Allied (Ruined #3)(22)

“How much power?” he finally asked. “What exactly would I do as king, then?”

“We could figure that out together. I’m here to find out if you’d even be open to that discussion. And to plan a way for us to communicate in the future.”

“I’m open to it,” he said, but there was hesitancy in his voice.

“What?” Em asked.

He turned to look out the window. “When we were in Westhaven, I said I was going to give up the Lera throne and you told me that was the dumbest thing you’d ever heard. You said I had to stay and make things better.”

“I know. And you still can, but I don’t think their request is completely unreasonable. We’re in this situation because your father had unlimited power.”

“I’m not my father.” He said it sharply, his eyes cutting to hers. “I’m actually working really hard to not be like him.”

She leaned forward, reaching for his hand. “I know that. But the Ruined don’t. They have no reason to trust you, except for my word. And they don’t trust me that much. Not yet, anyway.”

He laced his fingers through hers with a sigh. “Even if I agree to it, I’m not sure my advisers will. We’re in a really delicate place right now.”

“Let’s get them together and talk about it, then. I need to know if it’s completely out of the question so we can . . .” She let her voice trail off. She didn’t know what they would do next. Go back to Ruina? Let Olivia take the country from Cas?

He strode to the door and glanced back at her. “I’ll gather up some of my advisers. Should I have the staff bring you anything? Are you hungry?”

“No, I’m fine.”

He nodded and walked out the door, closing it behind him and leaving her alone.





TEN


GALO LOOKED UP at the sound of a knock on his door. He walked across the bedroom and sitting room and opened the door to find Cas. Galo suppressed a smile. Cas could easily have people fetched for him, but this was the third time he’d come to Galo’s room.

“Is Em gone already?” Galo asked, holding the door open for Cas to come inside.

“No.” He shut the door behind him and leaned against it. He closed his eyes for a few moments, and the smile slipped off Galo’s face. Something was clearly wrong. “I’m pulling a few advisers into a meeting with Em. You should come.”

“I should?”

“Yes. I want your opinion.”

“I’d be happy to,” Galo said, torn between being flattered and dreading the awkwardness of another meeting. Surely Violet and Franco and Julieta and all the rest of them assumed he was only there because he was Cas’s friend. He didn’t have the experience or the title of any of them.

Cas didn’t move from the door.

“Is something wrong?” Galo asked.

“I’m realizing that maybe I was too optimistic.”

“About?”

“Everything. The Ruined. My marriage to Em. I think I was being stupid.”

“You’re not stupid.”

“Unrealistic, then.”

“Maybe,” Galo said after a brief silence. “But I never thought we’d come this far. I think your optimism is an asset, not a liability.”

Cas sighed and closed his eyes again. He stayed that way for several seconds, like he was gathering his courage before going back out.

Finally, he opened the door and gestured for Galo to follow him. Cas told Galo he’d meet him in the Ocean Room, and walked in the direction of his office.

Galo walked through the door to the Ocean Room and every head turned to him. It was the same small group from before—Violet, Franco, Julieta, and Danna.

He hadn’t been inside this room much, and he’d almost forgotten how impressive it was, with the large windows looking over the ocean. It was sunset, and the room was bathed in warm orange light. The meetings in this room were private, and until today, he was always on the other side of the door.

He walked to the long table in the middle of the room and pulled out a chair next to Julieta. Everyone got to their feet suddenly. Cas and Em walked through the door.

Em smiled at each person in turn, her eyes lingering when they landed on him. They barely knew each other, their only connection their mutual affection for Cas, but he found that he couldn’t stir up the discomfort he used to feel every time he saw her. He had liked her when she first arrived in the castle, simply because Cas seemed to like her, and Galo was surprised by that fact. Galo had thought it would take Cas months to warm up to his new wife, but it had been days. Perhaps sped along by Em saving his life, but still. Cas wasn’t quick to warm up to people.

Then Galo had hated her when it was revealed who she really was (and she’d punched him in the face on the way out of the castle, which hadn’t helped matters). He’d told Cas it seemed like she had feelings for him, but that had been a bit of wishful thinking on his part. He’d disliked her more than he’d let on.

But then Cas trusted her, and she saved his life after he’d been poisoned, and didn’t let him give up being king for her. Somewhere along the way he’d stopped hating her.

“Thank you for meeting with me,” Em said as she and Cas took their seats. Cas sat at the head of the table, Em next to him.