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“SO THE OTHER CAVELON—IT might be my uncle.” I got up from my seat and began to pace restlessly, unable to keep still.
“Perhaps.” Graeme fell silent. I watched him ruminate on what to say next. He finally glanced up at me. “But even if Donovan has passed, Evrion faces an enduring problem. The rebellion will not die easily. Not this time.”
I paused in my pacing, sudden dread pooling in the pit of my stomach; one thing I had learned very quickly was how to recognize the approach of bad news. “This time?”
“There have been conflicts before,” Graeme stated. “Protest, civil unrest. Things any king might expect to witness from the throne. Not every decision you make is going to be a beloved one.”
“But things are different now,” I said. “How come?”
“Because of who is leading the charge.” Graeme’s eyes found mine again. I got the distinct impression that he was genuinely chagrined about whatever he was going to tell me. Then he dropped the bomb. “Raven has reason to believe that she could be entitled to the throne.”
It was a good thing I’d left my coffee cup on the table, because if I’d been holding it, there would have been coffee and shards of ceramic scattered all across the floor. “I’m sorry. Did I hear that right? She’s entitled to the throne?”
“She isn’t. But she might think she could be.” The old man seemed to gain a second wind now that the cat was out of the bag. He straightened up in the chair and inhaled deeply. Some of the deep lines in his face eased a little. “Royal succession in Evrion is a bit of a complicated thing.”
“What the heck.” I threw my hands up. “Why didn’t anyone warn me? Maybe I could’ve been more prepared if I knew this was a historical kind of deal.” Frustrated, I returned to my seat. “But okay, I’ll bite. Tell me the story. The whole story, please.”
“To be frank, there’s not so much to tell.” Graeme shrugged his shoulders. “I am certain Raven’s take is much more dramatic, but the long and short of it is that at one point, two families stood in the running to take control of Evrion’s royal house. Your bloodline was one of them. Raven’s was the other.”
“And she lost,” I chimed in. “So, she’s bitter.”
“Yes. What complicates the matter is that she’s not the only one. As you’ve seen, Raven retains a host of loyalists who will fight beyond the point of reason to help her reclaim what they feel has been unfairly taken.
“We didn’t cheat, did we?” I asked him uneasily. “Please be honest, Graeme. I won’t hold you accountable for the distant past.”
He shook his head. “Not to my knowledge. House Cavelon has always maintained its steadfast integrity during the transition period, much to the displeasure of the Lefevre clan. They have run a campaign to dethrone this house since the day of the very first Cavelon coronation. And over time, resentment festered until it reached its breaking point at last.”
“And then I came along.” I smiled grimly. “Great timing.”
“I know that is sarcasm,” Graeme said, “but you may be more right than you think. House Cavelon is in need of a fresh start, a new face, a different perspective. Much as it pains me to say, we have been steeped in old traditions for quite possibly too long. Who knows where Evrion might be if only we were able to...” He trailed off, his expression growing distant for a moment. “No. No matter. You are here now, and you’re precisely the change we so desperately need.”
I wasn’t too sure about all that, personally, but it felt good to get a vote of confidence from someone. “You know I’ll do anything I can to help. Even though I haven’t been there long, I’m trying to embrace the kingdom as my home and my people. I already can’t imagine going back to a regular life on Earth; not after everything I’ve seen and learned.” And not without Stas. I kept that last part to myself. “I just don’t know where to start. There are too many people to talk to. Everything I do needs approval. I can barely go to the bathroom on my own.”
I could feel some of those long-held grievances against royal life bubbling to the surface, and I made a valiant effort to push them back down. Hold it in, Amber. You can deal with that after you’ve got your throne back.
“Nothing you do needs approval, Ambrose,” Graeme was telling me. “Your word is final, whether the court likes it or not. That being said, we are all acting with your best interest at heart.”
“I know.” I rubbed my face. “What would you do, Graeme? Like, if you were in my position? I feel like I’m stuck between a rock and a hard place here.”
“Oh, you are.” His lips tilted upward. “Such is the nature of the crown. That being said—my advice is to gather your resources as much as you can, take them with you back to Evrion, and knock Raven off the throne yourself.” I must have looked shocked, because he continued quickly. “The people are searching for strength and power. Who better to act as a symbol of unity than you, the last of your line? Make them believe that only a Cavelon can heal the rift that divides the world.”
“Wow.” I whistled. “Daria’s going to hate that.” I, however, sort of loved that plan. It was exactly the kind of action-oriented, slightly reckless, super-bold operation I’d been longing to launch in my heart of hearts.
“I’ll handle her.” Graeme winked. “This old dog still knows a few tricks.”
I chuckled. “You’ve surprised me Graeme, I have to say. But I understand why my father valued your counsel so highly.”
“Make no mistake. We want you to be safe, Ambrose. In a perfect world, you always would be. But there are times when absolute safety is not an option. And in those times, we have no choice but to act.”
It was hardly the pep talk I had expected to receive when I caught up with Graeme in the hangar. And yet, as I left his quarters, the dual sense of relief and purpose washed over me like a tidal wave. For the first time in what seemed like forever, I had a plan to follow. Sure, the plan needed some refinement, but it was a solid place to start.
Colvin was standing at his post as I arrived back at my home away from home. He and the big blond Guardian made the official handoff, and then we were more or less alone again, standing in front of my door like usual. He looked just as handsome as ever. The color was back in his cheeks, the fatigue gone from his eyes.
“Where’d you go off to?” he asked, in a way that suggested he already knew.
“Who, me? I was just collecting the last of our court off the evacuation transports from Evrion. I think the gang is finally all here.”
“That’s all?” He raised an eyebrow. “You were gone a pretty long time.”
“Well, maybe we were finalizing some things I’d like to put in motion.” I skirted around the topic a little bit, trying to gauge his receptiveness.
“Anything I ought to know about?” He tilted his head toward me and I gave in. Damn those gorgeous eyes.
“Graeme advised me to go back to Evrion and depose Raven myself.” I said it fast, as if that way he wouldn’t have time to say it was crazy.
“Whoa.” Colvin hesitated. “Graeme said that?”
“He sure did. I swear.”
“You know, I always heard he was a badass back in the day. I guess it might be true after all.”
I moved in close to him. “Can you help me make sure Daria doesn’t lose her mind? I have the strangest feeling she’s not going to be on board with this at all.”
Colvin looked down at me. “You don’t give Daria enough credit, Amber. She’s not stupid. She just cares about you. If it turns out that this is actually the best thing to do, she’ll stand behind you all the way.” He frowned. “You’ll just have to convince her first.”
“That’s what I mean! I need you to have my back on this, because I’m not going to hide it from her. Please?”
Gently, he touched his thumb and forefinger to my chin. “Let’s see how it goes.”
