“He’s trying to make you pity him, Your Majesty,” Sora said. “Don’t fall for it.”

Empress Aki looked at her brother on the ceiling, her eyes rimmed red with tears. “Despite everything, I love you, Gin. I would spare your life if you’d repent for all that you did.”

“Your Majesty—” Daemon began.

But Sora sent him the feeling she’d experienced upon being reunited with Hana, a dizzying sense of glee and relief that transcended any past misdeeds. She worried about Empress Aki forgiving Prince Gin, but Sora understood it, too. There was something about family that allowed you to forgive them even the most atrocious wrongs. It was the most incomprehensible yet noble gift. Daemon stopped his protest.

Prince Gin, however, shook his head. “I could no more repent what I’ve done in the name of Kichona than you could repent what you’ve done for the kingdom.”

Empress Aki furrowed her brow. “But I’ve built schools, encouraged Kichona’s rich traditions by paying for festivals and celebrations, and opened up our borders to bring more prosperity than our kingdom has ever seen.”

“And you believe this is right and what is good for Kichona.”

“Without a doubt.”

“Then you understand how I feel,” Prince Gin said.

Empress Aki let out a mournful sigh, and Sora, Daemon, and Hana all looked away. They knew what the conclusion was. There was no compromise that could guarantee Kichona would be safe. Prince Gin had to die.

A wave of sadness washed over Sora, not because she thought he didn’t deserve the sentence, but because she knew how much it would pain the empress to give it. Sora couldn’t imagine being the one to end Hana’s life.

“Lower me to the ground,” Prince Gin said to Daemon.

Gravity regained its hold on the Dragon Prince, and it pulled him to the floor. For good measure, Daemon applied extra gravity to prevent Prince Gin from trying to run. But it was unnecessary, because he stayed where he landed.

“Do it, Aki,” Prince Gin said. “Tell one of your warriors to kill me now.”

“I won’t make them commit regicide,” she said, her voice trembling. “I’ll do it myself.” The empress unsheathed a blade from her own belt.

She approached him slowly, as if hoping, with each step, that everything could be undone. Her grip around her knife tightened.

But when she was right next to her brother, she threw her arms around him, embracing him tightly instead of stabbing him.

“You used to be my best friend. What happened to you?” Her body shook with the tears she tried to keep bottled up inside.

Sora glanced at Empress Aki’s knife. Prince Gin could snatch it from her. Sora was just about to do something about it when green smoke filled the balcony outside.

A bearded giant stepped out from the cloud.

Chapter Sixty-Three