Kane sat up. Leaning forward, he picked up the fireplace poker and shifted the logs around. “Some say that, one day, two children will be born together of two races. And these children will grow to rule two kingdoms, two worlds. They will war. Only, they will have gods behind them. Eventually, one will fall, as will the god that they side with. They will fall by their sibling’s hand. And it will end all of this. Only no one speaks of what side will win nor which gods are involved. So, while the end to the endless war would be a good thing. It is only a good thing if Brialjhorn isn’t the one backing the successor.” He cleared his throat. “If you believe in things like prophecies. That is.”
“A prophecy? Do you believe it?” I sat up and reached out, rubbing his shoulders once again.
He shook his head. “No. I do not believe in such things as prophecies, destiny, fate or anything that controls me and my life or anyone in my life.”
“Okay.” I drew the word out. “So, if you haven’t won, who rules Naelyra? And how did you become king of Everwinter?”
“I am king of all of Naelyra,” he corrected me. “Everwinter is just my home city. I simply choose not to rule it like a dictator. I became king in that war to save it from what Brialjhorn would have done to these people. I see no problem with how the cities function as a whole and only step in when their councils cannot bring about order. Otherwise, I want to live in peace.”
There was a long moment of quiet between us. I was processing all that he told me, mentally sorting through everything he had just explained. It was a lot for me to take in, especially in the midst of everything I was already trying to grasp. And as my mind wandered, my hands absentmindedly started working his hair again, braiding it, unbraiding it only to braid it once more.
My fingertips brushed over his shoulder. “So, you’re not a god, but you are a king. Just nobody knows? Why do they not know? Why have you chosen to keep who you are a secret?”
"Well, for starters, If I go around announcing I am a vampire king, the humans for sure would wish a war. Then all our livestock is dead," he said softly back to me.
I tugged on his hair playfully. “Your livestock, huh? As in you’d have to kill them for revolting?”
“Exactly.” He tilted his head back and smirked.
I shook my head. “Do they not know of your kind as a whole, outside of Everwinter? Do you not live in peace? Why would they do that? And do any of the races know that they have a king at all?”
He shook his head, chuckling. “You are full of questions.”
Of course I had questions. I was in a whole new world. Everything was new to me. I didn’t respond. Instead, I waited for him to reply.
His attentions returned to the fire. "No. We do not live in peace. Not completely anyway. But they are aware of us. The humans in my city are fully aware of my kind as are everyone in this world… and others. And yes. They are also aware that they serve as a blood source in exchange for not having to die of starvation or worse elsewhere, since the only human city on this continent is overpopulated and dangerous. As for the other races? My kind has an uneasy alliance with them."
“Oh.” His hair fell to his shoulder as I dropped my hands in my lap. “But you said you step in sometimes when needed?”
“That is rare, little one. But yes.” He took in a slow, deep breath. “I instituted a council when I took over. Each region on Naelyra has a representative on it. And they each have three in their own sectors. The agreement was that the local governments would cooperate, or I would destroy them and start over. And my council serves to keep each government in line and to report back to me the ongoings of their regions. This allows me to move about freely without more risk or bothersome issues if recognized. I’ve seen far too much what ego gets when it draws attention. I did not take over Naelyra for ego.”
“If not recognition and power, then what?”
“I did not say, not for power. But some of history’s greatest and most powerful entities were not the ones with their names on the stationary. This is where shooting the messenger comes from. But no. Power was also not my main focus. I wanted a quiet place, away from Aejynys where my family is from. There, my family is very powerful. And everyone knows of us. Here, I can live my life as I see fit.”
“I see.”
He looked at me, his eyes seemingly searching mine. "Why did you stop your hand? You withdrew."
His question brought a smile to my lips. “Sorry. I was lost in your story.”
“Please.” He pulled my hands back to his shoulders. “I like your touch.”
My fingers worked his muscles slowly. “Aejynys? Another world? If this one is dangerous as it is, why have the people of Naelyra not moved there or other worlds to find a better life?”
Sparks flew up as he thrust the poker into the logs again, stoking the fire absentmindedly. “The people of this world do not know of others. At least most do not. I made a deal with two casters when I took over. One that took the knowledge of cross-planetary portals away from most. The other to close them except by charge of those I appointed. That is, until they stopped working altogether we thought. Both points being reasons why you being here is very dangerous.”
My
