Chapter 7 An explosion rattles the coach. I'm thrown against the seat, my ears ringing. Time slows; vision blurs. Shouting Imperials crowd around me while the slums erupt beyond their cocoon. Stone crumbles from buildings, spitting debris on those scrambling in the streets. My chest heaves with every piercing scream that wafts from the smoke. I shut my stinging eyes. This is all my doing. Another bomb has the coach shuddering. How did we get here? Just a handful of hours ago, I was safely in my study. The morning was quiet. I spent most of it staring down at my ink-stained hand. There was no ring on my finger, but I felt the weight of my engagement nonetheless. Paedyn was still so stubbornly the same girl I once knew, despite the killer she became. It had been mere days since she so selflessly accepted my proposal. The hope this former Silver Savior clung to was just as naive and as annoyingly admirable as ever. But her moral compass guided me to say precisely what she needed to hear-promise of a united Ilya. Now she wore that ring like a shackle, bound to the duty she felt for this kingdom. "Your Majesty?" A Healer was inspecting me, just like every morning. "Hmm?" I looked up at him distantly. Eli's smile was tight. "I asked if His Majesty could please turn his head to the side." "Of course," I murmured before obliging. My gaze frequently fell to a flyer atop my desk, the same one that was distributed throughout the city. It detailed the story I spun to coax Paedyn into accepting my proposal. Uniting the Elites and Ordinaries so the surrounding cities resumed trade was hardly motivated by resources-though Ilya truly ran low. No, it was trusting kingdoms and open borders I craved. Eli's frigid fingers slid from my throat. "That is all for today, my young King." I tipped my head in thanks as the probing Healers and whispering Scholars slipped out of the study. A shock of disappointment coursed through me when none of the passing faces belonged to Mara. This was alarming. I was engaged when meeting the intriguing woman, and that unfortunate fact still remained. My betrothal to Paedyn Gray was the price I must pay for greatness. Ironic, that an Ordinary would spark the spread of Elites. A booming explosion startles me back to the present. I blink against the haze of smoke, my eyes watering. Kai no longer sits across from me in this coach open to the sky, pretending as though he doesn't see Paedyn's knee resting against my own. Our interrupted parade was more an excuse to spend time with him than it was to celebrate my complicated engagement. And for a short time, amid that peaceful promenade through the kingdom, I nearly forgot Paedyn's presence. That is, until she begged to extend the festivities to her home. Just as I knew she would. Admirably predictable. "Stay down, Your Majesty!" I duck at the Imperial's barked order, hating that I'm the only one cowering in this coach. Kai is off being the Enforcer while my bride-to-be is blatantly defying orders. She disappeared into the chaos after slipping through the wall of Imperials, leaving me here to sit in the discomfort of my decision. Alone. Forgotten. This destruction is my doing. Like a morbid symphony, screams crescendo all around. I am not a monster. This had to be done-Calum agreed. That seems important to remind myself, perhaps because this guilt is not mine alone to bear. But I needed disarray, a tangible defiance. The kingdom has boldly murmured their objection to an Ordinary queen-I only raised their voices. The Trials must commence. And this will force my betrothed into them. Force her to unknowingly do my bidding. Smoke fills my lungs until I'm choking on the consequences of my actions. I am not a monster. The ringing in my ears brings no reprieve from the sound of panicked horses and wailing Elites. I can see nothing from where I crouch on the floor of this coach, coddled by a swarm of Imperials. The heavy crown on my head is slipping, and I'm certain I look the part of a helpless royal. I suppose that is what I am, really. A king still overshadowed by the weak brother he used to be. But not for much longer. I tear the crown off, letting it clang onto the floor beside me. This is my mess-I should at least be in the middle of it. I stand to my feet despite the Imperials' protests. The ruin I ordered sprawls before me, all crumbling stone and scrambling bodies. Ribbons of flame feast on tattered banners, devouring the carts of several merchants. The street is shrouded in a thick smoke that blurs the chaos within. But it's the scattered bodies that hold my horrified gaze. Blood coats the cobblestones. It's an obvious consequence that hadn't occurred to me. People were going to die before my plan even began. That soft part of me, the weakness Father despised, shies away at the realization of what it is I've done. In fact, I'm tempted to forfeit the fate I've meticulously crafted for myself if it means saving those in the path of my plotted destiny. And that only confirms what I already know to be true. Kitt Azer needs to die. A tender heart has no place in history. It must cease beating if I wish to be great. So when a bomb erupts mere feet from me, I fear some greater power may have misunderstood my metaphor. The coach trembles, and I'm thrown to the floor with the impact. My skull meets something hard on the way down. I might have yelled; I'm not sure. The world has gone quiet. I look up at the smoky sky above. Imperials lean over the coach's sides, nudging their way into my line of sight. Their mouths move beneath the white masks they wear. There is a dull humming in my ears. I haven't the slightest clue what they are saying. In fact, I feel quite cold. My gaze drifts to the bench beside me. It is where Kai had reminisced with me during our journey from the castle. It was like we were brothers again. And I would very much like to cling to that moment. Though, it seems the seat has already been taken. Another figure now occupies the plush bench, legs crossed comfortably. She is slender beneath the dark cloak slung over her shoulders. Auburn hair slips just past her collarbones when she tilts her head at me. And though her eyes are what some might describe as a common brown, I doubt I've seen a pair so piercing. Mara. She stares down at me, paying no heed to the commotion beyond. Rather, she wears that look of veiled intrigue. It's as though she is waiting for something. I open my mouth-to say what, I'm not sure-when the world suddenly comes rushing back. An Imperial pulls me onto the bench opposite Mara, informing me of our immediate departure. Every muffled word grows in volume until the sound of mayhem is a dull roar in my ears. I'm about to demand my brother be brought to me when his form emerges from the smoke. And while I shouldn't be surprised to see Paedyn held in his arms, it still manages to sting. Of course he ensured she was okay before returning to me. I shrug off the jealousy that taps me on the shoulder, begging for a reaction. Instead, I stiffly await their return to the coach. When an Imperial throws open the door, ushering my Enforcer and betrothed inside, I glance over at the Healer occupying their seat. Except, she no longer does. Mara is gone. I blink at the empty bench before Kai and Paedyn are sliding onto it. The coach begins moving before they have even settled across from me, both bloody and panting. Tears brim in Paedyn's gaze when it falls on the scarlet-stained hem of her dress. "What happened?" she gasps, voice breaking. Kai scans the chaos blurring past. "We can't talk now. There are ears everywhere." The coach rattles across uneven cobblestones, swerving between scattered stone. My brother's scrutiny slides to me. "Are you all right? I ensured you were surrounded by Imperials." I swallow. "I am fine." I am a monster. "Who would do this?" Paedyn whispers. A monster. "A monster." My gaze snaps to Kai when he utters the words my mind screams. No. No, he is not supposed to think that about me. Not him. This is for him. For us. He will see that soon-he has to see that. My brother's gaze falls on Paedyn. It always does. "This is a message." I look away. The smoking street slips past. This was a message. One I have scrawled across my life. In the Plague I swallowed, the betrothal to a woman my brother wants, the pain I must cause before gifting power-there is nothing I won't do for those I love. And I only know how to love Kai. I am a monster. I am a king. Perhaps one cannot exist without the other. In a romance-themed observation show, several participants undergo a series of interactions and conflicts filled with love, misunderstandings, and power struggles. In the end, one couple rises to over...