Each chair was filled with men and women whom I’d come to know over the years, their jewels catching fire in the candlelight. Each had trusted me to protect them. Now they were here to witness me pass my title to Tyson.

  While part of me was sad to leave, I was less concerned with Marius’s dance card and more worried about whatever punishment he had planned for my crimes. I had my reasons for taking my mate as a sanguine partner, but I understood that those rules were the foundation of trust between us and those we protected.

  Tyson beamed at me from the bottom of the stairs that led up to where I stood on the dais. He was dressed in the black and gold of Roselyn, which suited him well. And for the first time since he set foot in my castle, his attire was actually appropriate for the circumstance.

  I might’ve had my doubts when Marius had named him my heir, and in many moments since, but since our trip to the Lawless Lands, he’d begun to walk like a man of Roselyn and had proved his loyalty.

  Now, he seemed eager to begin the ceremony. With his hands clasped behind his back, he glanced around the room. First acknowledging his sanguine partner, Lady Okeri, who was dressed in a lovely gold gown detailed with black beads. But his attention quickly shifted past her. I traced the line of his focus and found who he was watching. Claire’s sister.

  She was being escorted to her seat, in human form, by Alec. Her silver gown reminded me of her wolf coat. But it was the egg-sized moonstone around her throat that caught my eye. It was the same stone Shayla had worn. I don’t know why, but I found it unsettling.

  Natalia, who was standing beside me on the dais, dressed in the regalia of a military commander, nudged me with her elbow. I slipped inside her thoughts, knowing instinctively that she had something to say. “She’s trouble waiting to happen, that one.”

  I hummed. “Good thing you’ll be here to keep a watchful eye on her.”

  “So you agree there is something to watch?”

  The music ceased as the ceremony was about to begin. Laurent, my Grand Advisor, anointed Tyson’s forehead with water from the three rivers that ran through Roselyn. Then he prayed, calling on both Damien and Diana to give him strength and guidance.

  “I believe you should follow your instincts in this matter,” I told Natalia as we watched on. “But do not allow your anger to cloud your judgment. Nothing is black and white. And not everyone is an enemy.”

  Once Laurent had finished his prayer, I waited to receive my nephew on the dais. With my fingers curled around my cane, I tried to relax the tension that had settled in my shoulders, but it was impossible. The room fell into a deeper silence as Tyson began the climb, step by step. A thousand thoughts raced through my head.

  I chanced a look at Claire, who was smiling at me and sending encouraging energy. I needed every bit of it when Tyson reached the final step. He bowed to Natalia, then me. We bowed back. There was nothing left to do except say my part. The crowd waited attentively.

  They needed reassurance that this change wouldn’t disrupt their lives. That they were safe with Tyson in charge. I had to be confident and poised, no matter what.

  “Kneel, Lord Tyson.”

  He did so without hesitation. His head bowed.

  He was ready for this. Or at least more ready than I’d been at his age. And while I still wished Natalia were the one kneeling before me, I intended to renew my efforts to reinstate her claim to her father’s duchy. As long as Marius didn’t order my execution. There would always be a place for her here. But she was the rightful heir to Nightfall.

  I lifted my cane, as duty required, and touched the tip of it to one of Tyson’s broad shoulders. “Do you swear to defend the city of Roselyn and the outlying lands? Do you swear to protect the innocent and serve the High Prince with honor?”

  “I swear.”

  I tapped his other shoulder. “Do you promise to uphold the traditions of Château Rose? To rule with wisdom, to lead with strength, and to fight with valor?”

  “I promise.”

  I met Claire’s eyes and saw she was wiping away a tear, but there was a fierce smile on her face. It gave me the strength I needed to say the last part.

  “Then rise, Tyson of the House Allard, Viscount of Aurenne and Duke of Roselyn.”

  Once the words were out of my mouth, the ballroom erupted into applause. I held out my hand for him. He clasped it and pulled me into an embrace. More cheers came.

  Emotion was thick in his voice when he said, “Thank you, Uncle.”

