Xaden and Vyshena departed their dragons in the flight field and quickly met up with one another. Sgaeyl, Rio, and Tairn all flying off as Violet jogged over to them. Ridoc was next, then Garrick. "I need to speak to you," Xaden said while grabbing Vyshena's arm. "Violet, the letters." Vyshena told the girl who nodded her head quickly. "I'll get them."

"I need you to seriously think about the future we were going to have because I assure you it is still beneficial to the both of us." Xaden said as they walked to the school, keeping to Xaden's shadows. "What's that mean? I have to decide if I want to marry you? Make you king?" She asked while he sighed.

"Please don't argue about this right now, I'm being serious. We complete the ritual, we're more powerful, Alithia has better wards, we can get away with a lot more." Xaden mumbled under his breath as their squad quickly left their formation and went to their new places. Xaden and Vyshena sprinted up the steps and down the hall to his dorm.

He swung open the door and Rhiannon was on the floor with Morghan. "Oh, thank fuck." Rhiannon cried out while both of them stood up. Rhiannon running for Vyshena while Morghan grabbed ahold of Xaden. "You're alive, everyone's okay?" Rhiannon asked while Xaden quickly picked up Morghan and walked further into the room.

"Deigh was killed." Rhiannon's face dropped quickly and her hand found its way to her mouth. "We burned them near Alithia." Tears fell down Rhiannon's eyes while she quickly wiped them away. "Okay, uh- everyone else okay?" She asked, clearing her throat while hearing Morghan whine behind her. She turned around, seeing Xaden shushing her while he continued what he was saying.

"Yeah, everyone else is good. Violet is getting Liam's letters for his sister and the rest are getting into formation." Rhiannon nodded, "okay, I have to go but I'm coming over tonight." Vyshena nodded while she quickly left, and Vyshena rushed for Xaden and Morghan.

"You're going to stay with mom." And Morghan's eyes weld up with tears and her lip poked out. "Do you want to go back to Alithia?" Xaden asked and the whines stopped but the tears remained. "We will be back tonight, okay? You just have to stay by yourself for a couple more hours." Xaden said while Morghan nodded her head and he set her down.

She crawled under the blankets while a mage light came on in the room, dimly lighting the space in an orange hue. "We'll be back." He pushed her hair out of her face, tucking it behind her ear while Vyshena opened his door and they left.

The death roll was being read when they got to the courtyard, "Vyshena Lenayon. Garrick Tavis. Xaden Riorson." Captain Fitzgibbons voice gets louder when Vyshena walked through the part of the squads, keeping her hands in her pockets. The gasp echoed against the concrete walls, and all eyes were on her, and two behind her.

"I'd be nice if you could make promises." Vyshena told the formation in front of her. General Sorrengail stood to her feet slowly when Vyshena pulled her hands from her pockets. "Keep Liam Mairi's name on the list, you killed him." Vyshena pointed her finger at Colonel Aetos, while General Sorrengail snapped her head at him.

"Better luck next time, I guess?" Vyshena said while shrugging her shoulders and finding her squad, standing beside Rhiannon while Sawyer wrapped his arms around her shoulders, hugging her tightly.

"You're not dead." Fitzgibbons was clearly distraught, Jesinia grabbed the death roll from Captain Fitzgibbons. Vyshena listened to the uproar that happened, and her eyes squinted slowly as she listened to every word out of every mouth. "Six days!" Aetos shouted as General Sorrengail stared past the crowd, finding Vyshena who kept her face stone while she didn't divert her eyes once meeting.

"You sent us into combat, and you're going to report us for desertion?" Xaden didn't need to shout for his name to echo, and everyone fell silent. "What the hell is he talking about?" General Sorrengail questioned, looking between Xaden and Aetos. "I have no idea." He lied, clearly as his face remained beet red.

"I was directed to take a squad beyond the wards to Athebyne and form the headquarters for Fourth Wing's War Games, and I did so. We stopped to rest our riot and the nearest lake past the wards, and we were attacked by gryphons." Violet wondered what all Xaden has lied about, since this one rolled off his tongue with ease. No tremor to his words, no shaky movements. "It was a surprise attack, and they caught Deigh and Fuil unaware." Sawyer slowly standing up, his arms dropping from Vyshena.

"Liam's dead?" He asked, not catching Vyshena's words earlier. "There wasn't anything we could do. I couldn't get to Deigh fast enough, there were too many eyes." Sawyer's tear streaked face glanced down to Vyshena. "What do you mean too many eyes?" He questioned, "my dragons came. Eon was there."

