The Bound (Ascension #2)(111)

Since today was the first day in months they had ended early, Cyrene decided to go down to the training barracks and check in on Dean. But, when she got down there, it was mostly empty, and no one had seen Dean at all that day. She found that strange but decided not to panic about it. She hurried back up to the palace and looked everywhere for him. She finally was about to give up when Robard abruptly stopped in front of her.

Cyrene stood her ground with fire in her eyes. “What do you want?”

“The Queen has requested your presence,” he said smoothly. “If you’ll follow me.”

“What? So, you and Alise can trap me again? I think not. You can tell me where to find her and be on your way.”

“I’m under orders.”

“And I don’t care.”

“From Prince Dean,” he bit out.

Cyrene’s brow furrowed. “If you make one wrong move…”

“No worries, Affiliate,” he said dryly. “I think where you’re going will be bad enough.”

Cyrene opened her mouth to ask what he was talking about, but he grabbed her elbow and unceremoniously yanked her down the hallway. She was lost in her thoughts about what the Queen could possibly want from her, let alone why Robard was collecting her on Dean’s orders.

When she stumbled forward into the throne room with Robard on her heels, the tension was unbearably high. Queen Cassia, Princesses Brigette and Alise, and Prince Dean were standing together, arguing. Each was yelling over the other, trying to be heard.

Queen Cassia snapped at them to be quiet, and everyone turned to stare at Cyrene at once. She had the distinct sense of déjà vu from the time when everyone in the castle had thought she had been murdered. Edric and Kael had rushed to her side because they had been so worried. But, for some reason, she didn’t think that was the case here.

The Queen was holding a piece of paper in her hand, and despite her regal appearance, she seemed ready to hurt the first person she got her hands on. Brigette looked like she hadn’t slept in weeks. All of her energy had left her. Alise seemed smug, whereas Dean looked irritated.

When his eyes met Cyrene’s across the room, instead of the happy man she had been falling head over heels for, she saw he was guarded.

“You requested to see me, Your Majesty,” Cyrene said, falling back into her proper ways with ease. She dipped a low curtsy to the Queen before rising with her chin held high.

“Yes. It seems that your presence in my city has become an international matter,” the Queen said.

“Pardon?”

“You are to immediately leave Eleysia and return to your homeland,” she commanded.

Cyrene’s eyes widened. “You’re making me leave? But why? I’ve been here for months. I thought I had proven myself.”

“It’s not a matter of proving yourself,” Queen Cassia said. She held up the paper in her hand, and from where Cyrene was standing, she could see that it was a letter. “It’s a matter of this.”

“Mother,” Dean said urgently, “can’t you reconsider?”

She raised her eyebrows at him. “You spoke for this girl once. I don’t think you can do any more for her.”

“What is that?” Cyrene asked.

“It is a personal letter from the King of Byern, demanding your immediate return upon receipt of this letter,” Queen Cassia said.

Cyrene’s mouth fell open. “He did what?” she snapped.

“He’s sending an army to retrieve you, in fact,” Alise said with a self-satisfied smile.

“An army?” Cyrene squeaked. “He would never—”

“Do it again,” Dean finished for her.

She opened her mouth to protest, but what could she say? Edric had sent an army into Aurum to retrieve her. No matter how validated she felt about leaving and finding the key to unlocking her magic in Eleysia, she couldn’t deny what he had done or why he had done it.

She had spent the last couple of months trying to forget the Dremylon men and all the trouble they caused…and what they did to her heart. But she refused to return at Edric’s summons. She was not a toy. She might be bound to Byern, but she’d rightfully made her own choice to leave.

“I’m not leaving Eleysia to go back to Byern,” Cyrene told them.

“You absolutely will!” Alise said.

The Queen shot her younger daughter a fierce look and then turned back to Cyrene. “We’re not starting a war over one person. You haven’t acted like other Affiliates here in Eleysia—I will say that much—but that does not mean we want Byern’s might knocking on our doorstep.”

“Let her stay, Mother,” Brigette said.

“No.”

“Do you want to break your son’s heart?” she whispered. But everyone could hear her.

Dean winced at the blow, as if someone had struck him. Cyrene wanted to reach out to him, but she knew that it wasn’t appropriate.

“I love my son, but I will not risk my country for him,” the Queen said. “And that’s final. I will write to King Edric and inform him that you will be returning to Byern promptly. Since we are not sailing out of the harbors in the next week, due to the Bride of the Sea ceremony, you will have a few days to settle your affairs here. But I can offer you nothing further.” Queen Cassia nodded her head and then left the room.