Sold as the Alpha King's Breeder-Chapter 1509 - 108 : Royal Duty

*Saoirse*

Five days...

My mind was racing as I pondered the information the messenger had just given Rhys and me. I glanced up at Rhys, but he wasn’t staring at me either.

The air between us was thick with tension as we both decided what to do. Tension came from the fact that we both knew we wouldn’t agree on what needed to be done.

I didn’t care. It was too late for that. It was too late to sit and debate, argue, and fight over what was right and what was wrong.

Pyroth was back. We had to stop him.

The messenger had stated that Pyroth had immediately surrendered upon crossing over into Egoren. If what Axureon had told us about the dragon was true, Pyroth was not to be trusted. It could all be a ruse to distract and weaken us.

The proof of this matter was the fact that he asked to be brought to the royal palace and had stated that if he didn’t return to the portal in five days, his army would invade without him. If he was not intending to confuse and weaken us, I wondered why he would come to the castle at all.

He was trying to show his power, his authority.

Now that he was coming, all of the discussions about Pyroth’s return and the potential threats he posed to Egoren seemed to not even scratch the surface of the real deal. Theory was one thing, but acting it out was another. As queen, I had vowed to protect my people. I would do that, no matter what it took.

And I had never been great with words.

Rhys was always more of a politician, the analytical and logical thinker, whereas I acted more on impulse. There had been times we had reversed our roles, but our cores remained the same. I didn’t know if I had it in me to sit and listen to this dark lord I had heard so much about.

Yet my curiosity was peaked, and I wanted to know what he would say. Would he have demands? Would he be as evil as Axureon had said? What did that pure evil actually look like?

The war inside my head continued to rage back and forth.

Either way. I knew where my brain and heart were leading me, but I didn’t want to admit it to myself. Not only would Rhys be opposed to it, but the idea scared me as well, no matter how necessary it seemed.

Even as I told myself that, I couldn’t help picturing the powerful dragon staff that had once granted me immense strength and magic. It had given me the strength to protect my people and family.

At the thought of the twins and Rhys, my resolve set despite my fear.

Rhys seemed to notice the change in my expression and demeanor. He stopped pacing and looked at me cautiously.

“What’s on your mind, Saoirse?” he asked.

“The same thing on yours, I’m sure,” I answered slowly.

“I won’t know unless you tell me,” he said.

The tension in the room was palpable. I was sure that he knew what I was thinking, which was making him so tense, but he wanted to hear me say it. My throat turned dry, but my resolve didn’t shake.

“I am trying to think of a solution to this Pyroth problem,” I answered.

“And what have you come up with?” he asked.

He wasn’t backing down.

I let out a sigh. “There really is only one thing that I know for certain. We need to be prepared for anything. The best way to do that is to gather as much power and strength as possible.”

“And by that you mean..."

“Yes, Rhys, I mean I want to go collect the dragon staff again.”

The darkened look that flashed across his face told me I had been correct in my presumptions. He knew what I was thinking. As I expected, he wasn’t supportive. I braced myself for the opinion I hadn’t asked for.

“Saoirse,” he started, obviously trying to keep his voice steady and calm but still failing. “I know you want to help, but I won’t allow you to use that dragon staff again. It’s too dangerous and unpredictable.”

Now it was my turn to feel a flare of anger.

“Won’t allow me?” I asked in a similar irritated tone.

I knew he was concerned. Deep down, I was scared too, but that didn’t change what needed to be done. Frustration at his resistance bubbled to the surface, adding to the anger at his words.

“Since when do you control what I do?” I asked, crossing my arms. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Rhys seemed to sense his mistake and tried to backtrack. “I just meant–”

“I know what you meant,” I interrupted. “Rhys, I am the Queen of Egoren, and I have a duty to protect our people. If the dragon staff can help us against Pyroth, I must consider it. Regardless of your say on the matter, it is my choice.”

Instead of calming him down, this seemed to anger him further. He shook his head vehemently and stepped closer to me.

“Saoirse, you know what happened the last time you used that staff! You can’t seriously be considering it again!” Rhys exclaimed. “That damn thing nearly consumed you! Hell, it possessed you! I won’t watch you go through that again!”

I opened my mouth, but Rhys cut me off by stepping even closer and grabbing my shoulders.

“I can’t lose you, Saoirse,” Rhys said in a low voice, his eyes baring into mine. “Not now. Not ever. We have two children now, and they need you here. I need you.”

My anger flickered as I could hear the pain and fear in Rhys’ voice. He had gone through the penalties of the dragon staff with me, so he knew better than most that there was a real reason to be afraid. Even though it broke my heart to think of him being distraught, I refused to back down from what I knew was right.

“I know the risks, Rhys,” I told him. My tone was low and calmer. “I know better than anyone what it’s like to be possessed by that kind of power. It scares me too.”

“Then why?” he pleaded.

