Chapter 58: The Weight Of Responsibility

Kren felt the weight on his arm before he opened his eyes. He turned his head to the side, and there was Bernice,she was asleep. He noticed streaks of grey running through the side of her hair that hadn’t been there before he left. That said a great deal about what she had been dealing with, considering it had been only a few days since he left, not even a full week had passed.

Then again, it felt like a lifetime had passed, given everything he’d seen and dealt with in that time frame. He hadn’t even begun fighting yet, and he was already a failure. Even with the so-called Sovereign System, he’d been helpless. Wasn’t he supposed to be able to save them? In a pride, the lionesses did the hunting, but protecting the pride was the lion’s job, and it was the N’korans’ most sacred duty.

Bernice’s voice cut through his thoughts. "You look like hell, and there’s not a scratch on you. That’s not a good look for a king." Bernice’s voice was rough with sleep. Kren turned toward it, and for a moment he wanted to say something, anything at all. Maybe tell her how beautiful she looked in the glow of the morning sun. Maybe tell her how glad he was to see her. But nothing came, not a single word, not with how heavy his heart felt.

"We don’t have time for this, Your Majesty. We’ve dealt the Ale a decisive blow, but there are still roughly six hundred of them camped on those hills. You achieved your goals in the Storm Mountains and brought us the tools we need to survive. Now we’re waiting for you to lead us."

Kren said nothing, offering no acknowledgment of her presence or her words. Bernice sighed, plainly frustrated by how listless he was, though she couldn’t bring herself to blame him. Even as a boy, he’d carried an enormous sense of responsibility. And for all the training she had given him, this was the first time he’d come face to face with the true horrors of the battlefield. The first time he’d been forced to understand that his enemies would do everything in their power to make him fail. That there was no line they wouldn’t cross, no lies they wouldn’t spit. Honor meant nothing to them, only victory.

This was the crossroads that would decide what kind of king Kren became. One who was willing to do anything to destroy his enemies, or one willing to do anything to be better than them. Bernice knew which she wanted, but in the end, the choice was his. Whichever way he chose, she would be at his side.

"If it’s any consolation, though I know it is not. we only lost about twenty percent of the enslaved felines. The rest made it here, chasing after you and Aki, and are safe behind the walls of Lasthold. They’re waiting for you too, Your Majesty. Some of them have just lost loved ones and friends so that the others could get here and buy us the time we needed to arm ourselves. We can grieve later, all of us. This burden doesn’t rest on your shoulders alone. But for now, your people need you. I need you. So get up and get ready. I’ll be waiting outside."

She left the room, and almost immediately whatever comfort Kren had felt walked out with her. But she was right. If there was one thing she’d beaten into him all these years, it was that he never sat on his ass when there was work to be done, no matter how painful the loss or how tired his body.

He found something simple to throw on from the chest at the foot of his bed: plain white linen pants and a shirt, the kind he usually wore when he was relaxing at home, or in mourning. The moment he stepped out of his room, he could feel the change in the atmosphere. Somber, perhaps. But that was only to be expected. People had just died, people who were never supposed to die.

Bernice noticed him and fell into step beside him, saying nothing as she followed him down the stairs toward their makeshift meeting room, which was really just the manor’s dining area. Aki was there, along with Fima, Toa, a woman Kren had never met, and two of the Storm Eagle craftsmen who’d come down the mountain with the supplies. Kren marched straight toward Aki. He tried not to make his intentions obvious, but Bernice knew exactly what he was about to do a heartbeat before he did it, and she caught his arm just before his fist could find Aki’s jaw.

"You know it isn’t his fault." Bernice said, trying to calm him, but Kren turned on her with even more fury in his eyes.

"HE TOLD THEM TO DIE!" The entire room flinched as Aki dropped his head and lowered his eyes in shame. It looked like he had a lot to say, but he kept it in his chest and let Kren pour out his grievance.

"Those were my people. It was our responsibility to keep them safe, and he told them to die. For me? That’s bullshit. What makes my life worth more than theirs? For once, why can’t you all just let me rule the way I want, and stop forcing me into such terrible choices?"

"Your Majesty." Fima stepped forward slowly. "I don’t believe General Aki had much of a choice." Kren leveled his glare on her, and she lowered her head almost at once. His rage was resonating through his sovereign bloodline, so they weren’t just seeing him angry, they were feeling it.

"You don’t know that. He didn’t even try anything else, and that key was right there, right in front of us." Kren paused, then took his seat at the head of the table, closing his eyes and breathing deeply. Everyone else remained standing.

"We’ll revisit this failure later, Aki, once we’ve driven those snake bastards off our land. You will answer to your king for this sin, and you will be punished. Have I made myself clear, General?" Aki stiffened, even more affected by Kren’s sovereign aura, being the very cause of the anger behind it.

"By your will, Your Majesty. I am your blade and your shield. My life is in your hands." Kren snorted and turned his attention back to the table and the people gathered around it. His eyes settled on the unfamiliar woman.

"Who are you?"

The woman straightened and offered an imperial bow, placing both hands one over the other, palms facing downward, before lowering her head.

"This one is known as Raven, a humble servant of the imperial court. I am here as an envoy, to represent the will and interests of my empress and mistress, Imperial Princess Elyvara. I am under orders to advise and instruct you in matters of state, and to ensure that whatever moves you make align with the princess’s will."

The room went silent and cold. If Kren had been angry before, he was absolutely furious now. The mere mention of Elyvara’s name set off something in him, his Aura spilling out until the chairs around him rattled, and he spoke through gritted teeth.

"So she sent you not only to watch me, but to put a leash on me, like some pet dog!"

Raven said nothing, simply holding her bow while Kren tried to work out what to do next and how to rein himself in. It seemed the harder he tried to solve his problems, the bigger they grew, or something new turned up to make his life even more difficult than it already was.

"The princess’s desire to keep watch over you aside, Your Majesty, I know Raven. I trained her personally, before I was sent here as a wife for your father. She’s very good at what she does, and right now, she may be exactly the kind of person we need to help us with some of our problems." Bernice spoke up, finding a way to balance the room and bring Kren down from the edge.

"I must clarify, Lady Bernice. I am only here to advise, and to ensure that nothing goes against the interests of the imperial throne. I am not permitted to do anything beyond that." Raven met Bernice’s gaze as she spoke. Bernice snorted.

"You’re part of this royal court now, witch. I assure you, you’ll be doing a great deal more than advising."

Kren caught the exchange between the two women. Raven didn’t contradict Bernice, or say anything further. It made him wonder what sort of relationship they truly had. Bernice had trained her, but there was clearly some kind of tension between them, and he couldn’t quite work out its shape.

"Can we trust her?" Kren asked, keeping his eyes locked on Raven’s face, trying to read what kind of beast she was.

"Yes." Bernice looked at Kren, then back at Raven. "We can trust her."

Kren nodded in acceptance and turned to address the rest of the room.

"All right. I’ll permit her to join us. The rest of you, take your seats. Let this war council... begin."