Tethered To The Six Princes Of Sylvarra

Chapter 13

Eryndor mounted the horse with me, and together we rode slowly through the quiet streets of Sylvarra.

The river shimmered ahead, its waters flowing gently past the old tree that had withstood last night’s storm.

The snow had melted under the warm sun, and the blue sapphire sky stretched peacefully above as birds circled and sang.

His arm moved carefully around my waist, steadying me. I tensed.

“If you don’t like it, tell me, Sorenna,” he said softly.

“…It’s fine,” I replied, my voice even. My heart beat a little faster, his scent, warm and spiced, stirring something unfamiliar in me.

“That’s… unexpected,” he said with a low smile I could feel behind me. “I want you to feel safe. I know you don’t trust easily, and you’re still mourning, but you should relax, Sorenna. I’ve already sent men to search for your siblings.”

Breath caught in my throat, a flicker of hope stirring quietly inside me.

The thought of wrapping Zach and Violet in my arms again… It was almost too much to bear. I missed them—missed them so deeply it ached in places I didn’t know could hurt.

Each breath felt a little heavier, like my chest couldn’t contain the weight of how badly I wanted them safe and whole.

Violet must be so frightened. I could almost see her wide eyes and feel her trembling hand searching for mine.

And Zach… gods, I couldn’t even begin to imagine what he was going through.

“That means so much to me,” I whispered, my eyes glistening with tears as I looked up at Eryndor.

Bringing my siblings back to me… it was the only good thing I could hope for right now. The only light in all this shadow.

And he was offering it.

I could hardly hold the gratitude in my heart; it felt full for a brief moment.

But at the same time, they beat with worry.

I couldn’t stay calm after everything Eryndor said; I had to protect my gifts, or else anyone with the power could take them.

But how could I protect them when I couldn’t even summon or use them yet?

At least, I was a bit lightheaded when he said none of the princes could take it. But what do they still want from me?

That, I was still yet to find out.

“I will do anything to make you happy. I’m glad I could do this one for you.” He said, smiling broadly.

The horse stopped before a vast estate. The grounds were lined with flowers, so many kinds I didn’t know the names.

A spring bubbled in a stone courtyard, its waters rising and falling like breath. Everything was calm. Beautiful. Almost unreal.

“This is beautiful.” My eyes gleamed. Ahead was the path to the throne room, built with gold and lights. Eryndor said everyone was waiting for me; they probably were already inside the throne room.

Dismounting the horse, Eryndor led us straight into the grand hall. The moment we stepped through the entrance, I felt every pair of eyes already fixed on me.

But it was his gaze that stole my breath first.

Rhysand.

His golden eyes pierced through the crowd like blades, dark and commanding. His aura, still steeped in that dangerous calm, made the air heavy around him.

His face hardened the instant his gaze fell on Eryndor’s hand on my wrist, as if he would have a problem with Eryndor holding me protectively.

Then there was Zaryth, standing quietly with the other two princes, his brothers; three of them, including Eryndor, made them the quadruplet princes. Who were called the trueborn princes of Sylvarra?

They shared the same striking features, nearly indistinguishable from Eryndor, but their eyes gave them away.

Zaryth’s emerald green gaze locked onto mine, arms crossed tightly, and in them I saw the same possessiveness I remembered from that night. But today, it looked sharper, darker, like I was the enemy.

None of their beasts were present. Not even Rhysand’s dragon. It was obvious they couldn’t come inside the throne room.

I tore my gaze away.

Then I saw the king, seated high above everyone, on the throne made of zircon, sparkling like diamond, only it wasn’t diamond but zircon, a rare diamond-like stone.

The fire of vengeance that had blazed within me for years began to flicker. This wasn’t the monster I’d imagined… the one who murdered my mother. His eyes were dim, his skin pale and drawn with age. He looked... tired. Fragile.

Was this truly the same man from three years ago?

It didn’t add up. He couldn’t have aged so rapidly in such a short time.

Something had happened. Something I didn’t understand yet. And it wasn’t just the king. This entire place was steeped in strange energy I hadn’t begun to unravel.

I wasn’t ready to tear my gaze from him—not yet.

But then a female voice sliced through the moment like a blade.

“The popular girl right now,” she said with a smirk, her hazel eyes rolling with sharp disdain. I didn’t need to guess, because she was walking straight toward me, her steps deliberate, filled with poison.

“She’s the enemy I’ve waited and practiced every night to end, since I couldn’t end her mother myself.”

