All the Tides of Fate (All the Stars and Teeth #2) - Adalyn Grace Page 0,3

will be fully taking over by spring.”

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Azami.”

She bows her head quick and low. “Likewise, Your Majesty.”

I’m surprised to find there are other faces here I don’t recognize. While most watch me with intrigue, Mornute’s new adviser steeples their fingers on the marble table, then taps anxious patterns upon it. With each tap of their fingers, tiny constellations dance around their lacquered black nails. When they catch me looking, they jolt to attention.

“Leo Gavel, Your Majesty!” Leo’s face is pleasantly youthful, with full peachy cheeks sprinkled with freckles enchanted to look like stars. Physically, Leo is small and plump, with striking features that give me a tinge of jealousy for all those able to practice enchantment magic. They’ve piercing yellow eyes and matching buzzed hair, and wear a lavender pantsuit with winged liner in a similar shade around their eyes. “We haven’t been able to meet since Mornute’s previous adviser was killed during the attack, but I assure you that I’m well trained. I look forward to working together.”

“As do I.” But my words are forced as my thoughts linger on the night of the attack, wondering how many people I let die. Because I couldn’t kill Kaven the first time he and I fought on Zudoh, how much blood am I responsible for spilling?

There’s yet another new face—the adviser representing Curmana, the island of mind magic, judging from his loose onyx pants and shimmering cape.

“I’m Elias Freebourne, and I’ll be filling in for my sister, who went into labor the morning we were loading the ship to journey here. I look forward to serving you, Your Majesty.” There’s a glint in his striking green eyes that warms my skin. I turn quickly away.

“This meeting is to discuss the unification of Visidia,” I tell them. “I’d like to focus on our restoration efforts with Zudoh and Kerost. While relations with the former are going as well as we can expect, we need to figure out a way to restore Kerost’s trust in us before they secede from the kingdom.” We let them suffer from the storms for far too long. We ignored them as a time trader profited off their pain and stole years of their lives. If we want to make it up to them, we’re going to have our work cut out for us.

Mornute’s adviser stirs. “I’m more than happy to discuss restoration efforts, Your Majesty. But my primary purpose for coming here is to discuss the well-being of Mornute, and how it’s being impacted by Visidia’s recent … changes.”

At once I know Leo is referring to my abolishment of the law preventing Visidians from practicing more than one magic. A law that was crafted upon the kingdom’s biggest lie, and that I put an end to the moment I took the throne.

For centuries the Montaras kept Visidians weak, ensuring they only practiced one magic—and never even had the ability to learn soul magic—so that no one could single-handedly overpower our family. They crafted a legend of a beast that would cause Visidia’s ruin should they break the law. A legend that tricked my people into believing that the Montaras alone could use dangerous soul magic to protect them. The story became so ingrained in our kingdom’s foundation that few people ever strayed.

Even now, my people don’t know what the Montaras—my family—did. They believe I vanquished the beast and freed magic. If they knew the truth, I wouldn’t be on the throne. I’d never have the chance to make things right.

So long as I wear this crown, I have only one goal: repent for the mistakes of my ancestors by breaking the Montara curse and freeing soul magic from our bloodline. I’ll make this kingdom whole by giving my people everything they were always meant to have, and finally tell them the truth.

And then, I’ll accept whatever punishment they see fit.

“I, too, would like to discuss how these changes are affecting our individual islands,” says the Suntosan adviser, Lord Garrison. He’s a stout man with a thick red beard that conceals half his face from view. It’s meticulously styled every time I’ve seen him, and soft, too. Like he coats it in oil every night. “Some of us have traveled great lengths to be here. It’s only right that we get to address our concerns.”

Mother’s reminder rings in my head—you’re not here to fight them. But gods, between his proud chin and assessing eyes, I can’t help myself. “I know our geography, Lord