  “Address your people,” I whispered, patting his back.

  It was done. I was relieved of my duties. A peaceful transition of power from one vampire to another. Tyson had inherited a peaceful border and would oversee the construction of a new château. It was time for a new ruler, one who cared about pageantry and appearances.

  Tyson faced my people—his people. He gave a short speech that I barely heard over the ringing in my ears.

  I didn’t like being on the dais. And now that I’d done my duty, I wanted to leave. Glancing at Claire, I said, “I need you,” through our bond.

  She gave me a cheeky grin. “It would hardly be proper for you to take me in front of all these people.”

  I forced myself to smile back at her, letting her believe that’s what I meant. Or maybe she knew and was just trying to lift my spirits. “Then I suppose I’ll have to torture myself a while longer.”

  After his speech, we descended the dais and marched down the center aisle. Tyson and Natalia led the way, while I followed after. My household staff moved swiftly around the room, refreshing goblets with sparkling wine, and filling the tables lining the back with pyramids of sugared fruits, delicate pastries, and glistening meats under silver domes.

  The orchestra launched into a sprightly waltz, and the polished parquet was soon alive with laughter and dancing. I dodged conversations and found my way back to my wife, who was nibbling on a pastry. The pink flush in her cheeks was a welcome sight. Now that everyone knew she was my wife, there was no need to hide the truth anymore.

  I took her hand and pressed a kiss against her knuckles. “I am not worthy of such beauty.” She flushed a deeper shade of red, then took my arm. “Shall we?” I asked.

  I introduced her to a few important guests, but I was mostly trying to avoid Marius, who was chatting animatedly with Tyson and our brothers. When Tansy approached, wearing a black dress, and asked if Claire would dance with her, I was more than happy to oblige. “Have fun.”

  The two of them twirled around the dance floor, giggling. Tansy had agreed to come with us to the capital. Not as a consort, but as one of Claire’s ladies-in-waiting.

  Natalia materialized at my side. “Do you care to dance?” I asked.

  My niece let out a disgusted grunt in response. We both chuckled, content to watch the revelers from a distance like two unfriendly birds. Tyson waved Sera and Alec over to introduce them to my brothers. The pair seemed just as uncomfortable with attention as I was.

  “Do you really believe their story?” Natalia asked, her arms crossed.

  “About what?”

  “That they killed Shayla.”

  “Shayla didn’t just give them her moonstone. Of course, I believe them.”

  I had to believe them. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be able to leave. Knowing the border was safe was my greatest accomplishment.

  Natalia’s lips pressed into a thin line. “She’s still a Prideaux. And he’s still an idiot.”

  “Claire is also a Prideaux,” I reminded her.

  Natalia scoffed. “She’s different.”

  I raised my brows.

  “She’s an Allard.”

  That she was.

  It was good to have Natalia back on my side. I was going to miss her fiercely when I left. But we were at the end of an era. She and I had spent many nights in this castle, sharing laughs and exchanging barbs. But now, I was moving on.

  I noticed the way Tyson’s shoulders straightened when Sera whispered in his ear. “Can we speak? Privately?” He placed his hand on Sera’s lower back and guided her toward a receiving room just off the ballroom, Alec trailing behind them.

  Natalia scoffed again. She was full of venom tonight. “Like we can’t hear them. We’re vampires.”

  I let out a reluctant chuckle that died quickly. “I have bigger problems than Tyson.” I gestured to the High Prince, who was cutting a path directly toward us. It would seem I was unable to dodge my brother any longer.

  Natalia lifted her wine glass to her lips. “He’s not going to decapitate you. After your success in the Lawless Lands, you are a hero.”

  My niece was wise, but she was still too young to realize there were worse fates than death as an immortal.

  “Mon sang!” Marius said in greeting. A jovial light danced in his dark eyes as we clasped hands. “It is good to be back at Château Rose again. How long has it been since my last visit to these snowy mountains?”

  I forced a tight smile. “A hundred years, Your Grace. Give or take.”

  Natalia choked on her sip of wine.

