Tyranny

AURELIA

She was a novice when it came to ruling a kingdom, and the king had taken off with Vidarr. It was a strange thought that not too long ago, she was the one taking orders from him. Now, she was the one giving them.

And she wasn’t scared by the king’s sudden exit. What could he possibly do, anyway?

“My queen,” Adalric greeted, bowing as he entered the throne room. His usual calm demeanor seemed a bit shaky. He looked different from the man she had met before.

“Why are you here in my court?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

She felt like she was pretending to be a queen. It didn’t feel real, like she was just playing a part. She had given up so much to be in this position. Would it all be for nothing?

The king had been a lousy ruler. He had been for centuries. The job had become a chore, but the power kept him glued to that throne.

Maybe he would realize this himself and thank her for taking that burden off his shoulders. But had she just doomed herself?

“We serve the crown, my queen, as our order has for thousands of years. We have an understanding, and I’d like to establish one now.

“We haven’t had a change in leadership for centuries. Now we all need to find our footing again.”

“The king is still on the throne,” she responded.

“True, but we all know who’s really in charge now,” he said, his jaw tight. The queen sensed a fear in him. More than he had shown in front of the king.

That could only mean one thing.

“As the king’s trusted allies, you brought him information from your visions. Now you stand before me, asking for a fair deal. Tell me what you saw.”

“Nothing—”

“I didn’t take you for a liar, Adalric,” the queen cut in, standing from the throne and exuding an air of authority as she descended the steps.

“I think you’ve mistaken me for a fool. So I’ll ask again. Tell me what you saw.”

The man swallowed hard, his hands hidden behind his back so the queen wouldn’t see his nervousness. Adalric was a powerful man. For the queen to scare him like this, that was something else.

He was told to keep their visions a secret. It would only give the queen more power. But he felt... compelled to tell her. The words tumbled out of his mouth before he could stop them.

“Your fate is sealed, my queen. You’re destined to be a solitary ruler, all-powerful, forever. A tyrant, more so than any queen before you.

“You’ll unite the fae and wolves, treat them as equals, but chaos and destruction will follow in your wake. You’ll be formidable and everyone will tremble at the mere mention of your name.

“That’s what we saw.”

A smile tugged at the corners of her lips and her eyes sparkled.

Adalric stood there, stunned by what he had just done. What he never wanted to do. What he still didn’t want to do.

So why did those words spill out of his mouth like a runaway cart, unstoppable? He was a respected man, wise and old. He had control. Yet, he had never felt so powerless.

“It’s my gift, Adalric,” she announced, snapping him out of his stupor and drawing his attention back to her.

“Compulsion. That’s something you should know if you want to stay in my good graces. I can make someone tell me the truth.

“So lie to me again, and I won’t hesitate to rip your head off and feed it to the wolves in my den.”

She watched him squirm, but only on the inside.

Compulsion was indeed a powerful gift. Adalric wasn’t fae so he could be compelled.

“If you have nothing else to say, you can leave,” she said casually, turning her back to him and reclaiming her seat on the throne.

She looked around the room and found him gone. He had run off, scared of her.

A chill ran down her spine at the feeling, at the room, at the atmosphere. She wanted to shed her own skin and slip into a warmer one.

This was the price of power. Loneliness. Emptiness. Eternal solitude. It had been the same for the king. He had even run away from her. He could barely touch her, couldn’t even look at her face.

It hurt her more than it should have. It hurt her more than anything hurt him. In fact, it was the only real emotion she felt.

That ache in her chest from his rejection of the woman she was. She had finally taken off the mask and he didn’t like what he saw.

He still held the title of king; it was just a courtesy though. She was the one ruling, and the kingdom knew it.

She hissed at the cold air and stormed back to her chambers, her hand gripping her dresser until her knuckles turned white with anger.

Why couldn’t he belong to her like he demanded she belong to him? Why couldn’t he be satisfied? Why couldn’t he care for her like she cared for him?

That was all that was left in her heart now, with everything else stripped away. It only made her see him more clearly. Without fear or anger at how he treated her.

She carried on with her duties as usual, handed out punishments as she saw fit, and dealt with revolts against fae rule.

A knock sounded on the door of the battle room. Letting out an annoyed growl, she allowed the visitor to enter.

“My king,” Axon greeted, bowing as he came into view.

The council had been pretty quiet after their factions had been given enough land and they were still in power.

Maybe it was how she dealt with her own father and Ellathoria, their former leader.

Maybe it was because Cathan was by her side, her second-in-command, and they thought the two of them made a formidable pair.

There were plenty of reasons, she guessed, not to provoke her.

“What is it? Is the land I gave you and your students not good enough?” she asked, sounding irritated.

“It was incredibly generous of you, my queen. No, I wanted to talk to you, maybe offer some advice,” he replied cautiously.

She leaned back in her chair and studied the man. A lot of men had been offering advice as if she needed or wanted it. The male-dominated society was being torn apart in the wolf kingdom.

She had even allowed female wolves to train for the army. It was a step towards a more gender-equal kingdom. How noble of her.

“Advice?” she mocked, sounding amused.

Adalric and Axon had a lot in common. They were both visionaries, both seasoned and considered wise. They both carried themselves with a sense of self-importance, a halo of selflessness, and pride.

But Axon was different. He was fae. Her gift didn’t work on him, which made him even more unpredictable. She couldn’t figure out what he was up to.

~Just keep smiling~, she told herself.

“I’m not trying to tell you how to run your kingdom,” he said. “I’m just offering my advice and guidance if you want it. I’m here to help, that’s all.”

“Okay,” she said, her tone a complete turnaround from before. “Give me your advice.”

He seemed to understand why she’d changed her mind so suddenly and shifted uncomfortably.

She was waiting for him to say something that would piss her off and give her a reason to punish him. She’d see it as a criticism.

In reality, Axon was a straight shooter who wanted to guide the fae-wolf queen. She was heading down a path she shouldn’t continue on. He was afraid it was too late, but trying was better than doing nothing.

He’d seen Cathan sneak out of the castle earlier, using his magic to keep it low-key. It was clear to Axon that this was a trip the queen wasn’t supposed to know about or get suspicious of.

Maybe even Cathan realized the queen needed saving. He was known for looking out for number one, doing whatever it took to get what he wanted.

But ever since he met Queen Aurelia, he’d become unpredictable.

The king was gone. Axon knew the queen knew that. The idea of the king and Cathan teaming up had crossed his mind, but only for a second, because he knew that would never happen.

“Is there something you’re having trouble figuring out?” he asked carefully.

“What do you think of my leadership so far?” she asked casually, watching him closely.

“I think... you’ve made a strong impression, and you’re doing a good job. The wolves are falling in line, which is a tough thing to do when there’s a change in leadership.” She tilted her head and scoffed.

Then she stood up. He swallowed hard. Regret washed over him. Why couldn’t he just leave well enough alone? The fae were finally back home.

“Axon, I’m going to cut you some slack,” she said. His eyes locked onto hers.

“You were nice to me when I first came to the fae kingdom, and I could tell it was genuine. But don’t insult me with your lies. Do you know why Cathan is my right-hand man?”

“N-no?”

“Honesty. He’s never lied to me. He’s never hidden his true intentions, even when they’ve been sneaky or mean or selfish. He’s proven to be an ally.

“Prove to me you’re an ally or stay out of my way,” she growled.

If she was going to rule forever, she was going to need a few good allies. Maybe.