Kael Drakon, born of royal blood, raised in shadow, proven in battle, shall henceforth be known as Kael Drakon, Prince of the Realm."
He placed a circlet on Kael's head, simple silver, nothing like the crown he'd never wear. But it was enough. More than enough.
Kael turned to face the nobles. His eyes found mine across the room, and for a moment, everything else faded.
Then Duke Ashworth stepped forward.
"Your Highness." His voice was smooth, poisonous. "Allow me to be the first to offer my congratulations. And my support." He smiled. "My daughter, Lady Cassandra, would be honored to meet you properly. Perhaps at a dinner? To discuss... alliances?"
The room went still. Sarah clenched her fists beneath the table, while Mark's eyes darted nervously around the room. A quiet cough echoed in the silence, and someone shifted in their seat.
Kael's expression didn't change. "I'm honored by the offer. But I'm already promised."
"Promised?" Ashworth's eyebrows rose. "To whom? I wasn't aware—"
"To her." Kael met my eyes, unashamed. "She saved this kingdom. She carries my family in her heart. I love her."
Whispers erupted; nobles exchanged anxious glances. Machioness Winthrop's face went pale, her lips pressed into a thin, trembling line of fury.
Ashworth recovered. "Unusual. But a prince needs more than one alliance. My daughter could offer—"
"No." Kael's voice was firm. "Thank you, but my answer is no. Always."
Ashworth's smile froze. His fingers tightened at his sides, jaw clenching. For a moment, something dangerous flickered in his eyes. Then he bowed, stiffly, formally, and stepped back.
"Of course, Your Highness. I understand completely."
He didn't understand. But he would. And he wouldn't forget.
After the ceremony, the vultures descended.
Noble after noble approached Kael with offers, invitations, veiled threats, and open promises. Some wanted his support in court. Some wanted access to the king through him. Some wanted to marry their daughters to him, their sons to me, their fortunes to our future.
Kael endured them all with a grace I hadn’t seen before. Still, I saw pain shadow his eyes, tension in his shoulders, his hand seeking mine like a lifeline when the crowd’s eyes slid away.
Lady Winthrop was the most persistent.
"A private dinner," she cooed. "Just family. My daughter, Elara, is quite accomplished in music, poetry, and estate management. She would make an excellent companion for a prince with... unconventional tastes."
"Unconventional?"
"Well." Her eyes flickered to me. "One must be practical. A woman like that—" She gestured vaguely in my direction. "She can't give you what you need. Connections. Alliances. Legitimate heirs."
Kael's jaw tightened. "She gives me everything I need."
"Of course. Of course." Machioness Winthrop smiled. "But a prince must think of the future. A mistress is one thing, but a wife—"
"She's not my mistress." Kael's voice was ice. "She's my partner. My equal. The woman I'll spend my life with. If you can't accept that, we have nothing to discuss."
Winthrop's smile vanished. She bowed stiffly and withdrew.
"That went well," I murmured.
"They're going to be a problem."
"Probably." I took his hand. "But not tonight. Tonight, we have other things to worry about."
The sun set.
The full moon rose.
And in the privacy of the king's chambers, away from prying eyes and plotting nobles, we gathered.
The king. Aldric. The Duke. Elena. Pip. Mags. Rafe. Brick, propped up on a chair, too weak to stand but refusing to be left behind. Seraphina. Mira. And Kael.
No nobles. No courtiers. No spies.
Only the people who mattered.
"The ritual must remain secret," the king said quietly. "If word gets out—if people know what you're attempting, there will be chaos. Panic. Attempts to stop you, to use you, to control you."
"I understand."
"Then go." The king met my eyes. "And come back. That's an order."
I almost smiled. "Yes, Your Majesty."
Kael walked me to the catacomb entrance.
The others waited at a distance, giving us privacy. The moon hung overhead, full and bright, painting the world in silver.
"Come back," he whispered.
"Always."
"This is different. This is—" His voice broke. "This is the Hunger. The thing that corrupted Morwen. The thing that's been feeding on seers for centuries."
"I know."
"I can't lose you. Not now. Not after everything."
I pulled him close, held him tight. "You won't."
"You don't know that."
"No." I met his eyes. "But I know I'll fight to come back. Fight harder than I've ever fought anything. Because you're waiting."
He kissed me, desperate and fierce and full of everything he couldn't say.
When we broke apart, his eyes were wet.
"Come back to me."
"Always."
I turned and walked into the darkness.
Behind me, Kael stood alone, watching until the shadows swallowed me completely.
Then he turned to face the world, the nobles, the plots, the endless games of power and politics. Without me at his side, he would have to navigate them alone.
But he wasn't really alone. The family we'd built was waiting. Pip. Elena. The Duke. Mags. All of them.
And in the darkness, I walked toward my destiny.
The Hunger waited.
And I was ready.