She sounded like she was from the third clanship made of women… this must be one of them.

In a blink, she drew her sword, sparkling like silver as the morning light reflected on it. Cold air locked in my lungs.

But Eryndor was faster. “This is not your regular battle, Ria.”

In a single motion, he stepped in front of me, unsheathing his blade. Steel clashed against steel with a high, ringing note. With a burst of force, he threw her back. She stumbled, hitting the hard floor with a sharp grunt.

“I wonder how long you’re going to protect her, Eryndor.”

Another woman stepped out from the watching crowd, her voice mocking. Her silver hair was cut short, brushing her nape, and her coffee-brown eyes gleamed with challenge.

Eryndor didn’t flinch. His voice was calm.

“Anyone who wishes her harm…” he said softly, his eyes never leaving theirs, “will find me in their path first.”

He offered a faint smile, the kind that cloaked a threat in velvet.

“She’s about to be one of us. You’d do well to remember that.”

My heart pounded in my chest, louder than the commotion around me. The reality was setting in…unfolding like a dark bloom.

He walked back to me, sheathing his sword across his back.

“Are you okay, Sorenna?” He asked gently, his voice calm, but I could tell he’d noticed the tension in my eyes, the way the veins along my neck pulsed with each shallow breath.

“Yes… thank you,” I said, offering a brief smile. Maybe he wasn’t as cruel as I feared.

He seemed like someone who’d guard me with his life if he had to.

Maybe… Just maybe, he wasn’t a threat.

“You don’t need to thank me,” he said, his voice low and steady. “Come on, let’s keep walking to the king.”

He held my hand gently, like I’d break if he applied pressure, and led me forward, toward the king, who hadn’t spoken a single word since our arrival.

My gaze couldn’t help but sweep back to Rhysand. I didn’t know why, but whenever I met those intense golden eyes of his, a strange heat bloomed in my chest.

He stood beside the other tattooed princes, all three marked by the same branded sigil on their left arms. But Rhysand… he looked different. Sharper. Colder. By far the most handsome man in the room and, somehow, the most dangerous.

“It brings us quiet relief to know the three Star Bearers we have long awaited are finally found,” King Kaelvar said gently, his eyes lingering on my face, as though hoping it might remind him of something once known.

“I only asked that you let me leave,” I said gently, though the ache in my chest trembled through my voice. “My siblings are out there alone… And it’s tearing me apart, knowing I might be losing them.”

My words floated into the silence, bold yet quiet. A hushed gasp rippled through the hall; perhaps I had spoken too freely to their king. But I didn’t take it back.

I felt their stares like blades, sharp and disapproving, but I kept my eyes forward. I would not shrink.

The king’s lashes, pale as snow, fluttered as his red albino eyes settled on me. His hair was white, even on his skin, and a faint smile curved beneath his matching mustache, soft and unreadable.

“We cannot let you leave these walls, Sorenna,” King Kaelvar said, a smile tugging at his lips, though his voice remained grave. “Letting you walk out of here is no different from handing you over to the Thornevaldians.”

His gaze didn’t waver as he continued, his tone firm yet almost fatherly. “But staying here will demand more than presence. You must be unshakably strong.

There are many who see you as a threat, and they will not hesitate to break you. Choose wisely whom you place your trust in, for not all who smile at you wish you well.”

Yes… and my most dangerous enemies right now were the Tattooed Princes—especially Rhysand, whose stare felt like a warning cloaked in silence.

And then there were the women of the Third Clan, fierce and poised, daughters of the fallen... children King Kaelvar had taken in as his own after their parents were killed.

Unlike them, the trueborn princes were his real sons. His blood.

Was he advising me now? I wasn’t even sure how to take that. His words felt like both a warning and a sentence.

They were keeping me here… locking me in with people who either wanted me dead or longed to strip me of the gifts I barely understood.

How was I supposed to survive this place, with no power or skill like theirs?

The only ones who didn’t feel like wolves circling were the trueborn princes.

Maybe I’d have to stay close to them… especially Eryndor. He was the only one whose gaze didn’t make me feel like prey.

He was standing beside me, close enough that I could quietly slip my fingers into his. I gave his hand a soft squeeze; it was my silent way of telling him I had made my choice. I was going to trust him now.

He looked down at me, his silvery-gray eyes warm and steady. A faint smile curved his lips as he murmured, “You can trust me, Sorenna. I won’t let any harm come to you.”