Rhiannon gasped, holding her hand to Vyshena's arm while Sawyer did the same and his nose scrunched up before he held his hands over his face. "She wasn't there." Rhiannon said, eyes heavy as Vyshena nodded. The argument continued in front of them, and Vyshena sucked in a slow breath. "Sawyer, come to my dorm tonight. I'll tell you what happened. Everything, that happened."

Vyshena sat in Xaden's dorm, her feet on the floor as one bounced up and down. Morghan was running laps back and forth, giggling while getting some energy out. Xaden packed up the remaining of his things, promising Vyshena he would stay for the night. She didn't act like she was sad about it, didn't seem bothered, didn't ask.

Xaden sighed while he leaned over a bag, "are you okay?" Xaden asked Vyshena who nodded her head quickly. "There's a party going on downstairs." He reminded her and she nodded again. "It'll be there when you're done. I'm going to tell Rhiannon and Sawyer about what happened." Xaden went quiet while Morghan stopped running after she hit against the wall with a grunt.

"You sure?" He asked and Vyshena nodded her head. "The more people we have, the better. It's hard to trust them but in reality," Vyshena shrugged her shoulders. "Okay. I trust you." Xaden said, zipping the bag while Morghan had shaken out her wings while climbing onto the couch and nuzzling in Vyshena's hair.

"I'm going to take her to my room. I'll see you in a bit." Vyshena said while Xaden quickly nodded. "Okay," he said, watching her move Morghan inside of her jacket, feeling her slip into the pocket and her talons grip onto her shirt.

"Cadet Lenayon." She turned her head, seeing Aetos and Sorregail walking the halls. "Be quiet."

"Good evening." Vyshena greeted, stuffing her hands in her pockets and gently lifted them to take weight off the right side. "Aetos, do you mind giving us a second?" General Sorrengail asked while gaining a questioning look from him before he walked off.

"Good evening," Vyshena said more gentle this time, getting a smile from the woman. "I have this odd feeling Riorson told you about our deal?" The woman asked and noticed Vyshena nod her head once. "And I am aware you know about our issue? Given you're the king and queen's daughter, and were there that night." Vyshena nodded again.

"Are you and him still, betrothed?" Sorrengail asked and Vyshena chuckled, "technically yes, but no." She answered and caught a slight smile on the general's mouth. "Well, since you are aware of the deal we made." Sorrengail sighed and pushed her hands in her pockets.

"I'm trusting you to do what you have to do." Vyshena stared at the woman while her brows slowly furrowed. "In what regards?" Vyshena questioned, feeling how stiff Morghan went in her pocket so she wouldn't move. "You know which regards. Se bēsīmonagon - the uprising. If I remember correctly." Vyshena's heart fell to her stomach as she eyed the general up and down.

Her brows furrowed tightly, "what side are you on?" Vyshena whispered while taking a step closer. "I have a job to do, but I also have people to protect. The king is that person, while you are also that person. I do what needs to be done, disregarding my own opinions on the subject."

Vyshena smiled, "and what are your opinions, General?" She snarked out, scoffing while Sorrengail shrugged her shoulders. "Killing your parents is what's going to kill us. We did something bad, and the universe is going to punish us for it." Sorrengail admitted in a quiet tone, "so if it were up to you?" Vyshena questioned.

"We find the next available Kingdom, and get you back on the throne."

The last time Vyshena was this drunk was Xaden's seventeenth birthday party. She was fourteen, and got ahold of something that tasted like sweets and drank until she was throwing up in the gardens and sleeping on the flower beds. She hasn't picked up a drink since.

Rhiannon grabbed her, pulling their bodies together while swaying back and forth to the music. Rhiannon sang loudly, spinning Vyshena around while she sipped from her cup and rocked her hips back and forth. "I'm so happy you're okay!" Rhiannon squeaked while she jumped up and down and wrapped her arms tight around Vyshena.

"I'm going to talk to Violet." Vyshena squeezed Rhiannon hard, "okay."

Sawyer had shimmed his way between them, "I have also missed the princess, excuse me." He grabbed the drink from her hand and set it down, holding both hands to her waist while lifting her up and more into the crowd. Rhiannon whooped while Imogen cheered. "Damn, that was sexy." Imogen sighed, "right? The way he lifted her like that." Rhiannon added, sipping her drink.

She gasped and sat up once Sawyer had kicked Vyshena's foot out from under her, and when she fell down, he spun her and caught her in his left arm. "Holy shit, Sawyer's got moves!" Rhiannon screamed while Violet quickly turned her head where she was talking with Xaden. She saw the white hair being twirled, picked up, dipped, falling into a blur before she met eyes with Xaden.

"They're coming up with a schedule right now, so we'll know by morning." Xaden told her while she nodded. "Do you and Vyshena have a schedule?" She asked, looking back into the crowd where Bodhi and Garrick did a routine together, clapping their hands then the bottoms of their boots. Jumping in the air and then sliding under ones legs. "Why would we have a schedule?" Xaden asked and Violet shared a look with him again.

