Born of Defiance

Rolling her eyes, she slid out of his arms and groaned out loud. “Oh my God, you sound like my paran!” She sighed heavily and pulled Talyn into the room. “Talyn meet my paka. Paka, Talyn.”


Talyn hesitated as he finally saw the elder nobleman. For some reason, he’d forgotten how much younger Felicia’s mother was than her father and the fact that Lorens was older than Talyn’s mother. He gave a slight bow to the politician who had the bearing of royalty. “My lord.”

Saren snorted. “Please, don’t be so formal.” He patted Talyn on the back. “We’re practically family. Especially given what all you’ve done for my Felicia, who should never have put you through any of this.”

She hung her head.

Talyn’s temper snapped. “She’s done nothing, other than bring utter happiness to my life.” He cut a teasing glare at her. “Maybe not right this moment with the death threats on her head… everything else was never her fault.”

She smiled at him and hugged him close. “Love you,” she whispered in his ear.

He inhaled the scent of her hair and trembled at the fear and love he felt for her.

His mother’s link went off. Excusing herself, she went to answer it.

Saren turned the sound up on the monitors where the news was playing. “I do have to give her credit… we were never able to get anything into the hands of the media. By hijacking your press conference, Felicia accomplished more in five minutes than all of our members combined, over the last fifteen years.”

Talyn frowned. “Excuse me?”

“My father is the leader of WAR,” Felicia whispered in his ear. “He took over after Rhys was arrested.”

Talyn gaped at that unexpected nugget. Apparently, Lorens was as good at keeping secrets as he was.

His mother returned to the room. “Tylie just heard about the civil unrest. She and Cairistiona are off-planet. They were on their way to rendezvous with Emperor Aros at an undisclosed location, when all this started breaking loose. Given the current political climate, and those demanding royal heads roll, Tylie intends to remain in the Triosan Empire until the dust settles.”

Talyn didn’t like the sound of that, or what it would mean for his mother. Although, it might be for the best to get her out of the empire until this ended. “Are you being recalled?”

She nodded. “Cairie’s hysterical about everything. Tylie’s hoping I can calm her down before they sedate her into a coma. I need to leave immediately.”

Saren narrowed his gaze. “What she’s planning to do about her mother?”

“Knowing Tylie, she’ll try to stay out of it and keep her sister safe. You have to remember that all their siblings murdered each other, and their children. The only one who ever protected Tylie and risked her own life to do it was Cairie. Now, Tylie is done with the senseless violence. All she wants is an Andaria where she and Cairie can live sanely and in peace.”

Galene sighed heavily as she slid her link into her pocket. “You wanted the monarchy destroyed, and I can understand your disgust. But let me ask you this, aseseran. Who will run this empire when the Anatoles are gone? Have you any idea of the bloody civil war all of you are about to ignite between the high-Vest families? Do you really think the other ten noble bloodlines are going to step down peacefully for an appointed plenumus? Or what of the twelve high-Vest warrior clans? What if one of them rises up to seize power in the wake of this upset?”

Saren shook his head. “You’re a Batur. You know what the Anatoles did to your entire family. They slaughtered them down to your direct nest because they feared the strength of your warriors. The same for the Hauks and the Xus. I refuse to stand by and let them do to my family what they’ve done to yours.”

Morra whistled. “Tempers, guys. C’mon. We’re not at war here. And remember that some of us aren’t Andarion. Could someone please explain this blood clan thing to me?”

Felicia moved over to Morra’s link to pull up the family crests of the highest-ranked noble and military lineages. “Centuries ago, Andaria was divided into unorganized tribes who fought each other for territory and resources.”

“Like most worlds. That I get.” Morra gestured at the crests. “I take it these were the main tribes?”

“What’s left of them. Back then, the warrior clans were our leaders. Until the Oksanans attacked and we had our first invasion from an alien race. Sadly for them, they marched through a family farm of War Hauks.”

Morra cocked her brow. “Hauk?”

“Yes,” Talyn said. “The same family tribe of The Sentella member you’re thinking. Dancer Hauk is named for the sole Andarion survivor of that battle. His family single-handedly saved our world.”

Morra nodded as she digested it. “Sounds like the Hauk I know and love.”

“While the father and children fought,” Felicia continued, “their mother ran to warn the other tribes of the invading army. It was the first time Andaria united as a single nation.”