VIOLET LED THE way through the southern province. Cas followed behind her on his horse. They didn’t talk much. They rode through the night after meeting Em, and Violet said they would reach their first stop by afternoon, so they pressed on through the morning.
Their first stop was a farmhouse, where one of the captains of the southern province lived. Violet said it was likely that he was the most informed on the status of the people and land in the area.
The house was large, two stories, and looked like it hadn’t been under attack yet. Farmland stretched out behind it. A long, narrow path led up to a tall iron gate in front of the house.
“We have to walk our horses up,” Violet said, dismounting her horse. “And put one hand in the air.”
“Why?”
“So they know not to attack.”
Cas did as he was told, one hand guiding the horse and the other straight up in the air. Through the bars of the front gate, Cas could see someone emerging from the house. The man strode across the dirt, crossing his arms over his chest as he watched them approach.
“It’s me, Franco!” Violet called.
Franco ran to them and pulled the gate open with a creak. He was about the same age as Cas’s father, his black hair streaked with gray. He was tall and broad, and he swept Violet clear off the ground when he embraced her.
“I’m so happy to see you, sweetheart,” he said. Violet laughed as he swung her back and forth for a moment before gently putting her back down. He glanced at Cas, his brow crinkling in confusion. He looked back at Violet. “Where’s your father?”
Violet shook her head, blinking several times. “He died in the attack on the castle.”
“Oh no. I’m sorry, sweetheart.”
“This is the rightful king of Lera, Casimir Gallegos.”
Franco’s eyes widened and he quickly bowed his head. “Your Majesty.”
“Nice to meet you,” Cas said.
Franco looked behind them in confusion. “Are your guards coming, Your Majesty?”
“It’s just me and Violet.”
“Please come in,” he said, obviously trying to hide his surprise. He called for a young stable hand to take their horses, and led them through the gates and into the house.
His home was bright and open, with large windows that allowed plenty of light. Cas could hear running footsteps somewhere, and two small boys appeared on the stairs, full of giggles.
“Carlos, go get your sister,” Franco called to them. “I want all three of you down here to meet our guest.”
The taller boy disappeared, his younger brother trailing after him.
“Have a seat,” Franco said, leading them to a sitting room with a beautiful view of the fields behind the house. “Are you hungry? I can have the cook whip something up for us.”
“Yes, please,” Violet said. They’d had only a little dried meat last night.
The two boys reappeared, a girl a couple of years younger than Cas with them.
“Violet!” the girl shrieked, running for her. She knocked Violet over onto the couch with the force of her hug.
“Nice to see you too, Paula,” Violet said with a grin.
“Paula, Carlos, Bruno, I’d like you to meet the King of Lera,” Franco said.
Paula let out a gasp and jumped away from Violet. She stared at Cas open-mouthed.
“Y-your Majesty,” she stuttered, doing an awkward bow. The boys bowed also, Bruno’s mouth hanging open when he straightened.
“You’re the king?” he asked.
“Uh, well …” Cas chuckled. “Sort of.”
“Not sort of,” Franco said fiercely. “You are the king.” He looked at Paula. “Will you take the boys back upstairs? I’ll call you when we’re ready to eat.”
Paula’s cheeks had turned pink, and she ducked her head and scurried out of the room with the boys.
“My wife is out visiting our neighbors,” Franco said. “She should be back in the next few hours.” He sat down on the couch next to Violet and briefly squeezed her hand. “She’ll be so happy to see you.”
“How have things been in the area?” Violet asked. “Have you been under attack at all?”
He shook his head. “Some warriors lingered after they were defeated at Fort Victorra, but we cleared them out quickly. And I haven’t seen any Ruined.”
Cas leaned forward, resting his forearms on his thighs. “I want to be honest with you. You know I married Emelina Flores?”
Franco nodded solemnly.
“My connection with the Ruined hasn’t been severed.”
“What do you mean?”
“I made a deal with Emelina. If she and the Ruined left, I would leave them alone. Jovita broke that promise, of course, and they’ve retaliated. They’re not that far from here.”
“They’re not?” Franco asked nervously.
“No. I’ve been there,” Violet said.
“The Ruined don’t want Jovita in power any more than you or I do,” Cas said. “I want the support of the southern province, but I’m not going to deceive you about my relationship with the Ruined.”
“You think you can trust them?” Franco asked.
“I can trust Emelina. It needs to be understood that if you want me as king, it means you want someone who will stop the murders of the Ruined. I strongly oppose my father’s policies regarding them. I believe that we’re in this mess because of it.”
“I agree,” Franco said. “I was against the policy from the start. I started the petition we sent to your father.”
“What petition?” Cas asked, looking at Violet. She’d told him to be honest with Franco, but she hadn’t mentioned why.
“We wrote a letter to your father detailing why we were against hunting the Ruined. Most of the captains and judges in the southern province signed it. As did Violet’s father.”
“What did my father do?” Cas asked.
