A Name For A Crown

The Choice

The following morning, Viktoria received word that Elias Wells had agreed to return.

She had spent most of the night thinking about the letter.

When the time comes, Elias must speak to Viktoria himself.

Her grandfather had written those words before his death.

That meant Elias had not come to her by coincidence.

He had been waiting.

But waiting for what?

Viktoria stood in front of the mirror, fastening the last button of her coat.

She didn't know what Elias intended to tell her.

She only knew that she was done allowing other people to keep pieces of her grandfather's secrets.

A knock sounded.

"Come in."

Alexander entered.

"He's arrived."

Viktoria nodded.

"Where?"

"The west sitting room."

She turned toward him.

"Did you find anything else?"

Alexander's expression was serious.

"One thing."

"What?"

"The signature on the old agreement."

Viktoria waited.

"It belongs to Elias's grandfather."

Her eyes narrowed.

"Are you certain?"

"Yes."

"And the agreement was signed twenty-three years ago."

"Correct."

Viktoria looked away.

Twenty-three years ago.

Before she was born.

Before her father became the man he was today.

Before she understood anything about the empire.

Yet her grandfather had already been making arrangements with the Wells family.

"There's another problem," Alexander said.

Viktoria looked at him.

"Marcus knows Elias is here."

She stiffened.

"How?"

"Someone informed him."

"Of course."

Alexander stepped closer.

"He sent a message this morning."

"What did he say?"

"He wants you to reconsider the alliance."

Viktoria almost laughed.

"Now he suddenly cares about what I decide?"

"He cares about what Elias can do."

She nodded slowly.

"Then we're finally making him nervous."

Alexander smiled faintly.

"Perhaps."

Viktoria walked toward the door.

"Let's meet Elias."

---

Elias was standing near the window when Viktoria entered the room.

He turned at the sound of the door.

Unlike the previous evening, there was no audience.

No representatives.

No advisers.

Only Elias.

Viktoria entered with Alexander.

Elias looked at Alexander, then at Viktoria.

"You found the agreement."

It wasn't a question.

Viktoria stopped.

"You knew we would."

"I expected you to."

"You've been very confident."

"I had reason to be."

She walked toward the table.

"Sit."

Elias did.

Alexander remained standing.

Viktoria placed her grandfather's letter on the table.

"Explain this."

Elias looked at it.

For the first time, his expression lost some of its calmness.

"He wrote that?"

"You knew he had."

"Yes."

"When?"

"Several years ago."

"Before his death?"

"Yes."

Viktoria's voice hardened.

"What exactly did my grandfather ask your family to do?"

Elias was silent.

Then he answered.

"Protect the possibility of a united empire."

Viktoria stared at him.

"That's all?"

"No."

"Then tell me the rest."

Elias looked at her.

"Your grandfather believed the council would eventually divide the empire."

"He knew?"

"He suspected it."

"And he prepared for it."

"Yes."

Viktoria's hands tightened.

"Why didn't he tell me?"

"Because he wanted you to become strong enough to understand it."

She looked away.

Her grandfather had always believed in preparing her for the throne.

But apparently, there were parts of that preparation she had never known existed.

Elias continued.

"He didn't want the Wells family to interfere with your succession unless the empire was divided."

"And now it is."

"Exactly."

Viktoria sat opposite him.

"So the agreement gives your family the right to intervene."

"It gives us the responsibility to offer assistance."

"There's a difference."

"There is."

"Then why marriage?"

Elias met her eyes.

"Because the agreement has one condition."

Viktoria waited.

"If the Draven heir wishes to reunite the territories peacefully, the Wells family can support her claim through an alliance."

"An alliance."

"Yes."

"And marriage is the strongest form of alliance."

"Under the old agreement."

Viktoria leaned back.

"So my grandfather planned this."

"Not the marriage."

She looked at him.

"The possibility."

Elias continued.

"He knew that if the empire were divided, you would try to reunite it."

"Of course I would."

"He also knew your father would resist."

Viktoria's expression hardened.

"He's already doing that."

"And he knew you would eventually need someone with enough influence to challenge him without destroying the empire in the process."

She looked at Elias.

"And that's you."

"That's the Wells family."

"You're the second son."

Elias nodded.

"The one your grandfather specifically named."

Silence followed.

