Ascension: The Affiliate Part 1

The Affiliate.

K.A. Linde.

To Brittany and Shea, who have been this book's champion since the beginning.

AHLVIE GUNN: AL-VEE GUN.

ARALYN STROHM: AIR-UH-LIN STRAHM.

BASILLE SELBY: BAH-SEAL SEL-BEE.

BRAJ: BRAHJ.

BYERN: BY-URN.

CARO BARCA: CAR-O BARS-UH.

CYRENE STROHM: SAH-REEN STRAHM.

DAUFINA BIRKET (CONSORT): DAW-FEEN-UH BUR-KET.

EDRIC DREMYLON (KING): EDGE-RICK DREM-LIN.

ELEA STROHM: EL-YA STRAHM.

ELEYSIA: EL-A-SEE-UH.

EMPORIA: EM-POR-EE-UH.

EREN: AIR-EN.

HAILLE MARDAS: HAYL MAR-DUS.

INDRES: IN-DRESS.

JARDANA: JAR-DON-UH.

JESTRE FARRANAY: JEST-RAY FAIR-UH-NAY.

KAEL DREMYLON (PRINCE): KAYL DREM-LIN.

KALIANA DREMYLON (QUEEN): KAL-EE-AH-NUH DREM-LIN.

KEYLANI RIVER: KEY-LAHN-EE.

KRISANA (ALBION CASTLE): KRIS-ON-UH.

LEIF: LEEF.

MAELIA DALLMER: MAY-LEE-UH DAL-MER.

NIT DECUS (BYERN CASTLE): NIT DAKE-US.

REEVE STROHM: REEV STRAHM.

RHEA GRAMM: RAY GRAM.

SERAFINA (DOMINA): SER-UH-FEEN-UH.

VIKTOR DREMYLON: VICK-TER DREM-LIN.

"Let them in." King Maltrier pulled in a shuddering breath and then coughed raggedly for a minute.

"Your Majesty, are you sure?" his longtime servant asked. He had the same relentless att.i.tude that he always had, but he sounded more earnest than ever, as if he could will the King not to die.

"Get them, Solmis. Now."

Solmis walked wearily across the darkened room. He heaved open the weathered door to the King's bedchamber and spoke to the pair of guards standing watch, "Get the boys. The King wishes to speak with them."

One guard punched his right fist to the left side of his chest in a formal Byern salute and then walked into the outer chamber. A moment later, he returned with two young boys with the same dark hair and blue-gray eyes that marked them as Dremylon heirs.

"This way, boys," Solmis said. He was one of the few people who could get away with calling the Princes boys.

"Thank you, Solmis," Edric, the crown prince, said with a smile and the confidence of someone who never wanted for anything.

The second son, Kael, pushed past them both, mimicking his brother's stride. His face was set in a scowl. Some of his youthful exuberance had already drained out of him, and in its place was cynicism from losing a mother too young and from having a sick father, but mostly, it was from being second.

"Father," he called out.

"Come here, Kael," the King said. He patted the side of the bed. "You, too, Edric."

Edric walked to his side and settled into a chair while Kael hoisted himself up onto the bed.

With Edric being fifteen and Kael at thirteen, both were much too young for this kind of loss.

The King had seen his youngest, Jesalyn, earlier that day. She had cried the entire time, understanding what was coming and knowing she could do nothing to stop it. In tears, she had run out of the room and straight into Consort Shamira's arms. She had all but raised the child after his wife, Queen Adelaida's unceremonious death.

But he couldn't waste thoughts on that now. He was tiring with every pa.s.sing moment. The boys...they had to know.

"Solmis," the King said, regaining a shred of strength.

His servant, his old friend, left the room, giving them the privacy they needed.

"Father," Kael repeated impatiently.

"I'm dying," King Maltrier said.

Silence followed the declaration. Kael looked aghast. Edric tried to hide the shock of what he knew would be coming next.

"Edric will succeed me."

"I'm too young to be king," Edric whispered.

"Fifteen is not too young." The King thought that was questionable, but he would not dispute it with his son. Edric had to be strong. He had to rule. "You have the Consort and my High Order to help and guide you."

Edric swallowed and nodded. "Yes, Father."

"Trust in yourself, and all will go as planned. I have formed an alliance with Aurum for Jesalyn to be queen and another with Tiek, who has offered you their young Princess Kaliana. Honor these matches to keep our people safe. A strong king is one with an heir."