“Nothing, for several months. Then we each received a letter that said we would be removed from our posts and tried with treason if we mentioned it again.”
Cas ran a hand down his face, his shame about his father overwhelming him. Had he even showed that letter to any of the advisers? Did they know they didn’t have the support of the southern province? Did they have support from any of the provinces?
“Don’t misunderstand me,” Franco said. “The Ruined scare me. My great-great-great-grandmother was enslaved by the Ruined. She kept a diary, and I still have it. The things they are capable of are terrifying.”
“But those people are gone,” Cas said. “The Ruined today … most of them want nothing to do with us. We’re the monsters now, not them.”
“Indeed we are,” Franco said.
“Then can I count on your support?”
“You certainly can.”
Franco rode with Violet to her house, and they returned with a dozen people eager to meet Cas. Neighbors trickled in all day, until Franco’s house was stuffed and Cas’s throat hurt from talking.
“You have our support, Your Majesty,” a woman named Antonia said to him. She’d fought in his father’s army. She’d been there the day they killed Wenda Flores and took Olivia. Her voice shook when she spoke about it.
“I can count on you to take the lead in assembling an army here?” he asked. “I need as many as you can spare. You can leave some behind to protect the south, but I’ll need the rest.”
“Of course. If you’re marching north to retake the castle, I know most southerners will want to help.” The lines around her eyes crinkled when she smiled.
He returned the smile and got to his feet. He waded through the crowd and pulled open the front door, sighing with relief as the chatter faded behind him.
Violet sat in one of the rocking chairs on the porch. He pulled the door closed behind him and sat in the other chair. The curtains behind them parted and Paula peeked through. She quickly disappeared when Cas waved.
“I think she likes you,” Violet whispered with a giggle.
Cas leaned back in the rocking chair, propping his feet up on the railing in front of him. “She has poor taste.”
“Oh, please.”
“I’m a disgraced king who was recently married to a woman pretending to be someone else.” He grinned. “I am rather good-looking though, aren’t I?”
“Humble, too.”
“At least I have one thing going for me.”
“You’re ridiculous.” She rocked back and forth, her forehead creased in thought. “Do you want to know what your real problem is?”
“Please.”
“You’re in love with someone else.”
“Well, yes. Obviously.” His throat constricted when he thought of Em.
“I wasn’t done. You’re in love with someone else and you’re just letting her go.”
“I offered to stay with her. I don’t think that’s just letting her go.”
“I think it is. You presented her with one option—a bad option, I might add; I’m still mad about it—and she said no, so now you’re pouting.”
“Tell me how you really feel, Violet.”
“I will, thank you. You keep giving up when things get hard.”
Anger raced down his spine. Her comment hit too close to home. “I’m here, aren’t I? Not giving up.”
“After trying to give up. You were going to give up being king because it got hard. Now you’re going to give up Em because there are too many obstacles. You’re never going to get what you want if you don’t fight for it.”
“You think I could have Em if I fought for her?” he asked skeptically.
“I do, yes. August wants to marry Em to align Olso with the Ruined. Why not you? Why not align Lera with the Ruined?”
“I don’t think I need to list off the many reasons why that would never work. How about just the main one? Because we murdered most of them.”
“And we should spend the rest of our lives trying to atone for that. It doesn’t mean we can’t try to find a way to make peace. I don’t even like Em and I still support it.”
“You don’t like Em?”
“She caused the raid on the castle that killed my father.” She raised an eyebrow. “Though you’re in the same position, aren’t you? And you managed to forgive her.”
“Yes,” he said quietly.
“I can’t be her friend, but I understand why she did what she did. I think others can as well.”
He shook his head, refusing to let in even a spark of hope. “It’s insane, Violet. I wish it were possible, but I can’t see it.”
“Fine,” she said with a long sigh. “But I’m not marrying you.”
“What?”
“I know you wanted to bring me with you to see Em to make her jealous.”
“That’s not the only—”
“Cas, please.”
“It just worked out that you were with me.” He paused. “But I won’t lie, it crossed my mind that she would be jealous.”
“She was. Was it fun torturing her?”
No. He’d seen the way she looked at Violet, the way she swallowed down words she obviously wanted to say. It had just made him feel worse.
“I’m not marrying you,” Violet said. “I’m no one’s second choice.”
“I didn’t ask!”
“I know I was under consideration to marry you before. It must have crossed your mind.” She jerked her thumb at the house behind them. “I must have been asked ten times today if our relationship was more than friendly.”
“I’ve considered it,” he admitted. “You’re a logical choice, of course.”
“Romantic,” she said dryly.
“But I’m not in a place to even think about marriage right now. I’m too … I don’t know. Wrecked.”
“I understand.”
“But, uh, later, if …” He pressed his thumb into his pointer finger until the knuckle cracked. “Assuming I move past some things. Would you ever want to be considered again?”
“No one’s second choice, Cas.”
“Right.”