Chapter Forty

After signing Irina’s name, the room began to clear. Whispers of plans began behind me, and as I turned the room all of the remaining members of my council were gone. I stood alone there for quite some time, staring out at the stars. I had signed a contract with Astraeus’s sworn enemy. Haters of Astrans, Irina’s magic bloodline. What would she say to me? What would her family think?

Just then, a voice broke through my reverie, drawing my attention back to the present. Prince Azhrel, his casual posture and handsome demeanor impossible to ignore, posed a question that set the tone for the conversation that followed. "Say, father, what planet will you gift to Helios?"

Beside him stood the Kaimari Warrior, an enigmatic figure whose helmet concealed his expressions. His slight tilt of the helmet seemed to indicate a keen interest in the matter at hand.

The Emperor sighed, a mixture of resignation and determination in his gaze, as he addressed his son's question. "Nova," he affirmed, nodding in my direction as if acknowledging my presence. "Goodnight, Princess Irina," he concluded, his words carrying a sense of finality as he exited the room.

"Wait, wait," Prince Azhrel's voice carried a note of urgency as he sought to continue the conversation with his father. Kaden's presence at his side only added to the air of intensity.

"Nova? Did you say, Nova?" Kaden's voice was laced with disbelief, his armor-clad form giving nothing away. "Why not Thelo?" Even behind the helmet, his disgust was palpable.

The Emperor turned back, his gaze steady as he addressed the room once more. "Seven million requires infrastructure, both Kairos and Thelo cannot suddenly accommodate for that many."

Azhrel, clearly frustrated by the situation, let out a sigh. "There is no room for seven million on Nova."

The Emperor's response was pragmatic, as if the matter was a simple equation to solve. "Then give them Rega, by the mountains."

The declaration was met with an immediate outcry from Kaden, his voice carrying a mix of shock and frustration. "That’s my castle!"

In response, the Emperor offered a logical explanation, his tone tinged with a sense of authority. "Kaden, you and your bounty hunter allies have held claim to all of Nova’s western land for over a decade. You can accommodate far more than seven million. Allow them a court.”

Kaden's resolve, however, remained unshaken, his stance straightening as he made his stance clear. "Not my realm. They can have Feysand Castle, all the infrastructure beneath the mountain, but not the Night Court."

"Very well," Emperor Kao's decree resonated, dismissing his sons from the room. As Azhrel retreated, his discontent palpable, I sensed a deeper struggle within him, even if his words remained indiscernible.

The aftermath of their departure left a lingering silence, one I felt compelled to break. "Night Court?" I queried, curiosity and intrigue coloring my words.

Kaden released a sigh, a mixture of weariness and contemplation that somehow only added to his enigmatic allure. He retrieved a bottle of rich, dark liquor and two glasses, his movements fluid and deliberate. Taking a seat across from me in the matching navy blue chair, he issued a commanding invitation. "Sit."

I obeyed his directive, my eyes drawn to the dance of shadows and light across the room. He poured our drinks, a practiced ease to his gestures. His helmet shifted, the iridium gleam transforming into a deep, captivating black with the press of a button. Together, we downed the first drink with a shared eagerness, the smooth liquor igniting warmth within me. He refilled our glasses without hesitation, an unspoken rhythm forming between us.

"To deviate from the Senate's plan was a good move," he finally spoke, his words a melodic cadence that brushed against my senses.
The subtle praise in his tone drew a flush to my cheeks, my heart betraying my composed façade. "Restricting your population's gathering to a fraction was wise. It prevented the unraveling of Astreus galaxy, preserving its potential."

A soft smile threatened to curve my lips, but I resisted, determined to maintain a semblance of control in his presence. His assessment of my actions was flattering, his perception leaving a flutter of appreciation within me. "The Shadows," I inquired, my voice an undertone of intrigue, "what does your father desire from them?"

A chuckle, a sound as rich and layered as the liquor we indulged in, echoed from within the confines of his helmet. The sheer confidence of it sent ripples of attraction through me, despite the fact that I couldn't see the face behind the armor. "Assistance, I presume, in the delicate art of murdering the Empire's rulers.

The shock of his words was enough to make me sputter, my drink almost escaping my grasp. "Murder the Empire? Us?" The notion was both audacious and unsettling.

The Kaimari Warrior's laughter seemed to dance on the edges of his words, a playful cadence that danced through the room. "You act as if you didn't nearly dispatch me during our training," he teased, his laughter lighting up the space between us. "And as for your sisters, Amaya and Saija, their reputation at Dawnlight Academy precedes them. They are, indeed, at the top of their class."

My smile faded as I remembered the trials and losses we'd endured. "They were," I agreed somberly, the weight of those memories tugging at my heart.

He leaned back in his chair, his presence a mix of both ease and intensity. "Your sisters possess a unique skill, one that is a rarity here," he continued, a glint of admiration in his tone.

"What skill is that?" I inquired, drawn into the depth of his gaze even though it remained hidden.

"Loyalty," he declared with a smile that I could feel radiating through the room. "And that fighting spirit is something I recognized in you from the moment we met, in that corridor where you threw yourself between my blade and Irina. Your spirit and determination, those are qualities that set your family apart. Kaimari Warriors prioritize fighting for oneself, but your sisters, and you, you fight for something far greater."

His words lingered in the air, a bridge forming between us, built upon his astute observations. My fingers traced the rim of my glass. "How did you know that it was me?"

His helmeted gaze, though unseen, held a promise of something deeper, something almost flirtatious. "I always knew it was you," he confessed, his voice a velvet murmur that wrapped around the space between us, "even when your sisters collaborated in pretending you were Irina at the castle."

I playfully tapped my glass against his. "Sure," I teased, the lingering connection between us sparking with a hint of lightheartedness.
His gaze shifted toward the stars before us. "And you overlook a priceless advantage," he continued, his tone infused with knowing confidence.

I raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "More hidden knowledge?"

A subtle smirk accompanied his response, even though I couldn't see it. "All four of them are captive on Empire soil. From what I've witnessed, Amaya and Saija will be absorbing every detail, ready to report and wage war."

Guilt washed over me like a tide, and I sought solace in my drink, its familiar burn masking the tumult within. "You're right," I agreed, my gaze drawn to the stars as if seeking answers from their distant brilliance. "Irina, too. She'll be fueled by a need for vengeance."

His attention was on me, his gaze a palpable presence that demanded my honesty. "And what about you, Aurora?" The weight of his question hung in the air, the seriousness of it commanding my attention. "Do you also seek vengeance?"

There was no hesitation within me. I met his invisible gaze head-on, my voice unwavering as I bared the truth that had shaped me. "I was told my planet was annihilated in the Great War. My parents were sold into slavery and eventually killed by the Empire's cruel labor."

The pain of those memories surged, but I held it back, determined to remain strong. "My entire childhood was steeped in torture, murder, every fiber of my being honed for defense and destruction."

I turned my focus fully toward the Kaimari Warrior, my gaze steady even though I couldn't see his reaction. "I want to bring an end to the Empire with every ounce of my being." Emotion surged within me, and I spoke with fierce determination. "I want to be the one to take down Emperor Chao.”