“I’m so glad you managed to rule me out,” Adelina muttered, crossing her arms as she tilted her head and sniffed again. No, there was too much blood to really smell much else. The cuts were deep and straight. There’d been no hesitation and no sign of struggle.
“Servants think she couldn’t handle the crown, even nobles think she did it herself,” Giselle went on, getting up to pace. “Maybe it’s exactly as it appears.”
“You really believe that?” Asher demanded when the door slid open to admit him. He strolled in and locked it behind him. So many faces tried to peer around him as the door closed.
Adelina breathed a sigh of relief and made room for her brother. They both stood there on the threshold with their arms crossed in silence. Neither of them wanted to take a step further into that blood-soaked washroom.
“Her rooms have already been scanned and all records sent to the Justice Keepers,” Adelina told him. She dropped her voice so Giselle couldn’t hear. “Was it you?”
Part of her was appalled she considered her brother, but he had been just as frightened of what Raena would do with her power as Adelina had been.
Asher’s lips quirked. “No, though I thought about it. You?”
“I thought it better to direct her,” Adelina confessed. She hated admitting it, but at the moment Asher was the only one she knew was completely loyal to her – other than Varan. Nadyah had been keeping secrets, she could tell by the sound of her courtesan’s voice when she lied.
“This is messy and Giselle never wanted to rule,” Adelina said.
“I had the same thought,” Asher admitted. “It could truly be a suicide. Raena was losing control the closer the coronation came.” He leaned forward to look at her shreve and noticed the content. “Unfortunate timing.”
“Yes,” Adelina agreed. “If it had been me I would have done it before she signed my life away to a male.”
“How can you two be so cold and callous?” Giselle demanded. “Our sister is dead.”
“So is our father, your highness,” Asher said as he turned on her. Giselle cowered – nowhere near as dominant as their brother.
Adelina had shut down the part of her that felt the death of her sister, the part that keened deep inside with pain and fear. If it wasn’t a suicide any of the royals could be next. After everything, Adelina simply couldn’t handle her emotions and feelings so she turned them off, taking after her brother that way.
“I have no idea how to rule,” Giselle said, throwing pleading glances at the both of them.
“Asher, will you help her?” Adelina asked, ignoring Giselle. “After all this is what we trained for, and I cannot stay. The Drakesthai could turn the tide against the Neprijat.”
Her dark brother raised an eyebrow as he assessed Giselle. “It won’t be easy.”
Adelina wanted to say damn it all and let her brother rule Draga, but there was too much to deal with and the people would lose their minds at such a drastic change with no warning at all. Perhaps later they could pass the crown to the best suited to rule. Asher had the dominance if need be.
“So was Raena murdered?” Giselle asked. “I had all the royals vetted, and every single one of us was accounted for. Asher, you were with the soldiers all night training.”
Those dark eyes shuttered and he turned back to survey Raena. “I couldn’t sleep. Contrary to popular belief I do have feelings and I loved our father.”
Adelina understood her brother better than any of their siblings did. It was difficult not having a place in the world, to have to hide emotions too deep to express. She wrapped her arm around his waist and held him close while they silently contemplated what to do next.
“Submit the records as to our family’s whereabouts, your people’s whereabouts and I will do the same with mine,” Adelina said with a shrug. “Leave the rest to the investigators. There is nothing we can do to change what has happened and if Raena really did leave us to deal with all this…” Adelina couldn’t finish the thought.
If Raena had left them then Adelina would be furious.
Raena had always thought of herself first, but this seemed untimely. Her sister wanted the power of queen. It simply didn’t make sense for her to take her own life.
Their father was dead and now so was her sister. Her heart ached and there was a hole she knew would never leave her. No one could replace her father and king, and despite all Raena had done—Adelina loved her.
“We need to crown a queen and put our family’s souls to rest,” Asher murmured. “Best we get ready.”
“Who will make the announcement?” Adelina asked.
Asher shrugged and bumped her with his elbow. “That is your duty until you leave, sister. You are Giselle’s heir.”
The words settled in her gut, heavy and volatile.
Adelina was now the Heir of Draga.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Adelina
Draga Royal Palace
Planet Draga Terra
Adelina stood on the massive, empty dais in the throne room. All thrones had been removed and the space was already decorated for a coronation; Raena’s.
Instead of the first-born, Giselle would be crowned.
The nobles, courtiers, and citizens were deadly silent in their seats. The doors were thrown wide open and the floor-to-ceiling windows were open as well. Citizens pressed against the windows and the door as guards held them back from actually crossing into the room.
More people filled the courtyard behind the doors and they spilled out into the streets. Massive displays hovered everywhere and hundreds of recorders flitted about, afraid to miss anything for the livestream. The programming was flawless and their human controllers deep in the palace watched and directed.
Normally a coronation was a retirement, a passing of the crown from one to the next and the colors were riotous and wonderful to behold as every person wore their best. This was a tragedy and every single person wore grey with two purple armbands to signify the royal deaths. King Orion had been beloved and Raena feared, but now no one knew what to expect and they all looked to her.
Adelina’s grey gown framed her tiny waist and the spidersilk gossamer like webs across her chest and arms. The skirts draped to the floor. The urge to cry was gone with the rest of her emotions. Despite her mourning gown and the two purple bracelets on her right wrist Adelina would have to wait to truly mourn her father and sister.
The signet ring felt heavy as she clasped her hands at waist-height and made sure her shoulders were back. “Citizens of Draga,” Adelina said, loud and clear for all to hear. “It is a sad day for everyone. We have lost our king and a princess in one night from tragedy, not war.”
She paused and sought out familiar faces, faces of the people in the windows as they all waited to find out what would happen to them. There was some nervousness as all those eyes looked at her, but Nadyah was on the sidelines with Ian. Veri and Asher were close as well and so was Varan, her official escort in all capacities now.