“We have to face the reality of the situation,” I said, gently placing my hand along his stubbled cheek. “Pyroth is a threat unlike any we’ve faced before, and we need every weapon in our arsenal to defeat him.”

“Who knows? Maybe it won’t come to that,” Rhys said, but he didn’t sound hopeful. “And even if it does, there have to be other ways, Saoirse. We can’t just rely on ancient, unstable magic. What about our allies? Our armies? Graduates of the Queen’s schools? Even the dragon shifters who have pledged their support? Do you truly think so little of them that we can’t handle this?”

“It’s not that I don’t have faith in our fighters,” I said with a sigh. With every argument, my frustration was growing. “Of course, we will use every resource we have, Rhys. But you know as well as I do that Pyroth is a formidable foe. We can’t afford to leave any stone unturned, any power untapped. If I can use the dragon staff to protect our people and keep our children safe, then I must try.”

Rhys was silent. His jaw was clenched tight. I watched his eyes, trying to see if there was anything I could say to get him on board.

“I would rather be overprepared than underprepared when the time comes,” I said into the silence.

His hands dropped from my shoulders. He stepped back so that my hand fell from his face as well. His eyes were burning again, and I knew he had made his decision. There would be no convincing him otherwise.

It had been a long shot anyway.

“I can’t support this, Saoirse,” he said at last, the intensity of his voice matching the burning in his eyes. “I won’t watch you put yourself at risk, not again. We will find another way. We have to.”

I yelled out as my frustration hit its boiling point. Despite my words, he was still telling me what I would do. And his response was proof that he hadn’t really been listening anyway.

His words had the opposite effect on me. Instead of backing down, I could feel my determination continuing to rise with my anger and frustration.

“I am not asking for your permission, Rhys.” My voice was growing stronger as well. “I am telling you that I will do whatever it takes to protect our kingdom, our family. I am the Queen of Egoren, and I will not be ruled by fear.”

We stared at each other, both unwilling to back down.

***

The next morning, I woke up to find Rhys already gone and a note left on his pillow. I grabbed the note, even though I was sure I already knew what he had done. He knew I wasn’t backing down, so he would take matters into his own hands.

Sure enough, the note explained that Rhys had decided to meet with Pyroth near the old dragon valley.

I cursed aloud and jumped out of bed to get ready. I knew he hadn’t been happy, but I didn’t think he would do something so dumb as to go to the known evil lord alone without even discussing it with me first.

Even with how irritated I was, the main emotion coursing through me was fear. It had been bad enough to know that Pyroth was coming to us, but now Rhys was going to him alone. He would be defenseless in a way he wouldn’t have been in the castle.

Rhys’ actions had the opposite effect. Now, more than ever, my mind turned to the dragon staff and the immense power it held. It would be the only thing that would allow me to protect Rhys from the danger he was walking into. The staff was my only chance of defeating Pyroth and protecting everyone.

Almost losing Rhys once had been hard enough. I never wanted to face that feeling again, even if it meant wielding such ancient and unpredictable magic again.

If I was going to do this, I was going to do it right. I would take precautions this time. Luckily for me, I had already been preparing for this since the rumors of Pyroth’s return had surfaced.

I rang a bell for one of the maids.

“I need an audience with Sasha. Please bring her to me immediately,” I told her and then turned to finish readying myself.

I had invited the Dream Walker who had once helped me communicate with Rhys across great distances. Her skills seemed like something I would want on my side in a battle. Now that I was desperate for guidance, I knew I had made the right call.

She arrived quickly, earning my gratitude.

“Tell me,” Sasha said, understanding the manner of my early morning call.

I wasted no time. I explained the dire situation to Sasha about the dragon lord who had finally appeared and the prophecies that concerned his invasion of our world. Then I told her about my thoughts and desire to get the staff again. I told her of Rhys’ action, pushing my agenda and confirming my belief that this was the only way to protect him.

She stood in silence the entire time, listening to me without interruption. Her brow furrowed in thought, but she waited until I finished talking to finally speak.

“Saoirse, the power of the dragon staff is not to be taken lightly. It is an ancient and volatile magic, one that easily consumes those who wield it.” Her voice was slow and measured. I felt myself starting to feel discouraged, but then she continued. “However, there may be a way to safely channel its energy if we are careful and precise.”

My chest lifted, and I leaned forward, my heart racing with a mix of hope and fear.

“Tell me, Sasha. I will do whatever it takes.”

Sasha nodded, her expression grave.

“We will need to perform a ritual that will allow you to safely absorb the power of the staff without being overwhelmed by it. It will require great focus and control on your part, as well as the assistance of other magic users who can help to guide and stabilize the energy.”

I felt the flicker of hope overpower the fear at Sasha’s words, even as the enormity of the task before me began to sink in.

“I will do whatever is necessary, Sasha,” I insisted. “I cannot let Rhys face Pyroth alone, and I cannot let our kingdom fall.”

Rhys wasn’t the only one who could make sacrifices.