The King leaned over and coughed into a handkerchief for several minutes. His throat was raw, and his lungs ached. He didn't know how much more he could take, but he had to pa.s.s on their legacy.

But could he put that burden on them?

He had to decide now.

No. He would tell only one. He would pa.s.s it on to the boy most like himself-the one who could handle the knowledge, the one destined to rule.

The King turned to one of his sons and said, "I need to speak with your brother alone for a moment."

His eyebrows knit together as hurt and confusion clouded his features. "But, Father-"

"Go," King Maltrier commanded.

He clenched his jaw, stood, and left without another word.

It was the last time the King would ever see his son.

The door closed roughly behind him.

King Maltrier turned to his other son. "You know the story of our ancestor Viktor Dremylon."

He nodded, but the King continued anyway.

"Viktor struck down the evil Doma court that subjugated our people. Then he claimed the throne for himself with the sole purpose of ruling in a fair and just system."

"Yes, Father."

"History is told by the winners."

"What do you mean?" He tilted his head and looked concerned.

Perhaps he thought the King had already lost his mind.

"Viktor did destroy the Doma court, and he ushered in a new era of Dremylon rule that has persisted two thousand years up until you today. But what is not in the stories is that the Doma court had ruled because they had powerful...abilities."

His son laughed like his father was telling a fairy tale.

"Listen!" the King snapped. That sent him into another fit, and his son helped him sit up, so he could cough into his handkerchief.

When King Maltrier leaned back again, the King saw blood had coated the white silk.

"Father, you should rest."

"I need to tell you-" He was interrupted by another cough. "-the truth. Viktor beat the Doma court and the most powerful leader they had ever known, Domina Serafina, by stealing magic-dark magic, a magic that cursed Viktor and all his ancestors. It cursed me...and you...the entire Dremylon line."

His son remained silent and still. The King had gained his attention.

"Now, I must leave you with this, Son." The King retrieved a heavy gold key from around his neck and placed it in his son's hands. "A lockbox in the wall in my closet contains Viktor Dremylon's writings. Collect it, and tell no one. You must continue our legacy. Anyone who has Doma blood and discovers their magic must be eliminated. They threaten our power, your power. They threaten the very world we live in."

"A storm is brewing." Cyrene pushed open the textured gla.s.s windowpane to better a.s.sess the ever-darkening sky.

"It looks dreadful out there," her sister, Elea said.

Cyrene could smell the dankness of the damp air and feel the pressing humidity against her pores. She brushed her long dark brown hair off her shoulders and stepped away from the window.

"Of course it would rain on the day of my Presenting. It hasn't rained in a month."

"It will hold off."

"I hope so." Today was her Presenting ceremony, and it would be the biggest day of her entire life. She swallowed hard, but her mouth felt as if she had gone without water for days in the middle of the Fallen Desert.

"Oh, Cyrene, you'll do fine today." Elea grabbed Cyrene's hand, lacing their fingers. "Aralyn was selected as an Affiliate, and I'm sure you will be, too."

Cyrene refocused her thoughts, channeling the self-a.s.surance that so often came to her, and she put on a brave face for Elea. "Of course I will. I hope Rhea is feeling as confident."

"Don't worry about Rhea. She will be fine." Elea retrieved a neat ribbon of pearls from the dresser and strung them around Cyrene's neck. "There. All done."

"Thank you, Elea," Cyrene said. She pulled her sister into a fierce hug. "I'll miss you when I become an Affiliate."

"I'll miss you, too," Elea said, laughing. "You don't even know if you'll be selected into the First Cla.s.s, but you practically believe you will be the next consort by nightfall."

"I will be, right?" Cyrene asked sarcastically.

One of the most revered positions in all of Byern, the consort was personally chosen by the king and acted as his right hand in all matters of the state.

Elea snorted. "Don't count your chickens before they have hatched."

"Now, you sound like Mother!"

"Someone has to," Elea said, shaking her head at Cyrene. "Come on. We can't keep everyone waiting." She ushered Cyrene out of the bedchamber.

Cyrene and Elea descended the spiral staircase to the large open foyer where their mother, Herlana, awaited them. Her daughters were mirror images of her, but Herlana had poise and grace that could only have been acquired through age and from serving as the previous queen's Affiliate.