Free Web NovelChapter 7: Chapter 7: The Weight of the Crown
Ryophlira POV
The silence in the room was sharp enough to bleed. Mother didn’t wait for an explanation. She marched across the charred carpet, her eyes flashing with a violet light that made the air hum. Before I could scramble back, her fingers clamped onto the tops of my ears, hauling me up from the bed. A second later, she had Aiyolistra by hers, pulling her from the chair.
"How dare you," Mother hissed, her voice vibrating with draconic power.
"Where are your ladies-in-waiting? Where is your dignity? Look at this room!"
We both winced, our ears pinned back against our heads.
"Apologize," she commanded. "To each other. Now."
I glared at my sister through the tears burning my eyes.
"No. She has to say it first." frёeweɓηovel.coɱ
"No," Aiyolistra snapped, her voice thick with spite. "You say it first."
Mother didn’t argue. She simply tightened her grip, twisting just enough to make a sharp yelp escape both our throats.
"Sorry!" we blurted out at the same time, the words forced and bitter.
Mother let go, stepping back as Father finally spoke. He hadn’t moved from the doorway, but his presence filled the room like a mountain.
"We are blood," Father said, his voice low and heavy with disappointment.
"The first rule of the House of Vhaelor is that we never turn against our own. Yet here you are, trying to kill each other and spitting poison. Is this how you intend to lead?"
We both hung our heads, our ears drooping low in shame. Mother walked over to stand beside him, her fury softening into a weary sadness.
"Aiyolistra," she said softly. "I know this was supposed to be your wedding. But our hands were tied. We cannot keep fighting a war on four fronts while standing alone. Our people are exhausted. Our soldiers are tired of burying their brothers. This alliance... it was the only way to ensure the West survives."
Father stepped forward, his mismatched eyes glowing faintly in the dim light.
"With this union, the North and the West become a singular, unbreakable force. Together, we are the two most powerful kingdoms in the land. Even if the South and East teamed up, they couldn’t overthrow us now."
He looked at Aiyolistra, his expression softening. "Because of Ryophlira’s sacrifice, you and Riegthar are free. You can marry whoever you choose."
The words felt like a cold drenching. My throat ached. My chest felt hollow.
"I guess you all should be happy now,"
I whispered, a single, hot tear slipping down my cheek.
"You finally found a way to get rid of the problem child." frёewebnoѵēl.com
The room went deathly still. Mother was across the floor in a heartbeat. She didn’t scold me this time. She wrapped her arms around me, pulling me into an embrace that smelled of ash and expensive perfume.
"No, my sweet child," she murmured into my hair.
"You were never the problem. You were a child who didn’t understand the sun living inside her veins. You lost control because we didn’t teach you how to hold it. The fault lies with us, Ryophlira. As your parents, we failed you. And for that, we are truly sorry."
I felt a second pair of arms wrap around me. Riegthar pulled us both into his chest, his strength steady and grounding. I couldn’t hold it back anymore. The "Princess" mask shattered, and I sobbed into my mother’s shoulder, the sound jagged and raw.
Across the room, Aiyolistra broke, too. The anger drained out of her, leaving her small and trembling. Father walked over to her, pulling her into a massive hug that seemed to swallow her whole.
We stayed like that for a long time a broken family trying to knit itself back together in the ruins of a bedroom.
The exhaustion finally won. As the moon climbed high over the Western spires, my eyes grew heavy. Wrapped in my mother’s arms, the world narrowed down to the sound of her heartbeat and the warmth of my brother’s hand on my shoulder.
For the first time in years, I didn’t feel like a mistake or a weapon. I didn’t feel like a curse.
I fell asleep like a baby, tucked away from the storm that was waiting for me in the morning.