"I don't know, sorry. I'm drunk." She chuckled, rubbing her hand over her face. "Did you get the letters?" Xaden asked and Violet nodded, "Rhiannon has them, she'll give them to Vyshena." Violet's words slurred and she almost used the right pronunciation of her name. Xaden chuckled, "say, ñuha brozi Violet issa." Violet opened her mouth to speak but her brows furrowed and she leaned her body forward. "One more time," she said.

"Ñuha brozi Violet issa." Xaden said slower while Violet cleared her throat and repeated the sentence. "When your drunk, your accent sounds almost alithian." Xaden told her while hearing Imogen cheering. She stood on one of the benches seeing Ridoc and Garrick dancing, hand in hand and chest to chest. Nadie chugged the rest of her glass and Vyshena was on her knees laughing after being pulled away, and stumbling before she could catch herself. "It means your name. My name is Violet," he said while glancing back to the crowd where the music slowly stopped before it picked up again.

"They're having fun." Violet said while staring at her group. "You guys need this," he sighed while nodding. "I'm going to stay for the night, but leaving at dawn. We'll discuss the schedule when we have it." Violet furrowed her brows, "you aren't staying?" Xaden shook his head.

"I need to rest, it was a long week." Violet agreed, "okay."

Rhiannon and Sawyer sat on the floor in Vyshena's room. Xaden on the bed, with the princess sat in front of the two. "So, my parents came from a very long line of witches." Vyshena said as she pulled her knees up to her chest. "And that line has been passed all the way down to me."

"Before I was born mine and Xaden's parents thought of this brilliant idea to ensure they would always rule. Have a girl and marry her to Xaden." Morghan was curled in a ball asleep, using Vyshena's pillow as a bed. "So I was born, and then became a mother to twins. Eon and Fyda." Garrick's eyes widened. "The world knows about Fyda, but they're unaware she has a twin. She is easy to hide, the Alithian dragons are a different breed. The high bloods have the ability to turn into dragons, some can and others can't. Some eggs don't hatch so they're left dragon-less, it leads to a very long and sad life."

Garrick sighed through his nose while Rhiannon nodded. "My parents were fighting over the truth. Venin and wyvern exist." Vyshena spit out and saw how both of them rew confused. "Venin and wyvern?" Rhiannon questioned.

"You know how my parents' dragons were the first to turn on their kind?" Both nodded, "they weren't fighting dragons, they were fighting wyvern. And they were executed because of it. The entire rebellion was." Rhiannon chuckled under her breath, "why are you telling us this?" She asked.

"We were attacked by venin and wyvern during war games. Aetos sent us on a suicide mission and we survived it. Wyvern is what killed Deigh and Fiul." Vyshena's eyes dazed off as she thought about it. "Would you like to see?" She offered, and Xaden sat up. "You haven't done that since we were kids." He warned, "I'll be fine. I can show you." She told Sawyer who nodded quickly and Rhiannon who was hesitant.

"You tell me to stop, and I'll stop." Rhiannon nodded, seeing Vyshena scoot closer and hold her fingers to the sides of their temples. Immediately they were sucked into the world of war, looking through Vyshena's eyes who sat on top of Fyda and watched the wyvern attach itself to Deigh.

Violet caught Liam, and then Vyshena was on top of the wyvern. And Deigh was dropped. Rhiannon sucked in a breath while Xaden watched tears spill from behind her shut eyes. Sawyer's chin quivered violently.

Then they were listening to Vyshena's thoughts while hearing Eon mourn her love. Watched how she thrashed in her sisters arms, then when Deigh and Liam were burned.

They snapped back into reality as Rhiannon hiccuped, "I'm so sorry, V." She sobbed and held a hand to her chest. "I know how much he meant to you and your family." Sawyer rubbed his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt and cleared his throat. "Alithia still stands," Rhiannon went silent, holding her breath as Sawyer choked on his spit.

"You're a queen." It was the first thing that popped in her mind as she looked at Sawyer, "she's a queen." She told him as he coughed into his elbow. "Reason why I'm choking, Rhi." He said between coughs. "Brennan Sorrengail is alive and he is there with Fyda and Eon, rebuilding what was destroyed. We're mining in the East, but it looks good and ready to go." Rhiannon kept her hand over her heart.

"Also, my brother is here. He is temperamental, judgmental, angry,"

"And he has a reason to be all those things. He asks for no one to know who he is but you won't miss him. Just don't make it a big deal if you decide to speak to him." Xaden told the two kids who tried to take everything in. The room was silent for a long time before Sawyer sighed.

"I'm too drunk for this."