  Marius let out a bawdy laugh. “Surely it hasn’t been that long!”

  “I believe your exact words were, ‘I’d rather cut off my left testicle than be forced to endure the carriage ride again.” I smiled weakly. “Which is why you’ve insisted that my last hundred Sanguination Balls be held at the capital.”

  Natalia gave me a look from over the top of her wine glass. I added a smile that likely came off as a sneer. I was already weary of the political maneuverings of the capital, and I hadn’t even left Roselyn. But I knew he hadn’t come to talk about old times.

  While Natalia and Marius exchanged pleasantries, I cast a look at Claire, who was still dancing with Tansy. I’d been trying so hard to protect her from my nervousness, but by the way she immediately stopped dancing to cut a path toward me, I knew I wasn’t doing a very good job.

  Claire dipped into a graceful curtsy as she approached. “Your Grace. Are you enjoying yourself?”

  “Poppet!” Marius exclaimed. “There you are!”

  Of all the names he could have for my wife. The urge to rip his arm from his body and beat him bloody became all-consuming. I had to fight the change with everything inside me. “You know she is Lady Claire now.”

  Marius’s smile lingered on her for a moment too long. “I do. And what a lovely lady she makes.” He plucked a goblet of wine from the tray, swirling the dark liquid. “Let’s retire to your study, brother. We have much to discuss.”

  And so the time had finally come to hear my sentence for breaking the law and taking Claire as my sanguine partner. I bowed to my wife. “If you’ll excuse us, my dear.”

  Marius shook his head. “No, no, no! She comes too. The more the merrier, after all.”

  I took a slow breath, my jaw tightening. I wanted to argue with him, but it was useless. This was what he wanted. And so long as he didn’t hurt my wife or say anything inappropriate, I would have to endure it. I offered Claire my hand, and she accepted it.

  She was trying to pierce through the wall I’d erected around our connection to read my emotions, but I wouldn’t let her in. If she knew how worried I was, it wouldn’t be good for her.

  Chapter 49

  Le Trône

  BASTIEN

  Ifell back on the pleasantries Marius expected. After all, I was still one of the twelve vampire princes, and I was obligated to uphold a code of honor. With one hand behind my back, I escorted my wife and my brother to my private study. Well, I suppose it was Tyson’s study now.

  Two attendants opened the double doors, bowing low as we passed through. This room had always been a place of quiet, a space where I could think clearly. But now, the air was tense.

  Marius made his way to the oversized armchair near the fireplace and settled into it, crossing one leg over the other, his goblet resting on his knee. He was dressed in a tailored black tailcoat and blood-red brocade waistcoat. The cuffs of his white shirt were fastened with onyx studs, and a signet ring with the Allard crest sat on his finger.

  He pointed to the empty chairs across from him. A command disguised as an invitation. Reluctantly, I guided Claire to a chair and took the seat beside her. Once we were all comfortable, Marius let out a long sigh. “It’s so good to see you two.”

  I knew I was meant to be agreeable if I hoped to earn his favor, but I was a man of war. I had only a small tolerance for pretty words and pretenses. “Your Grace, I think we all know why you asked for this meeting.”

  Marius chuckled. “I have missed your humor, brother. It’s as dry as the wine Yves always brings back from Château du Mer.” His gaze slid past me to Claire. “Speaking of wine. Poppet—hand me that bottle over there. My glass has run dry.”

  Claire made to move, but I held out my hand, stopping her. I tried to keep the anger out of my voice as I gave him one last warning. “Do not call her that again.”

  The humor drained from Marius’s face. “Careful, Bastien. You’re on thin ice as it is.”

  My rage was too close to the surface for caution. “If you think for one second that I’ll let you come into my castle and speak to my wife⁠—”

  “Your wife? Is that what she is? Because last I checked, she was your sanguine partner. The fact that she was your mate must’ve slipped your mind.”

  I clenched my jaw. “Yes. I broke the law. I took my mate as my sanguine partner. The Council of Elders believed doing so would drive a vampire mad, and yet somehow I have managed to keep my wits about me.”

