Darian had been avoiding his study ever since they brought the Calypso into his estate.
For the past three days, every report, military dispatch, and council meeting had been moved to the sunroom on the eastern wing of the mansion. It was as far from the western wing as he could reasonably manage without the servants beginning to ask questions.
The girl was more than an unwanted gift. She was a message, a warning.
Erik never gave gifts for pleasantries. The Emperor had slaughtered an entire pod, placed the lone survivor in a glass prison, and delivered her to Darian’s doorstep. It obviously wasn’t generosity.
It was a reminder.
A reminder of who sat upon Estonia’s throne.
A reminder that even if Darian won wars at the empire’s borders, Erik still held power over him. He still had the one person Darian could never afford to lose hidden not so safely behind the palace walls.
The scratching of his quill came to a halt as familiar footsteps approached. They were measured, unhurried, and impossibly quiet.
Hartley.
The elderly steward set a silver teapot beside the stack of reports before pouring a cup with practiced precision. The scent of ginger and tea leaves drifted through the room.
"Your Grace isn’t working in his study?"
Darian finally looked up from the reports scattered across the table. "I like the sunroom."
Hartley regarded him for a long moment before giving a faint, knowing nod.
"Yes... Sure you do." The old man handed him the teacup.
Darian accepted it, though he made no move to drink.
"I’ll have the servants replace the Calypso’s water this afternoon," Hartley informed him as he straightened his coat.
The teacup paused halfway to Darian’s lips.
"No."
Hartley’s brows lifted almost imperceptibly.
"Calypsos are unpredictable creatures," Darian said, setting the cup back onto its saucer. "She watched her people die only days ago. Cornering a traumatized survivor is reckless, and I won’t have frightened servants provoking her."
Hartley inclined his head.
"As you wish."
Silence settled between them once more.
Darian leaned back in his chair, rubbing a hand over his tired eyes.
The Calypsos had once been spoken of with admiration. Peaceful creatures who kept to the deepest parts of the sea, avoiding conflict whenever they could. Their numbers had dwindled over the years until sightings so little they started to seem like stories.
Now they were hunted, for reasons so cruel it made him sick, they were now game for a sport nobles found amusing, an essential ingredient in high end cosmetics.
Trophies.
His father had spent his reign trying to forge peace between faes, humans, beastkin, and the seafolk alike. That had been the duty of the dragon bloodline. Strength was meant to protect, not dominate.
Erik had undone years of that work within a single reign.
To him, all creatures were beneath him.
They were entertainment and the Calypso in his study was proof of that. It was clear she wasn’t a present but one of his uncle’s way of mocking everything Darian’s father had stood for.
His fingers tightened around the porcelain cup.
He wanted to free her.
He couldn’t.
The moment the Emperor learned the Calypso had vanished, Adelaide would be the one to suffer for it.
Hartley’s gaze shifted toward an unopened envelope resting near the edge of the desk.
"A letter from Lady Adelaide?"
Darian followed his gaze before letting out a quiet sigh. "Erik handed it to me after court."
He reached for the envelope, turning it over in his hands without breaking the seal. "You know I can never bring myself to read them immediately."
Hartley nodded in understanding.
Lady Adelaide Emberfall.
His younger sister and his greatest weakness.
She had been little more than a child when Erik seized the throne. While Darian was sent away to serve at sea, Adelaide had remained behind within the palace. Officially, she was the Emperor’s beloved niece.
In truth...
She was a hostage.
Every few months, another letter arrived in Erik’s hands before eventually finding its way to Darian.
The Emperor never failed to deliver them himself.
Not out of kindness or duty, it was his way of reminding him that Adelaide’s life was in his hands and one wrong move he would lose the only thing left of his past.
Darian traced his thumb across Adelaide’s elegant handwriting. He wondered, not for the first time, whether he would still recognize his sister if she stood before him now. The little girl who used to cling to his arm and beg him for candies was gone.
In her place was someone he knew only through letters. He carefully placed the letter back onto the desk and rose from his chair.
"I need some air." He announced.
Hartley nodded quietly.
Darian had barely crossed the threshold when hurried footsteps echoed through the corridor.
A young servant came rushing toward him, his face drained of color, beads of sweat glistening across his forehead. "M-My Lord," he stammered, struggling to catch his breath. "The Emperor... the Emperor is in your study."
Darian’s expression hardened.
Without another word, he turned and strode down the corridor, his pace quickening with every step. A cold feeling settled in his chest.
Erik’s visits never ended well.
He pushed open the study doors.
The sight before him made him stop.
Water soaked the polished wooden floor, dripping from the shattered remains of the glass tank she had been in earlier. The Calypso lay on the ground, her wrists trembling as she struggled to push herself upright. Her hair clung to her face, her breathing came in ragged gasps, yet the hatred burning in her sapphire eyes never wavered.
She was staring directly at the Emperor.
Erik chuckled. The sound alone was enough to make Darian’s stomach turn.
"Such a stubborn little thing."
With the lazy flick of a finger, the enchanted collar around the girl’s neck flared to life.
She cried out.
Her body arched violently as the magic surged through her, every muscle locking beneath the punishment. Her fingers clawed helplessly at the iron band while another scream tore from her throat.
Darian’s hands curled into fists.
"Still refusing to tell me your name?" Erik asked, crouching before her. He grabbed her chin, forcing her to meet his gaze. "A pity. I was beginning to think we understood one another."
The girl bared her teeth in answer. Refusing to submit even in pain.
Erik clicked his tongue in mock disappointment before shoving her backward.
Then he looked up. His smile widened the moment he saw Darian standing in the doorway.
"There you are, nephew." He rose to his feet as though nothing unusual had happened.
"You’ve acquired yourself quite the spirited pet."
His fingers flexed once.
The collar lit up again.
The girl’s scream echoed through the study.
"Enough." Darian’s voice cut through the room like drawn steel.
Silence followed.
Erik regarded him with mild amusement, as though he had been waiting for that single word.
"Oh?" he said, the smile never leaving his face. "And what exactly are you going to do about it... nephew?"
Erik stepped forward them pulled a letter from his cloak, a subtle reminder. "Do you really want to upset me nephew?"