Viktoria looked down at the letter.

Everything was beginning to connect.

Her grandfather had known.

The Wells family had known.

And Elias had come because the moment they had all been waiting for had finally arrived.

Still, one question remained.

"What do you want from me?"

Elias answered honestly.

"Power."

Viktoria's eyes narrowed.

"At least you're honest."

"I don't want the Draven throne."

"Then what?"

"The Wells family has been pushed away from certain territories for generations. An alliance with you would restore our position."

"So you want influence."

"Yes."

"And I want my empire."

"Yes."

She studied him.

"Then neither of us is sacrificing everything."

"No."

Elias leaned forward.

"We would both gain something."

Viktoria stood and walked toward the window.

Outside, the city moved beneath her.

Her territory.

Her people.

Her responsibility.

Everything she had built over four years.

She had wanted the entire empire since she was young.

But now the path toward it had become more complicated than she ever imagined.

She turned back.

"And if I say no?"

Elias didn't hesitate.

"Then I walk away."

"And the Wells family?"

"Will remain neutral."

Viktoria stared at him.

"You would really leave?"

"Yes."

She didn't expect that answer.

"You wouldn't try to force me?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because a marriage entered through force would never serve either of us."

Alexander's expression softened slightly.

Viktoria noticed.

Elias continued.

"But if you say yes, I will stand beside you."

"Against my father?"

"Against anyone who stands between you and the crown."

The words struck something deep within her.

The crown.

Her grandfather's promise.

The empire.

Everything she had fought for.

She looked at Alexander.

He didn't tell her what to do.

He simply met her eyes.

Viktoria knew what he was thinking.

The decision belonged to her.

Not the council.

Not her father.

Not Elias.

Her.

For the first time, she understood that her grandfather's greatest gift to her might not have been the territory he left behind.

It might have been the people he had placed around her.

Alexander.

And now, perhaps, Elias.

She turned back toward Elias.

"I'll agree."

Alexander remained silent.

Elias didn't smile.

Instead, he asked,

"On what terms?"

Viktoria walked back to the table.

"My authority remains mine."

"Agreed."

"The Wells family doesn't interfere with my government."

"Agreed."

"My territory remains under my control."

"Of course."

"And if this marriage is meant to reunite the empire, then your family will support my claim to the entire Draven Empire."

Elias held her gaze.

"Agreed."

Viktoria paused.

"One more thing."

"What?"

"I want the truth."

Elias waited.

"Everything my grandfather knew. Everything your family knows about the division of this empire."

His expression became serious.

"No secrets."

"Exactly."

Elias nodded.

"Then we have an agreement."

He extended his hand.

Viktoria looked at it.

After a moment, she took it.

Their hands met briefly.

No affection.

No promises of love.

Only an agreement.

A dangerous one.

But an agreement that could change the future of the Draven Empire.

When they released each other's hands, Alexander approached.

"The council will need to be informed."

Viktoria looked at him.

"Let them hear it from me."

---

By evening, news had already begun spreading.

The Draven heir had accepted the Wells proposal.

The marriage alliance was no longer a possibility.

It was coming.

And somewhere across the divided empire, Marcus received the news.

He read the message once.

Then again.

His expression darkened.

"Elias Wells."

The name left his mouth like a warning.

He placed the message on the table.

For four years, he had believed the division of the empire had secured his position.

He had been wrong.

Viktoria had grown stronger.

And now she had found an ally capable of changing everything.

Marcus stood.

"Send a message to the council."

His adviser looked up.

"What should it say?"

Marcus's eyes hardened.

"Tell them the marriage cannot happen."

"On what grounds?"

Marcus looked toward the window.

"Any grounds."

Because he knew something Viktoria did not.

If Elias Wells married her, the balance of power would shift.

And once that happened, Marcus might lose more than his territory.

He might lose everything.

Back at the Draven estate, Viktoria stood alone in her office.

The marriage agreement lay on her desk.

She looked at it for a long moment.

Then she looked at her grandfather's letter.

She had spent four years fighting to reclaim the empire.

Now she had finally found a path toward it.

But the path had a name.

Elias Wells.

And Viktoria was beginning to realize that taking back the crown might require her to uncover secrets that could change everything she believed about her family.

She closed her grandfather's letter.

The game had changed.

And this time, she intended to be ready.