  Marius didn’t like that answer. Not at all. “But you weren’t content to keep her on as just a sanguine partner. You married her. Sealing your bond. Behind my back. Without my permission.”

  “You’re right. I failed to ask your permission. I was a little busy running your army.”

  “See, this is exactly the problem,” Marius asserted. “You think you’re above every law our people created for us.”

  We were both out of our chairs now. All pretense of civility gone. I shoved him hard enough to send him slamming into the back wall. The force of it cracked the stone behind him, and several pictures fell off the walls.

  His eyes widened, just for a second, before narrowing into slits. “You don’t want to fight me, Bastien. I’ve always been stronger than you.”

  What was left of my control snapped. I closed the distance between us and had him by the throat before he could blink. My fingers dug into his flesh, his muscles tightening against my palm. “No, Marius. I’ve always let you win.”

  Marius pulled his dagger from his chest rig and lifted the blade to my throat. “You might be stronger, brother, but not smarter.”

  “Enough!” The word ripped through the room. My wife put her hand between us, her eyes already glowing crimson. “If you lay one finger on my husband, I’ll find out if vampires burn as fast as witches do.”

  Marius relaxed his grip, easing the dagger away from my throat. I did the same, my fingers loosening from his neck but not letting him go. Not yet.

  “I didn’t come here to lay fingers on your husband,” Marius said. “I came to hold him accountable for what he’s done.”

  Claire lifted her chin in defiance. “Who cares if he lied about our matebond? Who cares if he took blood from me?” she demanded. “He did it for you. To fight your war. To be your general. Which he did without question and won. You should be offering us your thanks.”

  For whatever reason, my wife’s anger seemed to pave the way for cooler heads. Marius put his dagger away, and I let go of him. We both straightened and tried to appear gentlemanly once again.

  “You might’ve won the war for the border, but the capital is locked in its own battle.” Marius dusted off his jacket, continuing. “The nobles argue about the cost of this peace. As well as the gold required for the new castle and the soldiers needed to protect it.” He canted his head to the side. “And with your stunt at the Sanguination Ball, followed by your roguish behavior, you have caused me unnecessary problems.”

  I held out my arms, knowing he came to do more than just exchange angry words. Marius had made excuses for me at the Sanguination Ball when it appeared that I’d bitten Claire without contract. But now, he was done covering for me. “Enough. Tell me my punishment.”

  Marius looked from my wife to me and back to her again. “There is only one thing I could do to truly punish you, Bastien.”

  “Which is?” Claire demanded. “You claim not to want to hurt him.”

  Marius’s smile widened. “Bastien, your punishment is to handle the mess you created. You will return to the capital at once, and you will become the new High Prince of the Unified Territories.”

  I froze. That was not what I was expecting.

  My brother took a step closer. “You’ll be in charge of answering all the courtiers’ questions. Placating the lords and ladies. Holding court. And your wife will help coordinate sanguination balls and name day parties and the like.”

  High Prince. He was going to trap me in that wretched castle, surrounded by liars and schemers, until it suffocated me. Until it drove me mad.

  “No,” I said flatly.

  Marius’s eyes gleamed. “Just think of all the parties and dances you’ll be hosting to win the nobles back over to your side. And all the financial documents you’ll review to levy the coin needed for that new château.”

  “I don’t do parties,” I said, running a frustrated hand through my hair. “And I don’t fret over coins. I’m a commander. Not a politician.”

  “You are now,” Marius replied. “This is your punishment. The position is yours. As is the burden.”

  I set my hand on the desk I’d sat at countless times, pouring over maps and strategies, trying to quiet my thoughts. This wasn’t a death sentence. This wasn’t banishment. However…

  “Marius, I promised my wife…” I began, trying to find the right words. “I promised her we’d live a quiet life. She has sacrificed more for our people than any lord or lady who dares judge us.” I rubbed at the bridge of my nose, then turned to face him. “This is the last thing she deserves. Don’t punish her on account of my behavior.”